Evening journal., 1900-12-14

the proposition that the government
shall surrender entirely to the reIlroad
the present l.Ong bridge, site and ap-
rroaches, which the railroad has been
permitted gratuitously to use on condi-
ticn that 1t maintain suitable accom-
modatiOns for the public and that the
government shall build another separ-
ate bridge entirely at its own expense
to furnish the public accommodation
which the railroad is now under statu-
tory obligations to supply But under
the bill the present dam called Long
bridge will be abolished, and the Po-
tomac will be creditably bridged; and
on the whole the passage of the bill
in the general terms Of the pending
measure will be cheerfully accepted by
the people. All hope Of getting rid Of
the railroads occupation of the mall
seemed to have been lost when the
Senate, without demur at the prop
ositicn to confirm the railroads title
to an even greater holding. passed the
bill last session.
The Baltimore and Ohio bill is to be
taken uD by the committee day after
tomorrow for consideration. 1t ought
not TO be passed upon as hastily as the
Pennsylvania bill, for it contains novel
propositions which demand thought
and careful analysis. The Star has
sought during the past few days to
make plain the meaning of some pro
visions OF this bill, and to-day it offers
additional chapters in this general line.
which should be studied before the bill
is taken up by the committee One OF
these articles shows that on the rail-
road estimates Of the cost OF the grade
crossing elimination the public is being
heavily mulcted in damages, bonus and
privileges far beyond what the ordi-
nary rule of procedure requires. 1t ap-
pears upon analysis that these esti-
mates are both too high and in some
large items are improperly placed to
the credit Of the railroad in the separa-
tion Of the account to show a balance
of charges attributable No the eleva-
tion of the tracks For instance. the
public is called upon to pay One-half
the cost of the right of way in the
McltellO cutoff and One-half the cost
of building a new rOundhouse, water
tank and other terminal equipments
for the railroad
Another article in to-day's issue
gives letters bearing upon the division
of cost in other cities on the basis Of
the rule which requires the railroad to
care for the cost of all the works in
side and the public for all outside Of
the railroads right Of way. These let
'ters show the prevalence of this rule
in Chicago Buffalo, Rochester, Eliza
beth and Pittsburg. Doubtless many
others could be secured, upon a mere
thorough inquiry, to bear out this ex-
perience that in the cities where the
grade crossing problem has been solved
on equitable lines, the community has
been called upon to pay for only tnat
part Of the expense chargeable to its
own area. There is no mention any
where in this record of calls upon the
public. in addition to it's share, for
land grants, special and permanent
privileges and desirable connections,
and big bonuses besides AS far as can
be found this bill is the first legis'a-
tive proposition to call upon the public
to pay virtually every penny of the
direct cost Of elevating tracks in order
to remove the grade crossings.
II is the hope of the people Of Wash
ingtOn that their legislators, the houses
of Congress, to whose tender mercies
the guardianship of their interests is
constituticnally entrusted. will be as
firm and as energetic IN protecting the
equities Of the helpless District and its
taxpayers as the aldermen and State
legislators have been in guarding the
financial welfare of the several COM
munitiea mentioned in this cores
pcndence.