Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-17
Construction on Fourteenth Street
Awaits Action of Congress.
PEOPLE OPPOSE GRANT OF AUTHORITY
Matter Said to Have Been Referred
to Senator Mcmillan.
THE COMPANY'S ACTIO


pany proposed constructing at the Mt
Pleasant terminus of it's 14th street line
will not be built-not at least, it is now
said, Until Congress specifically authorizes
its construction. AS the property owners
and residents in Mt. Pleasant and Column
ba Heights are confident that Congress
will never authorize the construction of
the proposed loop, and as they will, il is
stated, vigorously oppose the granting of
such authority they are of the opinion
that the company will not endeavor to OBJ
tain legislative action in the matter.
AS has been heretofore explained in The
Star, the Capital Traction Company, hav-
ing purchased a thirtyfoot tract in the
square bounded by 18th and 14;h streets
and Kenyon street and Whitney avenue,
applied to the District Commissioners for
permission, first, to erect passenger sta
ton on the said tract, and, secondly, for
PERMISSION to extend IT'S tracks from l4th
street eaS,wardly on Kenyon street to the
said tract, th3Bce northwarGly TO ~ hItney
avenue and thence WeStWardiy on Whit
ney avollue to lis nan tracks Oh 18th
stree-. The company claimed that, under
the provisions OF the act of Congress of
May II, 1S62 incorporating the " ashing-
ton and Georgetown Railroad Company,
the rights and privileges of which company
it claims to have inherited, it was entitled
to not only erect the proposed passenger
station, Dul dlSO 10 eAleiu us lIdchS DIS
proposed. The Commissioners, having re-
ferred the matter to their attorney, were
advised by him that the act Of 1852 du-
thorized ana empowered them 10 grant the
requested permits, provided the business
of the company and the convenience of the
public, in their opinion, so required.
vigorously Opposed.
The construction of the proposed loop has
been from the very first vigorously opposed
by the property owners and residents in
it's vicinity, who disagreed with the attor-
ney for the District in his construction
of the law, and who contended, among
other things, that neither the busines of
the railroad company nor the public con-
venience required the building of the loop
as proposed by the company. Neverthe-
less, as mas been more than once stated in
The Star, the Commissioners, in view of
the opinion of their attorney, seriously
doubted their right to refuse the permits
requested by the railroad company al
though they have from the first desired
to fully respect the wishes of the property
owners and residents who so stoutly OPP
posed the construction of the loop in the
square in question and the occupancy OF
Kenyon street and Whitney avenue 1or
such purpose The Commissioners even
went so far as to suggest to the company
that it might build loop in its car barn
on the west side of 14th street near Park
street by the addition of one or more lots
to the north OF the DdTH, VI III SoiiiC oliiSi
locality which would not be Objectionable
to the people of the neighborhood. 1t was
suggested by Commissioner wight lllat ule
loop might be built in the square in whlcn
the company proposed 9 GO 10 thn Iulie SQUARE m on
14th street between Kenyon street ana
Whitney avenue. . . ..,
The company, however, so II is statee'
fcund the cons truction of the loop impracti-
cable save as proposed by 1t, and the Com
missionsrs then requested the company 70
furnish them with the plans OF It's PROPOSED
passenger station, 1t being intmateu ina @
If the plans met the requirements OIL. the
building regulations the desired permits
would be granted. At this point in the pro
ceedings 1t is said, the matter was laid be-
fore Senator Mcmillan, chairman Of the
Senate District committee. The senator
was made fully acquainted with all the
facts in the case, and it is understood he
was requested to interfere in the interests
of the property owners and residents.
Senator McMiIIan's Supposed Sug-
EestiOn.
Just what, if anything, Senator McMil-
Ian said or did in the matter is not definite
ly known, but 1t is believed that he inti-
mated to both the Commissioners and to
the railroad company that. in view of the
opposition of the people in the neighbor-
hcod to the proposed loop, and of thu Com
missioners' questioned authority to allow
the company to occupy additional street
space, it would be well to defer action in
the matter until Congress meets, and then,
provided the company still desired to con-
Struct the loop, to refer the case to Con-
gress Be this it may, the statement
was made at the District building today
that the railroad company has either
directly or indirectly informed the Commits
sioners that it will not press the matter at
the present time, and that it is perfectly
willing that action upon its application for
the permits shall be deferred until after
M h fc
to be well substantiated, and there is there
fore, every reason to believe that the pro-
posed loop, if ever built, will not be con-
iZes it,