Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-21
CITY AND DISTRICT.
'"ooid Railroad. Use Streets Eratu.
itOuslyl
TO the Editor of TIVE Evv>,~'

~ tne ENntor Of THK EVENING srAR.
- me mt discussion OF the railroad uues-
N .nis CITY. have not seen It suggested that
INC rlsht OF way which is to be granted should be
paid for nor have seen II noted t1at in ente-tn,
~ phlt The Pennsylvania bought It's right o.
NJ through private property and was not
arter,ei ~ Sonnscate streets-the veins and
I,,S 10 % Guys life and breaJh-fOr its use and
tS Ss,ness advantage This In view OF the marked
r,i,s ~ Of inc times TO make these railway COM
panIes pay Tor their use Of streets and highways
70 surprising. and especially so when yerv lately
% ilsu as IS per cent OF the annual earnings OF
Sa-S o sucn companies has been exacted In New
~ SlJ. hOrSe-railway companies do not cause
sue damage 10 street, adjacent property and lines
so avenues or loot and wagon traffic that the
Ss.aa iauWays do, and II II Is wise and just TO
eano remuneration IRON the FIRST, It Is certain
~ more 50 70 demand It OF the second class.
lnS question naturally suggests ITSELF Why should
inaiIoan companies be given land within the city
uhhts when they pay farmers and country fOIk for
Sher less valuable acres anu less serious property
damage? The closest Consideration or this aues-
ZION could not show IL hight or equitable not to re-
inourSe cities for whole streets taken, when such
taxing utterly destroys Improvements made upon
enen AZ great pubic expense, while the same
piIues pay Tor all other LAM used. There 4, no
question but that the ground whefh her streets
W OtheI property, occupied % railways within
CITY limits, should be paid for. This being the
case, unless compensation Is made for tine use
OF the streets. would 1t not be well II the railway
tracks, In their course through Washington,
were laid< between streets as was suggested
IN New York city some time since In cOnnec-
ton with a scheme for a new eIvated road?
would be many. The foremost Is 1t would do the
least possible damage To real estate Tor IL l. self
evident that II would BE- less damaging TO have a
Railroad track pass your back gate tnan your front
door. In this location II would not affect the
ces Utility Of houses stores and would not make
them undesirable. Indeed, for manufactures and
business enterprises needing proximity Of railroad
accommodations IT would make the adJayen prop
erty desirable and more valuable. By requiring
all streets TO be crossed above or below grade 10
would render the railroads safer and less liable for
damage suits, and would permit them 10 run their
trains at greater rates OF speed than they other
wise could and then 1t would preserve the streets
Tor the purposes for which they were designed,
regular, convenient. and uninterruptfd access TO
the houses located on them. This consideration Is
not apt 70 be sufficiently appreciated 1t this time,
but the charges made on horse railways, which
have been mentioned, show that public opinion on
this point Is changing In addition. The preSeTya
JiOn OF the expensive street improvements and the
saving OF their value would BE- In itself sufficient
reason for the adoption OF such plan
OF course this plan would be expensive but no
more so than the entrance OF the Pennsylvania
into Philadelphia or the New York Central into
city through which the routes would run Is
sparsely settled As has been said these railroad
corporations pay for land In the country. Why
then should their efforts, soon they reach IA
able, 10 have land given them be acceied to and
grained? In London and Berlin and other
European cities they are not allowed 70 enter the
city Units at any price. III they do IL here they
ought To pay big price. The representatives OF
these corporations In making their gigantic re-
are 10 city. but they adTOltly conceal the great
advantages city and good city connections are TO
them A central location in "A city for dcpOLs Is
worth millions OF dollars OF business 10 The rail-
way securing It. as evidenced by the lavish eX-
penditures made IN other cities 10 obtain such