Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-18
1t is Considered by the House of Rep
reSentatiVeS,
OPPOSITION BEATEN ON RISING Vote
Mr.. Babcock Carries His Motion
by SO to So.
FIGHTING FOR THE NALL

IA bill to change the time for holding court
in the southern district of the southern
judicial division of Iowa, and the Senate
bill to amend the act to authorize the con-
struction of bridge across the Mississippi
river at Dubuque Iowa, consideration was
begun of the Pennsylvania railroad grade
crossing bill Is. 1920, which has been
passed by the Senate and reported, with
amendments, by the House District COM
mittee.
The bill was considered in committee of
the whole, with Mr. Moody of Massachu-
setts in the chair. The bill was read at
| length, objection being interposed to Chair
man Babcocks suggestion to facilitate con-
sideration by omitting the first reading of
the bill. When the reading was concluded
large map was brought in, showing the
route Of the proposed changes. Mr.. Bah
cock asked unanimous consent that the
Engineer Commissioner of the District be
| permitted to come upon the floor of the
House and explain the map. 1t was held,
| however. that the rules of the House pro-
hibited this procedure.
| Mr.. Babcock said that the estimated cost
of the proposed Improvements reached
nearly the of six million dollars The
| contribution made by the United States and
| the District of Columbia was practically all
| in real estate, and the engineering plan had
| been pronounced by competent engineers
! an ideal one, and that it would he difficult
| to improve upon it. This bill was the Com
mssioners' bill. and had been worked out
by the Engineer Commissioner and the
railroad companys engineers. He believed
| thls Dill. AS well as the Baltimore and Ohio
! bill, would provide the grandest railway
terminals In the world. He said that it had
| been impossible for the members of the
District committee to famiIiarize them
selves with all the details of a bill which
had required four years work by the en-
glneers TO prepare.
| Contributions by Cities.
Mr.. Cochran of Missouri asked if anv
American cities had made contributions to
grade crossing Improvements like this
| Mr.. Babcock answered that nearly all
large cities, except Chicago, had done so.
Mr.. Babcock added that as far as he knew
| the principal objection against the bill was
that 1t encroached upon portion of the
mall
| Mr.. Cowherd of Missouri said that a
proposition appropriating s2.0O0,Ut0 of the
peoples property and sa6S.00p of the peo-
| pies cash should be carefully considered
lie SAID the Pennsylvania railway now
comes into the city over bridge for which
1t never paid cent, over streets for which
it never paid, and occupies a station gov
ernment property for which it never paid
cent.
Mr. Babcock said that when the Pennsyl-
vania railway came into Washington the
people of this city would have given the
company a right Of way on Pennsylvania
avenue If that had been necessary to get the
road.
Full Information Desired.
Mr. Cowherd said that he wanted the
House to be Informed as to the necessity
| for the changes; to whether the inn
provements would compensate for the
changes, and what seemed more important
to him, whether the government was giving
up what vas really more valuable than the
money involved.
Mr.. Cowhe:d then invited the attention
of the House to his minority report on the
bill, in which he estimated the contribution
of The people to the improvements at 81
212,oG3. This, however, comprised only
twenty-sX of the thrty-four acres taken,
as he could net estimate the value of the
small reservations. He insisted that this
expenditure was greater than the value OF
the work to the city.
The House Greatly Interested.
The House manifested the greatest inter-
est in the proceedings ard wker Mr. Cow
herd took his place in front of the map to
explain the route the members crowded
around him.
Down in 'front.'" shouted several voices
and the audience filled the front seats,
while Mr.. Cowherd explained Mr.. Cow
herd said that the railroad now occupies
five acres in the mall, and the bin pro-
poses to give the company twelve acres. In
fact, he said the gift would practically
amount TO fourteen acres. The government
was spending large sums for sites for pub
lie buildings all the time and by this bill
Congress proposes to give away fourteen
acres of the best land in the city.
Mr.. Cowherd contended that if this city
is to be made the most beautiful in the
world it cannot be accomplished If this
mall is disturbed by the railroad company
The only object he said, was to enable the
railroad to land passengers LOCO feet nearer
Pennsylvania avenue than could be done
if the depot was located outside and south
of the mail.
Mr.. Simms suggested that it would be
better for Congress. If necessary to do JUS
tice to the railroad, to make a cash appro-
priation equivalent to the value of the land
rather than to deSpOi the mall
Mr.. Cowherd exhibited by the side Of the
railroad map a large map showing the Par
sons plan for the improvement OF the mall
He contended that it would never he possi-
BILE to make the improvements contem-
plated if the railroad company's plan Is
Mr.. Cowherd said he did not propose to
adopt the Parsons plan or to ask the House
to ADOPT 1t.
Mr.. DalZell asked what the Parsons plan
was likely to cost
Preservation of the Mall.
Mr.. Cowherd said it would probably cost
81, ,5OOO 600. However, whether the Parsons
improvement was ever adopted or not the
mall ought to be preserved SO that it could
be dealt with a whole when the subject
was taken up. Mr.. Cowherd said that the
plan of the bill involved abandoning fifteen
streets to abolish grade crossings on twenty
two streets.
Mr. BdDCOck, replying 10 a reference Dy
Mr.. Cowherd, said the railroad company
proposed to purchase all the abutting prop
erty on the streets that are to be aban-
doned.
Mr.. Cowherd said that this plan is not
the ideal plan which it is claimed to be,
when all the questions are taken into con-
Sideration.
Mr.. Babc0ck Explains.
Mr. Babcock then advanced to the space
in front Of the Speakers desk and took his
stand in front Of the maps. He traced with
a pointer the route of the proposed i'm
provements.
Mr.. Dinsmore asked what would be the
objection to moving the station off the
mall
Mr.. Babcock said that in the first place
there Is not q citizen In the District who
would not protest against moving that sta
tivn half a mile away from Pennsylvania
avenue.
Mr.. Fitzgerald suggested that the people
Of the country were more interested in the
scheme Of identifying the capital city than