Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-19
RAILWAY EXTENSION
District Commissioner Report on the
Metropolitan Bill.
NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED
The Extension by Double Tracks to
Mount Pleasant.
PROVISION AS TO DAMAGES

The District Commissioners today sub
| mitted to the chairrnen of the two Districi
committees in Congress a report on the
bill authorizing and requiring the Metro
Dolitan railroad to extend its lines on old
18th street, suggesting number of amend
ments thereto. and submitting the draft
of bill prepared by them Incorporating
therein the changes recommended by them
in the original measure.
At the outset, the Commissioners express
the belief that the proposed extension
which provides for double tracks from 18th
street and Columbia road. along the last
| named thoroughfare to 10Th street. and
thence northward to Park street, Is very
desirable The first amendment they recon-
mend is that all of the proviso in lines to
IL, page 1, from the word That" in line
9. to the word no." in line H. be stricken
out.
The portion which they say should be
stricken out provides that no tracks shall
be laid on the 10Th street laid out accord
Ing to the highway plan. The Commission
ers state that they are doubtful to the
necessity for this provision. To accom-
plish that result 1t would, they think be
necessary that the widening proposed in
the bill of old 18th street be made entirely
on the west side Of the street and while
this might be ACCOMPLISHED with ease at
the south end of the street. the effect at
the north end would. in their opinion, be to
remove the small triangular space at 18th.
Grant and 18th streets, which was dedicated
to the District by the late H. d. Walbridge
Without this provision, the projection of
the railroad within the curb lines of new
10th street would, the Commissioners be-
lieve, be small, and, they further believe,
would be in the street but little more than
II the street car tracks went directly across
10th street. This matter, they say, can be
taken into consideration when the plans
hat hon tari,r
ton of the road
Other Changes Suggested.
The Commissioners also recommend this
change: Add at the end of the word
Streets in line u, page /, the words
latter the expiration of two years from the
date of the passage of this act" This Sec
ton of the District, the Commissioners eX-
plain, is a growing one, and will soon de-
velop quite rapidly after the extension of
the street car line proposed. Under these
circumstances. they believe that any termi-
nal arrangements at the north end of the
extension must be more or less temporary,
and to compel the company to put in an ex-
pensive terminal arrangement of under
ground construction now would probably
only require 1t to go to an additional ex-
pense in a short time to obtain terminal ia
ciities demanded by the growth of the To-
cality.
All Of line H. page l. after the word
road" and all of line 1, page ., and all
Of line 2, page g to the word along"
should be stricken out, the Commissioners
believe. and the following inserted in lieu
thereof: land the present 10th street shall
be widened to such width, not less than
eighty feet, as the Commissioners of said
District may consider most advisable" The
Commissioners think it doubtful If a width
of 100 feet on Columbia road is necessary.
and narrower width. they believe. could
be obtained at much less cost. They also
believe that the width of these highways
should be left in their discretion.
The words land in at the end of line II.
page ., and all of lines T. 13, IA, Il. 16 Ia
and is Of page 2, should, the Commits
sioners believe, be stricken out. The word
ing in these lines provides that the jury
shall deduct benefits arising from the wild
ening of the highways and the location of
the railroad before making its awards for
the value of the land taken. II is not be-
lieved by the Commissioners that the bene-
fits arising from the location of a railroad
in a street is a matter which could be pro-
vided for by assessments against abutting
property, and further. they believe. the
benefits arising from the widening of the
highways is directed by section four of the
bill to be assessed against the abutting
property.
At the end of section 3 the Commissioners
recommend that the following should be
added: And said company shall from time
to time deposit with the collector of taxes
District of Columbia, such sums as are
necessary to pay the cost of inspection of
said work"
Pr0viso Recommended.
After the word "widened" in line H.
page 3. the words, and to such greater
depth as said jury may find the benefits to
extend should be inserted, the Commits
sioners believe; and at the end of section
they suggest the addition of the follow
ing:
Provided, That if the use of part only
of any piece or parcel of ground shall be
cnndlmna6 ha in 6afar oiroir ffS, roll,