The Washington times., 1915-02-04
CHAMBER TAKES UP
CAR LINE PROTEST
Virginia Hotel Company, Own.
ers Of the Willard, Object to
Fourteenth Street Branch.

The Chamber of Commerce. as body,
at its meeting next Tuesday evening.
viii pass upon the question of the neces-,
sity for car line on Fourteenth street
between Pennsylvania avenue and F
street northwest, and will express opin-
ion as to the reasonableness of the
attitude Of the Public Utilities Com
mission in refusing the hearing re-
duested by the Virginia Hotel Company.
which is protesting the proposed extern
Hallway and Electric Company.
At a meeting of the board Of directors
a. the Chamber Of Commerce last night
The committee on municipal legislation
vas directed to investigate these ques-
lions and make report at Tuesdays
meeting.
The grounds for the protest Of the
NWirES,nia Nvi1Sand Hotel COMPANY owner ,.ns OF the
corporation. 70 make changes that
would be necessary were the car line
pany. Mr.. Lambert said. more than
100000. besides greatly tnjuring the
establishment through the anonyance
that would be occasioNed patrons OF the
teenth street side of the hostelry.. he
said. are practically the only ones free
from the noise incident to street rail-
way traffic.
Owners Not Notified.
When the Public Utilities Commission
determined TO hold hearings. Mr.. Lam
bert said. 1t served notice upon the
lessees of the hotel. but failed to give
any notice to the owners of the prop
erty. none of whom. he added. knew
anything of such a proposal as the es-
tablishment of a car line in the block In
question, or were aware that any ac-
ton was contemplated which might in
terfere with or impair their property.
Joseph Willard. the American am
stockholder in the company. Am
bassador Willard was in Washington
when the question of affording better
street railway accommodations to the
employees of the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing was suggested. but not
having received any notice of the con-
templated action Of the commission,
returned to Spain to resume his
duties.
Not until the order Of the commits
sion had been promulgated. were tho
owners Of the Willard property aware
Of the PROPOSAL for the establishment
Immediately. he said. the hotel COM
pany requested a hearing. but the
commission refused. contending that
notice to the lessees was sufficient.
To make the extension contemplated
by the railway company. Mr.. Lambert
said. would mean that the hotel COM
pany would have to change the vaults
containing the machinery by which
the establishment Is operated. This
would necessitate. he said. either the
digging Of a subcellar. or the erection
of. a roofing, the cost of which, In
either case. would be 100000. But
of quiet rooms. Mr. Lambert said,
would be as great loss az the none
tary consideration involved in remod-
elling its machinery hall.
,~ Other Streets Suggested.
Mr.. Lambert suggested that the pro-
posed connection between the lines
of the railway company might be
made by establishing line down Thir-
teenth street. or running cars down
Ninth or Eleventh streets. The OBJ
jections to these proposals on the
part of the railway company. Mr..
Lambert said, were principally that
two curves would have to be main
tained in either case, whereas the
Fourteenth street line would have NO
curves.
Mr.. Lambert also pointed to the dan
ger incident to a crossing at Fourteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue. de-
claring that the angle at which Penn
street makes it difficult for drivers of
vehicles which turn from one thorough
fare into the other to detect vehicles
running in another direction. As q re-
curred at this crossing.
In moving the reference of the ques-
ton to the committee on municipal leg
islation. A. Leftwich Sinclair declared
that 1t appears that the proposed
change was one which not only was not
demanded by public interests. but con-
sttuted an invasion Of private rights"
Robert N. Harper. speaking on tho
request Of the Hotel Mems Association
for cooperation in the campaign for q
convention hall. suggested the embodi-
mcnt of the hall and the proposed Dis
lrict National Guard armory in the
same building.
The directors voted $1o0 toward de-
fraying the expenses of the American
civic Associations convention, which
Was held in this city in December.
Chairmen of Committees.
President p. r. Moran has completed
the formation Of the standing commit
tees. the chairmen Of which are:
Public health, Lewis ]. Battle; manu-
features. Isaac Cans: militia, Winfield
Jones: law and legislation. r. l.. c.
Moncure; charities, w. I. Galliher;
publicity. r. =. Andrews; transporta-
tion and freight rates, John l. New
bold: membership. William F. GUIDE;
building industries. A. p. Clark, jr !:
parks. highways. and bridges. George
y. Worthington; building, W. J. Kehoe:
public schools, James F. Oyster: Dis
trirt finance. f.. G. Graham; Anacostia
Mats. Albert Schulteis: retail trade. Jo-
scph \. Berberich: municipal legisla-
ton, W. b. Guy; audit. A. H. Rogers.
and house committee. John F. slaven.