Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07
Railroad Committees Report.

Railroad Committees Report.
The railroad committees report which
will be discussed, follows:
The committee on railroads having con-
sidered Senate bill 4s2J. to provide for a
union railroad station in the District of Co.
lumbia reports:
That with the purpose of the bill it
heartily concurs, and believes that the ma
tional capital should have a monumental
union passenger depot, and that the rail-
roads should relieve the city of grade cross
fngs. but that the BILL while the best so far
proposed for the relief of the present rail-
road situation, can be improved in certain
particulars.
THE measure proposes a railroad monop-
oily. and should be amended to permit the
use of the proposed terminals by any rail-
road entering the District of Columbia and
thereDy provide an open door to the ma
tOnaI capital.
1T also proposes that the railroads be
given S6,192.521 for making the alterations
In their terminals of which amount the
District of Columbia is to pay 50 SO4 600, as
follows:
zone million six hundred thousand dollars
for the plaza in front of the depot. S17O,OOO
for changes in South Washington, payin-
and damages to property; $3.50 900 bonus to
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
and S2S4,000 as It's half of the cost of the
highway bridge. The 81, 4J4 900 given in
real estate is largely in streets closed which
belong to the United States, but are a loss
to the citizens of the District rather than
the United States. The right of way for
the B. and o. railroad through the reform
school grounds is a loss to a District fpstt-
tuition unestimated in any of the reports
and the damage to property abuttfng on
streets closed by the bill is entirely unpro-
yfded for, and must fall on the owners citi-
EsnS of the District. The cost of the high
way bridge, If properly constructed Is esti-
mated by the War Department to be $685.
900. instead of the Sj6s, 900 already appro-
priated. SO that the estimated cost to the
District is too little in this instance and
may be too small In other particulars. 1t
IS probable that the District contribution to
the railroad improvements will not be less
than 81 900 900
AT a time when needed improvements
such as the filtration plant, the Memorial
bridge. the extension of 10th street and the
park commission and street extension plans
have to wait for want of funds 1t is a seri-
Gus matter for the District to have to give
$4,000. 900.
Plans in Other Cities.
Your committee has investigated the
method pursued by Boston in Improving it's
railroad system, and believes that if SINH
lar course was pursued here it would result
tn a great saving to the community. The
BUbways there have been built by the city
and rented to the railroads on such terms
that the sinking fund created by the rentals
WI pay OlL lIle DOEOS issued IN ABOUT thirty
years. The railroads, not the taxpayer, at
the end of that period viii have paid for the
su5ways, but the taxpayer, not the rail-
road. will own them.
THE present experience of Baltimore
with its investment in the Western Mary
land railway is also worthy of your careful
consideration at this time. In assisting the
construction of that road to the city stock
and bonds of the corporation were taken to
represent the money advanced and were
years. but now railroad interests have
bought them and the city Will get its debt
and Interest and the lOng-Sought terminals
IN Jones Falls valley without further cost.
In Washington, as consideration for the
s4Oo,OO0 which will probably be spent, we
are not even to have a share of stock In
the terminal company authorized by the bill
the taxation of the land occupied for rail-
way purposes, and in this way will produce
q few thousand dollars of revenue annually,
the amount paid would not equal the
first cost to the government within a hun
dred years.
the adoption of a resolution setting forth
that the Board of Trade believes that in
the construction of the railroad terminals
for the District of Columbia plan similar
20 that followed by the city of Boston, in
the construction of its subway should be
adopted, whereby the municipality owns the
improvements and rents II to the railroad
fund provided retires the bonds issued to
defray costs In thirty years. And that n
railroad commission should be provided for
the District of Columbia to do the work and
determine whether the location of tile ter
minals desired by the railroads Is best tor
f=lsPJ ArNrn acN-