Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-24
North Capitol and lexington Citizens
Discuss It.
DISTRICT ENGINEER HUNT CRITICISED
His Report on Associations Plan
for Track Location.
APP EAL TO CONGRESS

bESlIlTeU COITeT Oh SdpllOl ana n
| streets. There was a very animated dis
cussion over the report of Mr.. c. B. Hunt
computing engineer of tine District, on the
associations project for the location of
| the tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road above New York avenue and against
| the location of the round houses, ETC., on
the proposed site east of lexington to the
vicinity of Ivy City. 1t was announced
that the civil engineer employed by the
association to formulate its projects would,
in conjunction with the committee on the
Baltimore and Ohio viaduct, shortly make
q reply to Mr.. Hunt, and maintain the pro-
pretty of the adoption of the associations
plans.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
/. B. Linton, president, with Mr.. A. o.
Tingley serving as secretary. Mr.. w. S.
Chase, chairman of the committee on Bal
timore and Ohio viaduct, spoke of Mr..
Hunts report as cold-bloodcd defense of
the bill pending before Congress. and he
said this report read more like the decla-
ration of an attorney for the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad than it did as report of an
officer who was supposed to look after the
interests of the District. He said the COM
mfttee of which he is chairman would wait
upon Commissioner Beach at once in re-
gard to this matter. and that 1t would also
communicate with the Senate committee on
the District of Columbia as to the engineer
ing features of their plan.
MIR. Linton addressed the meeting and
said the plan of the North Capitol and Eek
lngton Association was the result of a care
full survey of the proposed new route made
by civil engineer of over eleven years of
practical experience in difficult railroad con-
StrucdOn.
Regarded Significant.
His employment was rendered neces-
sary," said Mr.. Linton, because of the
failure of the Commissioners to provide
the services of an engineer for the use of
the citizens, which omission is very strik-
ing, in view of the strenuous efforts of the
computing engineer to defend the plan of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.
l. is suggestive of the thought that pos
sibly the latter plan did not emanate from
the company, but from the board of Com
missiOners. Certainly, if this be true. the
closing sentence of tie Commissioners re-
sponsc is very remarkable, to say the least.
An examination they say, of the topog-
raphy and surroundings OF the proposed
Y. and the nature OF the present railroad
occupation of this territory, will at once
suggest that no equitable reason can be as
signed why the railroad company, which
occupied this territory before the subdi-
vision was laid out, may not now maintain
ard reasonably enlarge the facilities for the
transaction of its business that it has al
ways had by every right IL this locality
But one inference can be drawn from
THIS lanSuage-that the convenience and pc
cTniary advantage of the railroad company
alone should be considered by Congress, the
depreciation of the section of the city adj
joining the tracks. and the destruction pf
the locality for purposes of residence being
matters too insignificant for notice. Does
the location of a double track of railway
carry with 1t an inherent right to conIiscate
for the uses of the railroad corporation any
or all the land abutting those tracks? Has
the railroad company a right to create
public nuisance which will result in driving
reputable citizens from their beautiful and
q, mi val 10 hnrr7 ac0 1,,, i
be secured which has not received the at
tention In the way of improvements as has
that part of our city called lexington,
there might be an excuse tor such confisca-
ton"
Question of Cost.
Mr.. Linton referred to the claim of the
computing engineer that the location ia
vored by the association would exceed in
cost by at least $4,000, and possibly by
100000, the location proposed by the pend
ing bill. He said if the other conclusions of
the computing engineer were no better
founded than was this one, he had little
confidence in them. He claimed, even If the
additional costs were great as the COM
putting engineer claimed, that the railroad
company could better bear it than the tax
payers OF the city could afford TO lose from
100000 TO 100000 through the INJURY of
their property.
This loss Of the taxpayers" said Mr..
Linton, does not seem to disturb the
gneer, but his soul is strangely ought
upon as he contemplates the possibility Of
an increase of cost to the railroad COM
pany if his. the taxpayers computing en-
glneer's plan, is not adopted by Congress.
1t should be sad reflection, even to
citizens not directly affected by the pro-
posed legislation, that more consideration
has been shown in the treatment of this
very serious matter to a money-making
corporation than to private individuals and
taxpayers, and that the public servants
who should have required every concession
possible from the railroad, and nothing I'M
reasonable has been requested, should have
stood for those taxpayers as in simple duty
bound"
fled that the committee, in conjunction with
the associations engineer, could give the
Commissioners facts which would contra
dict and show to be wholly unreliable the
report made by the computing engineer.
Partisan Report.
"I have never heard of a more partisan
report than that of the computing engineer
| of the District in this matter" said Mr.
Henderson. LAS understand 1t, he is sup
pc ced to stand in an impartial position He
| is paid by the taxpayers of the District, and
/ he should stand between them and any
| corporation that seeks to do serious damage
| to the property interests of the District in
| any section
| Mr.. Henderson said he was surprised that
| the computing engineer had asserted that
there was nothing in the plan of the asso-
| citation from beginning to end that was
| worthy of consideration.
| Il cannot see how a man holding such an
office of trust can SO treat any matter COM
l ing before him There is not in his report
/ single sentence favorable to any phase of
| the proposition submitted by our associa-
| ton"
He said If the people Of the District had
| no right to have their property interests
| protected, he did not see how the railroad
| company could be made to elevate its
| tracks. Such acts Of injustice he said
| made people rise and cry out for something
better In the manner of their government
| The people were entitled to have a voice to
| some extent in their government, and II
| they could not have the elective franchise,
| they should be accorded fair treatment He
referred to the criticism of the computing
| engineer that the association had submit
| ted three plans. But these plans were mod
| flied a second and third time in order 10
| save expense for the railroad company The
District itself had proposed at least three
| plans before the plan now approved had
been agreed upon. He said the indefinite
amount Of the increased cost Of the asso-