Evening star., 1938-02-27
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

THE existence Of citizens associations
In Washington in the past and present"
A:A: says The Star of Feb
oSsociatiohs ruary %, 1888. sis not.
Of Citizens. as sometimes claimed,
an unmistakable symp-
tom of dissatisfaction with the city's
municipal government by Commission
ers. Under the Constitution Congress
necessarily furnishes District legislation
and the best work of these voluntary
organizations has consisted and will
consist in securing the attention of the
Districts Legislature to the material
needs of the District. The duties of the
Commissioners are in the main execu-
tive and it is not imagined that they
can suggest to Congress all necessary
legislation or by work before committees
and with individual members of Con-
gress secure the passage of such legisla-
ton. The District needs the active
assistance of every friendly agency of
the press. the Commissioners and organ
izations Of citizens, to obtain quick action
from a body that moves slowly concern
ing the apparent material wants of the
community about which there can be
little or no dispute. In such efforts for
the good of the District, with a readi-
ness to cooperate heartily for that pur-
pose with all agencies striving toward
the same end, citizens association
finds the highest reason for its exist
ence."
THE passage by the Senate of the
cable-electric railway bill for the Dis
c.u.. .;,u trict," says The Star of
otreet halfway February "a. 1888. with
Legislation. the hints furnished by
the discussion of the
measure, is matter of much local in
terest. 1t is evident that the Senate
strongly favors the substitution of i'm
proved motor for horse power. A pointed
suggestion to existing lines of the neces-
sity of adapting themselves to modern
ideas and customs in this regard is given
by authorizing the new railway to run
its cars along Seventh street, unless the
present line on that street shall within
one year substitute cable or electric
motor for its horses Seventh street is
admirably adapted for cable line. The
east-and-west railways follow such
twisting courses that cables may be
found inexpedient and electricity may
commend itself. But neither the new
line, nor existing lines in changing their
form of motor, should be permitted to
disfgure the streets with poles and the
overhead electric conductor. If elec-
tricity is used to furnish motive power,
either the undergraduate sys-
tenn or storage batteries should be re-
quired. The tone of discussion in the
Senate not only pointed to general
improvement of the Washington railway
system in the form of motive power, but
also indicated strong and general de-
sire to make the holders of valuable rail-
way franchises contribute in most just
proportion to the public revenues. The
new road would doubtless have been
taxed much more heavily and its fran
chise might even have been put up at
auction, but for the suggestion that
such course would place it at an unfair
disadvantage in competition with exist
ing roads, and the fact that the whole
subject of insufficient taxation of Dis
trict railways is now by authority of the
Senate under investigation by the Dis
trict Committee. When that commit
tee reports on the subject the Senate will
doubtless take advantage of the oppor-
tunity to establish a basis of taxation
which will impose just burdens upon all
the District railways"