Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-11
THE DEPOT
The Government Needs the Ground
Occupied by the Pennsylvania R. R.
IT HAS ONLY TEMPORARY PRIVILEGE
Restrictions imposed That Have
Been Entirely Disregarded.
COMMITTEES EXAMINATION

The House committee on public buildings
and grounds Is today engaged in examining
the public reservations of this city with
view to a selection of one of them as a site
for public printing Office, in accordance
with the instructions Of the House. The COM
mittee Is considering a proposition to re-
move the Baltimore and Potomac depot and
tracks from the Mall, where they exist up
on government property only by sufferance.
and to use the property as a site for the
printing office.
The citizens of Washington have been
trying for a number Of years to secure the
removal Of the railroad from this govern
ment reservation. The power to accom-
plish the removal rests exclusively with
Congress. and Is adequate for the purpose
Inc present location upon the Mall was
given by Congress in 1872 without any con-
company.
Only u Temporary Location.
At the time the company was given the
privilege Of occupying this property Of the
government 1t was well understood that the
grant was but temporary one. subject to
repeal and amendment at any time. When
the bill was under consideration in the
Senate. Senator Cameron of Pennsylvania.
the leading representative Of the PennsyI-
Vania railroad company, said:
desire TO say, also, that the bill con-
tains proviso allowing Congress to remove
the depot at any future time when thew
desire the ground for a park or any other
purpose. The bill gives Congress the power
TO do 1t and leaves 1t entirely in the con-
troll of Congress"
In the House REPRESENTATIVE Potter ..,d.
IN the bill itself we have reserved the
risht TO repeal or amend the law at any
.,me. therefore. when the public park
snali De built, as l heartily hope it may be
at some time. We may make such amend
ments OF the law and enact such REQUIRE
ments as may be deemed necessary"
AT that time the improvements OF the
Histi f nad not taken definite shape. but the
iact that they were contemplated is shown
IN tne careful safeguards thrown around
the Dill. reserving the right to repeal or
IhooiIy the act, the government expressly
s,,s .ssserSins the right to claim its own when il
snouio become necessary or advisable to do
Restrictions Dtsregarded.
The original privilege Of occupying the
mall carried with 1t several restrictions
which. however. have been entirely disre-
garded by the company. For instance, It
was provided that only two tracks. close
together should be laid on 9th street the
purpose being not to interfere with other
traVei by vehicle along and across the
street, but the present track occupation of
9TH street Is such as to exclude all other
traffc on that thoroughfare 1t was pro-
Vided that the company should use fiat rails,
SO that the passage of vehicles across the
tracks would not be impeded,r butsthe COM
pany makes no Distinction n 'the kinds Of
rails used on this portion of the road.
When the company wasmaking its efforts
10 secure this depot site on government
property all sorts of glittering promises and
assurances were made. For instance In the
Senate, while the bill was under discussion
Senator Frelnghuysen, who was recognized
StAnnch Of Damn ovlxya a,,i,
Railroad Company, said:
This idea of having trains of cars with
their smoke and noise running into this de-
pot is all Imagination. No engines will 20
into that depot. The engines will switch off
and the cars will go that 800 feet into the
depot with the passengers by the momen-
tum they have received" In making this
glowing promise he did not explain how
ever, how the cars which were run into the
station by momentum were to get out again.
No Acquiesence by the District.
Every set of District Commissioners
since 1878, except in IS and So when hope
deferred and long series of disappoint-
ments quieted for time the demand, has
requested the removal Of the railroad from
the mall There has been, therefore no
acquiescence by the District in its occupa-
ton.
When the bill was passed in 1872 there
were many prophesies that the city would
have trouble in getting rid Of the railroad
when It wanted to. Charles Sumner, in the
Senate in 1872, bitterly opposed the grant
ing of the privilege, and made an eloquent
speech against It, Senators Thurman, Nor
rill and others opposed 1t. and all voiced
their fears that difficulty would grow out
of 1t.
Their phophesies have been fulfilled and
the railroad company has steadily resisted
all efforts to oust 1t, the resistance having
thus far proven successful
The Government Needs the Ground.
Some members of the committee on public
buildings and grounds are now of the
opinion that the time has arrived when
the government needs the property oc-
cupied by the railroad company for park
or othe- purposes and deem that the
''other purposes are to furnish a site for
new printing Office, inasmuch as the
House insists upon locating 1t upon a pub
lie reservation.