The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-17
WASHINGTON, d. c., DEC. II, 1890.
THE NORFOLK AND WESTERN II. II.

THE NORFOLK AND WESTERN IL. II.
The bill now pending in Congress to per-
INIT the Washington and Western Railroad
of Virginia to enter the city of Washing
ton is matter of vital Importance to the
people Of the District and as such should
receive careful and candid consideration.
The Washington and Western Railroad
of Virginia is n projected branch of the
Norfolk and Western Railroad starting
from the Shenandoah Valley Road, which
has been recently purchased and incorpo-
rated into the Norfolk and Western
system, at point n short distance south
from Rverton The distance from this
point to Washington by the direct route
which has been surveyed, is about seventy
miles.
The completion of this branch will open
lip to Washington business beautiful
and fertile country and afford direct and
excellent line to the South and Southwest
and to the West.
The question now is whether this road
shall be permitted TO enter Washington
and upon what terms.
A hill was before Congress ut the last
session permitting the Washington and
Cumberland road 10 come in upon the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which that
corporation expected Ia possess, and the
bill was SO amended rs 10 permit the
Washington and Western 10 Use the same
tracks. But the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road has now possession of the canal
which will be restored as a waterway, and
so neither company can use it. Under the
provisions of Senate bill ii1l, introduced
by Senator DANIEL in September, the
Washington and Western road is permit
ted to cross the Potomac somewhere be-
tween the Aqueduct and Chain bridges
above navigation, thence by the river
bank to Water street, along Water street
to Rock Creek, and thence by the most
practicable route to a terminus or depot
near B and Seventeenth streets.
Whilst the Congress should be most
jealous in guarding the rights of the
people in dealing with railroads, yet the
people should not be deprived of railroad
facilities essential to the transaction of
business upon any prctense of protecting
them from corporations As a general
rule these outcries against the cncroach-
mcnts of railroad corporations are started
by rival railroads to protect the monopo-
lies they themselves enjoy.
Washington has been peculiarly un-
fortunate in this regard. For years all
communication between the Capital aud
the outside world at least north of the
Potomac, was in the hands of single rail-
road, and il is still remembered how
shamefully the monopoly was abused.
Washington is more in need of railroad
facilities than any city of hundred thou
sand population in the Union. Its gate
way to the South is in the hands of {,
single company which does not possess
the facilities or the space in which. tc
handle the business that is offered. Upon
inauguration days The railroads un-
load thousands Of their passenger,
in remote suburbs. Aud the bust
ness men of Georgetown fine
il more expensive to move carload OF
freight from the railroad terminus to theil
warehouses than the freight rate for {
hundred miles amounts to.
Cities and towns all over the land are
going into debt to raise money to Undue,
the building of railroads. Railroads are
Of as much value to the business men ol
Washington as 10 those of other cities. l.
il just, then, to the people for Congress tc
deny admittance to those which come
knocking at our doors, asking no favors
but simply admittance upon our own
tcrlnsp
II is not likely that there is busines,