The Washington times., 1918-03-18
LIVEL Y DEBATE
ONLOOP PETITION
OF w. B. & A. LINE
RsststersS q. 0. Psfsss eftes.
By BILL PRICE.

The liveIiest ofSall street railway
hearings was that before the Utili-
ties Commission today over the ap-
plicatiOn of the Washington Railway
and. Electric Company for loop privi-
leges for the Washington, Baltimore
and Annapolis cars from New York
avenue south on Twelfth street to II
and west on H to Thirteenth, thence
north again to New York avenue, cir
cling the block in which 10 located
the Masonic Temple.
Stiff opposition developed to per-
mittinB any street railway company
to obtain the use OF the streets OF
this city, especially in a section al
ready congested. and to become worse
conEested In the next few years, and
the battle became a warm one be-
tween the opposing phalanxes.
Conflict Of Isterests.
The conflicting interests lent color
to the hearing. Citizens without
property interests and animated only
by the view that no street railway
corporation has q right TO be given
terminal privileges in the streets OF
the city. and should be required to
buy and pay for their own terminal:
railroad representatives actuated
wholly by their own interests; prop
erty-owners who believed their prop
erty would be injured by such a
terminal; property owners who
thought they would be benefited by
II; a committee from the board of
trade and the Safety First Associa-
tion, were all on hand presenting q
conflict OF views.
The Federation OF Citizens Associ-
ations, which went hatly on record
against giving streets to railways for
terminals, was represented by Charles
A. Baker and J. II. Holland: the Mid
City CitiZens' Association, taking the
same view, was represented by A J.
DrIscoll, and the Northeast Washing
ton Citizens Association, hotly op-
posed to the plan. had on hand q
committee composed OF Dr.. L. D.
Walter. James II Wood. and p. o.
Day.
L. F. coIladay represented property
owners on the south side OF II street
who opposed the plan. II. Clay Stew
art. real ESTATE owner, offered fire.
quent objections. +. C. Graham and
Ralph Lee, representing the board OF
trade, saw no objections to the plan.
The Safety First Association object
ed On grounds OF public safety. while
the two railroads had a big delega-
tion OF officials and attorneys, head
ed by Clarence King. president OF the
Washington Railway anc Electric
Company. J. II. Boyden. representing
the committee. favored the plan.
The proposition, az presented by En-
gineer Boyd, OF the Washington, Bal
timore and Annapolis line, is to put
in a one-track line, as already indi-
Gated. On II street the track will run
close 10 the north side, near Masonic
Temple. To prevent narrowing II
street for general traffic purposes. it
ie proposed to narrow the sidewalks $
from twenty-seven feet wide. their
present width, to fifteen feet wide, at
the expense OF the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company. This. it
was declared by railway engineers,
would leave the traffic part of the
street practically as wide as now, but
Attorney Colladay brought out that
the overhang OF the cars would re-
duce the street space to less than II
Is now for traftic.
To the contention Of n. Clay Stew
art that streets ought TO be wider in =
stead OF narrower. Commissioner
Brownlov stated that the trouble now
is that Washington sidewalks arc too
wide and the roadwsys too narrow.
The program announced by the TIT
ities Commission vas that those ia
voring the application should be heard
first and those opposed afterwsrd, but
the opponents frequently interJected
questions and. In the language of DR..
Beelsr, slowed down things percept-
Ibly.
Dispute Legal Right.
J. NJ Wood. of the Northeast WASH
Ington Citizens Association. began q
line Of questioning Of railway wit
nesses TO develop the virw OF his as
annIafinn that thu MhaninRfon- RaIfI-