Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-28
A RAILROAD HEARING.
A Board Of Trade Committee Protests
Against the Atkinson Bill.

hBWAueS tuV AVAxU9O0 0Al1s
wzAr WAS SAID TO TEE zouss pzsrsscr COMMIT
TEE roDAY-osJEcrIoSs 10 THk PRoPosEp sANc-
TIoNrSa OF THE nLHoAL SIDE TRAcKs-Txg
ABOLITION or SURFACE TRACKS uAoxp.
The railroad committee from the Board
Of Trade appeared before the House
District committee today 70 protest
against the passage Of the Atkinson bill to give
the sanction Of Congress to the
illegal holdings Of the Penniyivsnis railroad
in the city Of Washington. quorum Of the
committee were present, Mr.. Circuit presiding,
and besides the represents Of the board Of
trade there we're q number Of citizens and the
representatives Of the railroad in the room.
THE BOARD OF TRADES OBJECTIONS. s
Mr.. Moves spoke for the Board of Trade. He
read the report Of the Board Of Trade on this
subject, giving the objections to the bill pro-
posed by the railroad and making suggestions
FOR = substitute for the bill He said that if
the Pennsylvania railroad was to have
be granted the additional facilities desired a
condition made should be that concessions
should be granted to the people Of the District in
the way Of protection to life and property.
TO ABOLISH SURFACE TRACKS. o..
The road should be required. Mr.. Noyes
said, by the same act which granted the further
concessions they wanted, to sink their tracks
aud relieve the city Of the dangerous grade
crossings. II the needs Of the railroad, which
induced them to come to Congress
oat sSess Ss5s granted s ps ws
Of Washington could not hope for any conces-
s,ons from this corporation. He said that the
Board OF Trade had examined the bill presented
for the railroad and that they had prepared q
substitute proposition, which was not unrea-
He said that the importance Of this ap-
parently harmless proposition made by the
Pennsylvanla railroad might be better sppre-
ciated by reference to the past history Of the
road.
WHAT THE ROAD HAS DONE.
On account Of the want of progressiveness by
the Baltimore and Ohio the Pennsylvania road
was gladly welcomed when it entered the
city and great privileges had been given
taken. 1t had occupied the streets
with its sidings, taken possession of public
reservations, unloaded its freight on the
streets and endangered the lives Of citizens
with it's grade crossings and almost completely
cut off one section of the city. Senator Nor
weighty, remarked in q speech on the SUBJ
ject in the Senate that this road was the read
lest land grabber and freebooter Of the age.
He read from MIR. Morrilfs speech q statement
Of illegal acts of the road in taking possession
OF streets and reservations.
coNDoNINo ILLEGAL SEIZURES.
One section of this bill, Mr.. Noyes said, pro-
posed to condone illegal seizures Of land and
illegal sidings. The company seized the streets
and converted them to its own use, blockading
them and cutting off South Washington and
the river front. Occasionally fire engines were
stopped in going to a fire by the engines and
freight cars blocking the way, and now and
then people we're crushed to death at these
grade crossings. The road now came to
turn to do anything to protect the lives and
property OF the citizens. II any new grants
were to be made to the Pennsylvania railroad,
if its illegal acts were to be condoned, pro-
vision for the protection of the citizens should
go hand in hand with it.
PRETExr.
The road, he said, made one excuse for
blockading the public streets with the freight
the mos. Hinsy of all fimsy excuses; an ex-
Suss which . amounted simply to plea tha,
in an attempt to do one illegal act they were
helpless. They purchased small tract Of land,
to reach which it was necessary to cross 14th
street. Injunctions prevented them from
constructing this track. in viola
and said that if they could not lay tracks
illegally to reach this property with their
freight they would continue TO block the
streets.
MIGHT HAVE GONE ANYWHERE.
II they could legally have laid their
tracks to reach this property, Mr.. Noyes
said, they might purchase a square OF
ground in the west end or along
side of the Capitol, or where they pleased,
and run their tracks through the city along
any streets to reach the square. Many Of their
illegal acts have not been interfered with, for
what is every ones business is no one 8
business: but with this principle involved
suit had been brought to prevent the laying of
tracks across 14th street and the Supreme
Court OF the United States had decided in favor
Of the people, pronouncing the claims of the
railroad most extraordinary. a-
Mr.. Moves proceeded to 60 over the career OF
the road as a law breaker, and said that it now
wanted its lawlessness condoned and re-
warded without recompense to the public.
WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT. 2
What the people Of the District had been ap.
pealing to Congress for WAS the removal OF
surface tracks aud the relief OF public parks
from the occupancy Of the railroad.
sRss' norn nas v,,s
and Chace, made an investigation OF
this subject and all but Mr.. Chace
had recommended practical relief, but the
whole committee had failed to adopt the re.
port of the majority of the special com.
mittee. After that the railroad had under.
taken a flank movement like the
present, separating the measures for relief of
the people from the concessions to the road and
pressing the latter.
The demands of the people, Mr.. Noyes said
are not unreasonable. They want the removal
of the mo thoroughfare" blockades; they want
the street crossings to be over tunnels or bridges
and where grade crossings are necessary they
want gates. The same demands are made in
other cities and are readily acceded
to. He read from Presiden,
Roberts of the Pennsylvania railroad announc-
ing the policy in Phladelphia-which the PEG.
pie of Washington wanted applied here-favor.
ing the doing away with all grade crossings.
IN OTHER CIrrEs.
Mr.. Moves said that large sums Of money
were being expended in carrying out this lib.
eral and proper policy in Philadelphia, Har.
risburg, &C., and what the Washing
policy might extend to Washington. Appreci-
ating the enterprise and greatness Of this corr
poration he said he was surprised-amazed al
its action with regard to Washington.
He said the proposition of the Baltimore
and Ohio even contrasted widely in liberaiity
with that made by the Pennsylvania road.
The Baltimore and Ohio wanted similar
concessions and to get them proposed certain
concessions in turn to the people.
TWO PROPOSITIONS COMPARED.
The Senate committee, he said, was now con
sidering the proposition of the Baltimore and