Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-13
WILL VOTE THURSDAY
.-- =.
Union Station Bill in the
Senate.
g NJ
AMENDMENTS ADOPTED
Is
PROVISION MADE FOR OTHER
ROADS SEEKING ENTRANCE.
~ at
Mr.. Hansbrough Offers His Substitute
Providing for Municipal Ownership
Debate Yesterday Afternoon.

|
| sion in the Senate yesterday afternoon, and
an agreement was reached that vote would
| be taken on it Thursday morning. Senator
Patterson's amendment providing that the
station could be used by other roads than
| those building 1t was adopted. Senator
Hansbrough spoke against the bill and in
| favor of his plan for a union station, to be
| built and owned by the District of Column
| bia. Senator's Gallinger and Hanna defend
ed the bill and urged Its passage.
To Admit Other Roads.
| The following amendments reported by
| the District committee was adopted:
Sec 49, That any railroad company now
! or hereafter lawfully existing and author
| lied to extend line of railroad, and hav-
| ing in fact extended such line or secured
| the right by agreement to operate over the
| lines of any other then-existing railroad, to
| point Of connection with the tracks of
| said terminal company, shall have the right
| to the joint use of said station and terminal
| upon terms substantially as favorable as
| those which may then be accorded to any
other railroad company using the said sta,
| ton and terminal; and If the parties be UNI 4
| able to agree upon such terms, then the
| same shall be prescribed by the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia.
] Sec. IA. That Congress reserves the right
| to alter, amend or repeal this act
| Also the following in section 1, on page 3.
| line 10:
| And to ACQUIRE from time to time such
| lands between Montana. and Florida ave
! nues and east of the present; Metropolitan
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
| as it may need for sidings, switches, yard
tracks, with suitable structures and appli-
| ances, and other proper corporate purposes
| in connection herewith and to the
same accordingly, subject to the approval
| of the Commissioners of'the District of Co
| umbia." -
Mr.. Hansbrough's Opposition.
| The committee had no more amendments
| to offer, and Mr.. Hansbrough opposed the
| passage of the measure.
| Il have given the bill great deal Of con-
| sheraton" said Mr.. Hansbrough. I'm a
word, we are appropriafing to corpora
ton in round numbeffs about 81 .OOO,O0o, and
giving that corporatien a perpetual right to
the railroad facilitieSoof TIE District of Co
lumba. | am satisHsd that fully 80 per
lumbia are opposed to tbs measure The
railroad committee at the, Board of Trade
| of this city have held numerous meetings
| on the subject and have passed resolutions
against it. I undegstand the Board of
| Trade itself is soon to meet to consider it.
when this measure was before the Sen
| ate few days ago L Xentured to offer
some remarks snaa !, on the Question then
companies in the west, particularly of the
Northern Pacific railroad, the Great North
| ern railroad and other great transcontinent-
| al lines, not only to construct their own
| depots and pay for 1hem,s but In many in
| stances to purchase the dand upon which
those depots were located. 1 think there
were some exceptions with respect to the
| purchase of land. --,f3t Is 2 -e#.-
Since then l have been making further
| inquiries, and l find in the city of Seattle,
| in the state of Washington. that the Great
| Northern and the Northern Pacific rail-
| roads, coming into that city, have purchased
a site for their depot and are not asking a
single dollar from the city of Seattle. Not
| only is it their purpose to purchase and pay
| for the site for depot, but it is also their
| purpose to build the depot In addition to
that, they are to run tunnel under the
| city Of Seattle and pay for that; so that
| the improvements will not cost the city of
Seattle a single dollar.
| This is the condition of things which
| prevails in the western part of the country;
and do not see why We here. in the capt.
tai of the United States. should contribute
! to the extent of nearly 100000 to a rich
| corporation and give them a perpetual right
to control the railroad facilities of the capt.
tai of the United States. We all agree that
| there should be a union station in Washing
| ton; that the several railroads coming in
| here should come into the city and deposit
| their passengers at once place. There is no
| disagreement as to that but the plan which
| is proposed in the pending measure is not
the proper one.
Il call the attention Of senators to the
| fact that by this legislation we propose to
| contribute 10 d rdllrOaQ corporation nearly
81 ,OOO,00O, and to give them a perpetual
| right to control the railroad facilities of
| the District of Columbia. That, in word
| Is what this measure means; and 1 say it
| of every senator
| Some senators have, said to me in con-
| Versing with them on this question that
| they did not think 1t advisable to enter
upon policy which recognized municipal
ownership. Perhaps there are objections to
such a policy. but 1 have observed In my
| investigations that the great city of Boston
| has entered upon policy of municipal own
| ership, and with great profit to the civ
and today no street railroad in the city Of
Boston can get perpetual franchise to
say nothing OF cash bonus. from the city
Some years ago subway was constructed
| IN the city of Boston by the municipal au-
| thorities. and the street railroad companies
which are using that subway today are
| paying the city at the rate Of about 5 per
cent on the investment"
The Boston Subway.
| Mr.. Gallinger called attention to the fact
| that the subway of Boston was for electric
cars only. Two great terminal railroad
| companies in Boston he said, have pre-
cisely the same rights that were guaranteed
| under the bill pending before the Senate
The steam railroads had obtained those
| rights IN Boston. Mr.. Hansbrough replied,
before the people started in their plan for
| municipal ownership
sets started on thai policy when it built
| the Hoosic tunnel which did not pay and
| they have since sold4eeiD
| Gov. cransesss ,Rosition.
"since that subway was put in by the
city Of Boston," Mrs. Marlborough continued.
"one OF the electric: TAilFoads of the city
secured the passage sof Ia bill through the
| legislature OF Massachusetts providing for
| a second subway and iofrering the city of
Boston 100000 fof0a forty-years lease of
taat subway and Gov. Crane vetoed the
| bill. because he said ahe sthought that was
a very poor business policy and would be a
poor investment. although the railroad COM
pany proposed to pay 600 cash for a
forty-years' lease Qfs that subway. and in
which have just stated, that the city had
built one subway AID Was receiving a re-
turn Of about per cent on the amount
| experience Of the city IN that respect to
| support the veto message of the hill to