Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-20
UNION STATION BILL
TcGE a.
SENATE WILL NOT, INSIST ON ITS
OWN LOCATION.
House conferees viii Be Met, How
ever, With Propositions as to
Change Of Grade, &c.

There Is no intention on the part OF the
District committee of the Senate to insist
strictly on the adoption of the union sta
ton bill In the form it passed the Senate
II the House Of Representatives should see
mt to change the bill in respect to the
location Of the union station. If the House
should insist that this union station be To-
Gated on c street instead Of on Massachu-
sets avenue. as provided for in the bill
when 1t passed the Senate. 1t viii find
that conferees on the part Of the Senate
Will meet 1t In spirit of Cancellation,
anxious to have the bill become a law
and to secure the removal of all railroad
tracks from the mall.
Do Away With the Plaza.
But the House conferees will also be met
by proposition on the part of the Senate
which will, to a large extent. II not al
most entirely, meet their objection SO far
as the cost to the District and the gen.
eral government Is concerned. esq
1t has been stated that by locating the
station on street both the expense of a
change of grade on Massachusetts, avenue
and the cost of a grand plaza, with a couple
OF new streets leading into it. amounting to
a million and half dollars. would be saved.
The House conferees will be shown that
there Is a way to save that amount, prac-
liCdiiy, duu Stlll iedVe the depot On WldSSd-
chusetts avenue. 1t, will not be necessary
to provide for the grand plaza at this time.
and that can be left as an open matter for
the future, II it is ever carried out. With
out the plaza the depot, located on the
north side of Massachusetts avenue, would
have a greater thoroughfare available for
its purposes than it would have if located
on c street. The opening of new streets
leading to the depot, also an expensive mat :
ter is one that Is not essential, although IT
is regarded as extremely desirable IL the
station Is on Massachusetts avenue.
May Change the Grade.
Still another proposition which may be
discussed for purposes of reaching an
agreement is to keep the depot On Massa-
chusetts avenue. but to adopt plans for 4
grade that will be fifteen feet lower than
passed the Senate. and which will permit
keeping H street open. This lower grade
can be adopted in such way as to make
the project practicable, far as the pur-
the same time it will save enormous
amount IN the cost of grading the sur
rounding streets and in the matter Of dam
age to property.
When the bill Is passed and the confer
ence is called It will be found that numer-
GUS propositions will be available for the
consideration Of the conferees with view
of accomplishing the main purpose that has
been talked Of Of putting down the expense.
Assuming this eonciliatory position in re-
gard to the final framing Of the bill, the
District committee of the Senate will not
be placed in the position of acknowledging
that 1t does not think that the bin In Its
present form would be most desirable IN
view of the needs OF the future and the
adornment of the capital 1t will sim
ply be ready to make concessions so that
this Congress may not go out of existence
before railroad Bill has been passed that
will permit the building of union station
and the removal Of railroad tracks from the
mall, together with an elimination of grade
crossings. al "''