Evening star., 1932-01-12
BUS LINE EXPECTED
TO RUN IN TRIANGLE
BEGINNING MONDAY
Congressional Action Fore
seen Soon to Put Damages
in Hands of Courts.
TRACKS NOW HOLDING UP
FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION
New Service From Arlington to
Use Terminal Located at
1913 D Street.

Win the legislative machinery OF DOM
House and Senate set to give early con-
sideration and action on bills to solve
the question of Government payment
to the Mount Vernon, Alexandria g.
Washington Railway, which now OBJ
structs the Federal building program in
the triangle, prospects today pointed
definitely toward abandonment Of the
railway line between Arlington juno
ton and Washington Sunday night and
the substitution of buses TO handle the
traffic beginning Monday morning.
Fifteen new buses have been pur-
chased by Robert L. May, owner of both
the railway and the present bus line.
Permission has been obtained from the
Virginia Corporation Commission to
make the shift abandoning the rails,
and unless some new hitch takes place
the ng-deferTed change will go into
effect over the week end. This includes
abandonment of the old terminal at
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania ave-
niue.
On Capitol Hill, committees Of the
Senate and House have agreed to give
early consideration to identical meas
ures which would repeal the railway
charter and throw the problem of re-
endorsement to the railway into local
courts. Both the Senate and House
District Committees were advised by
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon in a
vigorous report supporting the resolu-
tion, that the Treasury had no objec-
ton to the amendment ito eliminate
the District Of Columbia from respon-
sibility of paying any of the amount
OF damages, which may be awarded"
Serious Embarrassment"
In his report urging enactment OF
the resolution, Secretary Mellon said
that the presence of the railway was
subjecting the Treasury to serious en-
barrassment" in the Federal Building
TriGnglc.
Work has proceeded to the point"
h c2id, where presence of the tracks
w, Immediately prove serious cause
a. delay and additional expense"
The hCuse District Committee has re-
fCrr2d tie pending resolution to its sub
committee on Public Utilities, whose
CO. trrnan. Representative Loring Black
CT New York said today he would try
t. have a meeting tomorrow to take
u The matter.
me. Senate District Committee has
a--aagSd a meeting for Friday, when
IL is hoped the railway resolution may
be considered.
In the meantime, according to both
Gardner L. Boothe and A K. Barta,
attorneys for the railway line, arrange
ments are going forward to set up bus
schedules on the route.
viii Abandon Tracks.
The railway line will be continued
between Alexandria and Arlington
Junction, and the Arlington Fairfax
line also will continue to run as far
as Arlington Junction. The railway
tracks from Arlington Junction into
Washington will be abandoned.
Some of the new busseS will pick up
passengers transferring at Arlington
junction and bring them into the Ma
tional Capital, while some of the addi-
tional buses will run all the way from
Alexandria to Washington.
The regular Alexandria busses now
come into the city and pass by a new
terminal at 1913 D street, which is
being remodeled. 1t is expected it will
be ready for service by Saturday.
In the meantime, Mr.. May today
filed application with the Public Util-
ities Commission for permission to
bring in his buses from Arlington
junction over the route being used by
the regular buSses-north on Four
teenth to E street. east on street to
Pennsylvania avenue, north on Thtr-
teenth to E street, east on E street TO
Tenth street, south on Tenth street to
D street and west on D street to the
terminal at 1913 D street.
Do Not Cross Avenue.
It is expected, however, that the COM
mission will not approve this route, but
will make the buses follow the line OF
the Alexandria express busSeS, which dc
not cross Pennsylvania avenue. These
after coming up Fourteenth street, turn
east on E street to Pennsylvania avenue
and then follow Pennsylvania avenue
east to Tenth street, turning south on
Tenth street to Constitution avenue
west on Constitution avenue to Four
teenth street and so back to Alexandra
Reports in Alexandria that the troll
lev line might continue its operations
into the Capital through the Bicenten-
rlial year were denied by Mr.. Boothe.
With the car lines service being sup.
plemented by buSSeS into Washington
from Arlington Junction, and with the
two bus lines now operating between
Alexandria and Washington, one o.
which extends to Mount Vernon, Alex
andrians feel that there will be ample
transportation for the crowds expected
here during the year.
Officials of the A. B. g. w Rapic
Transit Co., with the buSseS of which
company the car line will connect a.
Arlington Junction, stated today tha
buses for thiS service were already here
and that there would be no discontin'
uance of service, following the car linei
abandonment in Washington. TheS
buses will use q concrete road into th'
Junction from Columbia pike in making
the connection.
Removal Blocked.
May plans to construct a 50-foot con
crete road over the present roadbed O
the railway tracks from Arlington juno
ton to the south end of Highwa!
Bridge for this service
Removal Of the railway long ago wa!
blocked by Controller General McCarl
who held that the Treasury Department
had no funds in its public building ap'
preparations with which to reimburse
the railway for loss of its rights, charter
tracks and terminal in Washington.
Petition by the railway for an injunc.
tion to prevent the Government from
taking its tracks without compensation
was denied by Justice Adkins in DistricI
Supreme Court, but on appeal to tht
Court of Appeals, the Government wa,
restrained from removing the tracks fo
at least so days. The appeal is stil
pending, but 1t is understood that i
and when the new legislation is enacted
throwing the question of damages int
the court, the appeal may be with
drawn.