Evening star., 1900-12-17
A REPORT ORDERED
Continued from First Page.)

mer, shows that II is minimum estimate,
the new survey and re-estimate making the
filling for the purpose above mentioned
about 100000 yards.
Item 2-Round house, 100000.
Item rShops and buildings. $4,000.
Item Coal trestle, $4,000.
Items 2, and 6 are lexington yard es-
Inmates. and, while included in the state
ment, were practically excluded under the
compromise agreement made between the
company on the one hand and the Senate
committee and the District Commissioners
on the other hand. The company has these
facilities at is Trinidad yards Under the
present bill sthe company Is required to
abandon it's Trinidad yards, and with 1t its
round house, shops and buildings and coal
trestle. because these improvements are not
in their nature capable of removal, and in
order to maintain the road In operation the
new facilities must be built before the old
ones can be abandoned. The companyS
officers thought. and still think, that under
these circumstances these items should be
considered as part of the cost to 1t of meet
ing the requirements of the present bill
1T Is true that the facilities estimated in
these items will be new, while the corre-
spending facilities at Trinidad are not new,
although sufficient for the purposes of the
company. The question raised by the Com
mssioners of what deduction or allowance
should be made for new as against old was
met by the company's accepting the COM
promise offer of the Senate committee, ap-
proved by the Commissioners and which Is
embodied In the present bill as 1t passed the
Senate. We submit that this was the only
way to meet a question of this kind, be-
cause 1t is impossible to say how much the
company was benefited without guessing
at It.
I'D. Florida avenue to the south side of
G street.
THE items included in the estimates un-
der this head for viaduct filling and iron
railing, require no explanation, because
they are capable of mathematical calcula-
ton by reference to the plans.
The Terminal.
"E. The terminal. south side of G street
to street.
Items one md two, Retaining wall. 9O.
600 cubic yards. $4,000. Filling, 15,0Oo
cubic yards at 35 cents. s525, ,0OO.'
1.-THE accuracy of these items can be
mathematically ascertained by reference to
the plans referred to in the BILL The bill
requires the railroad company not only to
give up it's present tracks, but to give up
It's present terminals and to remove its ter
minals east of North Capitol street 1t fur
ther requires that the new terminals be
constructed at an elevation fixed by the
bill through its reference to the plans. The
construction of the terminals at this eleva
ton requires as the cheapest method the
use Of heavy retaining walls and filing
within them. We submit that the elevation
of the terminals Is just much part of
the elevation required by the bill to avoid
the use of the streets at grade as Is the
elevation of the tracks provided for under
the preceding head. Without the terminal
the elevated tracks would be useless. So
far from the company deriving any advan-
tage from the elevation of it's terminals
above all the streets, except street, such
elevation Is substantial disadvantage to
the company in affording freight facilities
in that the delivery of freight at the eleva-
ton required by the bill will be less ac-
ceptable to the public, and the company
will probably find it, necessary to use ele-
~ to nr,I Iali At.rI,&
at this terminal. "a
F. 1t Is only proper to state that the
estimates OF cost Of the works required by
this bill were made bup at the request of
the Commissioners. in order to show them
what the company's engineers and real es-
tate agent thought would be the cost of
these works. At this time the proposition
of the company was that the District and
the United States together share with the
company the cost of the works required by
the bill. so far that cost was attributable
to elevation ard change of line, such cost
to be ascertained after the construction of
the works. Tha items estimated cover only
the acquisitions of the necessary property
and the actual construction cost of the
works, and do not include any items for
interest during construction the ordinary
percentage allowed for contingencies. While
these estimates formed the ba sis of the dis
cussion, which resulted in the compromise
agreement embedded in the bill as it passed
the Senate. they were never submitted by
the company as showing all the items of
cost, including contingencies. which might
be and ordinarily are considered in making
estima tes on works of this magnitude The
risks Of unforeseen difficulties In construc-
ton and the interest on investment during
construction are all on the company and
no allowance Is made for them in the eSti
mates referred to-.
Objection on Behalf of Ivy City.
Mr.. c. c. Duncanson appeared before the
TO n f1a lam tow ~
the round house and tracks at Ivy City.
claiming that 1t would impair the value of
the property.
EckfnEtOn's Protest.
Mr.. Linton and Mr. Servern Of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens Associa-
ton again addressed the committee in ref
erence to the round house location. Mr..
Linton said: $50
1.-The burden of the associations COM
plant is against the round houses, yarus,
machine shops, etc, proposed to be located
in lexington. Unwilling to interfere with
the abolition of the grade crossings or the
terminal. 1t does not venture to protest
against the ~ which Is assuredly neces-
sary to the transaction of the railroads
business. 1t regards the ~ however,
merely as track binding together the two
stems of the line The location Of the "
north of the Patterson Hill, as per the
associations plan, would not be regarded
as a nuisance by the citizens Of Ecking-
ton. The location in their midst Of round
houses, yards, ETC.. however, would be
decided nuisance, menace to health and
comfort, a means of attracting undesirable
residents and structures and a source of
steady depreciation OF values.
Site Proposed by the Association.
1.-The region which the association pro-
poses to utilize for this purpose is not
vulnerable to these objections to the same
extent. Its improvements are sparse and
unprogressive. Its population. such as it
Is, would unquestionably find the proxim-
ity of this great railroad establishment a
field for employment and a source Of profit.
Is 1t not better to place the nuisance where
1t will cease to be nuisance, and become
a benefit, than to despoil thriving suburb
which cannot possibly be aided by this
proximity? Herein. at least. is a definite
proposition. as against the vague generali-
zation that 1t is better to associate two
evils rather than to divide them.
"Ths association has already called atten-
ton to the fact that to utilize the site
chosen by the railroad company for its
yards, etc. it will be necessary to make a
fill If at least twenty fset over large area
This would not, be necessary If the Ivy