Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-06
Injustice to the District of Its Finan-
cial Features.
4 BALANCE AGAINST THE RAILROAD
Available Commodity in the Freely
Given Southern Connection.
PROPER DIVISION OF COST

The items of the public'S contribution to
the railroad company may be thus stated:
% The District is to pay all the damages
resulting from the Improvement outside Of
the railroads right of way, the cost OF the
bridges and depressions in street surfaces
outside Of the right of way, and the cost Of
closing certain streets and changing the
grades on other streets. AS will be pointed
out at later stage, these items usually
constitute the sole bill against the COM
munity when a railroad corporation is COM
PEELED by law to abolish the grade cross
ings on it's lines
CD The United States makes a land grant
to the railroad Of certain street surfaces
and public spaces for right of way and
terminals. giving to the railroad approxi-
mateiy ten acres of public space. A new
and broader right of way Is granted and in
addition all streets, avenues ways and
aneys within the area to be occupied and
used for terminals and terminal tracks as
shown on said plan filed In the Office Of the
Engineer Commissioner shall be completely
vacated abandoned and closed, and &c use
Thereon OF any public reservation or
street spaces Of the United States within
said area be granted to the said railroad
company or terminal company constructing
such terminals for the purposes of the
same"
CD Congress grants to the railroad COM
ton free Of cost. although In 1887 this cor
poration was before Congress with a prop
os1tion to tunnel under Capitol HILL at an
expense OF about s1.25000O in order to
make connections with the PENNSYLVANIA
line, and to enjoy the advantages of a
union station. 1t is to be noted In this
connection that the corporation at that
time was ready. if given the southern
connection along a certain route EAST I'd
street,, to bear every penny of the
cost Of removing all grade crossings
but two. In the pending bill this valu-
able grant, which may be said to have been
| worth at least s1,25O,OOO to the Baltimore
and Ohio in 1887, and Is probably worth
much more now when the growth of BUSH
ness is considered, is granted not only free.
but with a bonus in money in excess of
the amount which the road was willing to
eXpend thirteen years ago
"a The bill grants to the railroad short
direct route through the city and suburbs
| in substitution for a roundabout, time-wast
ing course. and removes the time limit from
the privilege of using steam on it's Wash
ington branch within the city, a privilege
which. if not renewed before that date. ex-
pireS in 1910. This IS a valuable considera
ton. both as to the saving of time and the
removal Of the time limit. When the linn
tied privilege to use steam upon the WASH
ington branch expires in 1910, the railroad
company must DerfOrce either r"moVe its
main Washington branch line from the
city spaces or else substitute some other
motive power at great expense. There Is
no guarantee tHdl Congress WOulu grant
a renewal and, therefore. the limitation is
an active factor in determining the value
of the perpetual grant which this bill offers
to the railroad, not only free, but with
bonus.
90 The District and the government are
to contribute in equal shares, the sum of
s1.500.G30 to the railroad company.
The bill states that this gift is 'n con-
sideration of (a) the surrender by the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company of its
rights under the several acts of Congress
heretofore passed. and under Its several
contracts with the municipal authorities
of the city Of Washington authorized by
said acts Of Congress: CD the large expen-
ditures required for the construction Of the
new terminals, viaduct and connecting
railroads, as required by this act, to avoid
all grade crossings Of streets and avenues
within the city of Washington. and (c) the
giant and conveyance to the United States
OF the lands included within the limits OF
the roadway and right of way Of the Wash
ington branch railroad, which can be used
for a street or avenue FOR the public bene-
fit"
The h. and O.'s "RiHhts."
(a) The rights which the Baltimore
and Ohio now holds and which it sur
renders under the terms OF this bill are
not easily to be capitalized. For every
right thus taken away a new right, OF
| higher value, is granted. For a right OF
way Of questionable economy Congress
grants a shorter, more convenient route.
For the right to use the surface OF certain
streets and public spaces. Congress would
grant the right to use more than an equiva-
lent in elevated space, with the presumed
right to the use Of the space lying between
the surface Of the streets and the level OF
the tracks, in other words. millions OF cubic
yards Of storage room beneath the viaducts
covering lands for which the railroad COM
pary will not be called upon to pay a penny.
A similar right Is enjoyed by some European
roads, as in Berlin, at great profit. In lieu
of a limited right to extend side tracks
from it's main line into adjacent property,
the road gets by this bill the right to make
such extensions at will, without limit In
exchange for the limited occupation of
street space and access to private spaces,
the railroad company gets by this bill the
right to condemn, for it's own uses any por-
ton Of the city lying between the Capitol
and the city limits, North Capitol and East
I'd streets, right of condemnation PROB
ably never before granted In equal degree
to any corporation within the limits Of a
city This right Is made subject only 10
the approval of the District Commissioners,
not being subject to supervision by Con-
gress. The bill grants the right, not now
enjoyed, for the erection of any additional
freight or passenger stations within the
city limits whenever it may deem 1t desir-
able to construct them. The limited right
to use steam on the city streets occupied
by the Washington branch, expiring in 1910,
is replaced by an unlimited right to con-
tinue its present motive power to the emf
Of time. Clearly. In view of these grants OF
rights TO the railroad company, the DdIdnce
due is from the corporation. and not from
the public.
The COmpany's Expenditures.
CD One of the items cited in favor of the
railroad as a reason for the payment Of
this sum to the corporation is the large
expenditure to be incurred by the company
in constructing new terminals and elimi-
mating grade crossings. AS to the large
outlay, the public has already reduced that
expenditure by giving to the road for its
new and permanent route fine. broad ave-
nue., one of the features of the citys street
plan, running by the shortest route line
straight to the new station by permitting
the railroad construction to close numer-
Gus streets and thus to spoil them pub
lie thoroughfares; by donating streets and
public spaces for station and terminal pur-
poses and by contributing in cash toward
the improvement all that could equitaby
be demanded of it, to wit, the cost of ap-
proaches, grading, damages and OF all
work outside of the railroads right of way
It is fair to ask whether the estimate of
the cost of the proposed improvements al
ready submitted bY the railroad company
$5,599. 4Os, is not exaggerated, in view Of
the record Of the proposals made in 1887
Then the railroad company offered, at Its
own expense, to unite the two branches