Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-18
DEVELOPMENT and Merger.

Development and Merger.
The steady development of Wash
inston's street railways and the trend
toward merger into single system
in the public interest are strikingly
pictured in Star comment in success
sive periods of the capitals history.
In 1888 editorial correspondence of
The Star said:
ain connection with the broad plan
of remedying railroad evils which
will place a Union station at the near
est point to the business center Of the
city that can be reached by tunnel,
ing or with small injury to public and
private interests, a comprehensive sys-
tenn of local rapid transit by electric
or cable railways will be provided
which shall give all parts Of the Dis
triet quick and easy access to such
station or stations. 1t is evident that
in the improved street railways Of the
future horses must give way to more
rapid and less Objectionable motors
that grooved rails must take the place
of the present denominations, and that
the franchises to these corporations.
no longer gifts, must become source
of public revenue outside of that
which is derived from them through
just taxation of their tangible prop
I erty."
In 1898. ten years later, it was
said:
"The most important improvement
remaining to be accomplished in the
District street railroads il one which
will bind closer together by absorp-
tien or by universal transfers or by
common use of tracks the suburban
and urban trunk lines, so that one
may travel cheaply, quickly and con.
veniently wherever in the District the
network of steel track extends"
in 1902 and Immediately subse-
quent years the consolidation of a
score of lines, many of which had
passed through reeeiverships, was eff
feeted in organizing the Washington
Railway and Electric Company.
In 1918 it was said in editorial cor
respondenee:
ain response to The Stars cam
paign against overhead wires, and es-
peeially its fight against the overhead
trolley for urban use, Congress baf-
fed the overhead trolley syndicate's
desperate effort to get the capital into
Its clutches, and on the strength of
The Stars representations concerning
the underground trolley in Budapest
it in effect compelled the use of that
system in Washington, with the re-
suit that it is now in successful opera
ton throughout practically the entire
urban area"
Further describing street railway
conditions in 1913 it was said:
"The street railways have devel-
oped from projecting, wheel-wreneh-
ing Trails to grooved rails; from
horses to underground electric mo-
tive power of the Budapest type with
improvements, without passing through
the intermediate stage of use of the
ugly and dangerous overhead trolley
in the urban section; from division
into many weak and impoverished
lines to consolidation into two great
systems; from go-as- you please man
agement Of tramways by Congress,
with unlimited free franchises for the
asking, to appreciation by both pub
lie and railroad that these franchises
represent substantial grants by the
public of valuable privileges, for
which consideration must be render
ed To the public, either directly OF
Indirectly in cheaper fares and in i'm
proved service; from almost uncheck-
ed control by private interests of
these important semi-public functions
to stringent, wholesome regulation by
the people, first through the national
Interstate Commerce Commission and
now through an Independent local
Public Utilities Commission with en-
. larged powers"
In 1918 Star editorial correspond
ence said:
"Oat Of the evils of today should
spring in the public interest and in
promotion of the community welfare
nntficstion of operation and perhaps
the merger of the two great local sys-
tens, and such Strengthening of the
powers of the public to supervise and
regulate the railways through the
Public Utilities Commission as will
protect the equities and promote the
welfare Of every body in interest
railway users, railway workers, rail.
way owners"