Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-22
been demanded and benefits received by
the government
Cost to the Government.

been demanded and benefits received by
the government.
Cost to the Government
This bill grants to the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company a cash payment of
S.oOO.OO0 and real estate in the way of
streets and other public property which
Is estimated by the District Commission
ers. who determined their value by the
values of private real estate adjoining such
property. to be sI,167,l31.
That is a gift of real estate that has be-
lnuged to the taxpayers of the District of
Columbia. The government also agrees by
this bill to make a fill and do other work
to put the plaza in front Of the railway
station in proper condition at an expense OF
81 .SO0.OnO. That makes n grand total cost
to the government of S9.96I. 131, and that
Is all In order that the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company may erect a depot that will
stand to the glory and to the profit Of this
railroad corporation. When Congress has
appropriated money for improvements In
the District the improvements belonged to
the government and to the people, but here
is proposition to dispose of the sum of
nine millions of dollars, all for the benefi.
of the Pennsylvania railroad. and except
the mere fact that in the city of Washing
ton there will be beautiful and costly de-
pn. and that that railroad will enter that
depot in a way that will make travel
measurably safe. no atom of benefit is to
accrue to the government by reason of its
vast expenditure of money and property.
Add to this nine millions of dollars the
value of the perpetual franchise and the
value of the monopoly to the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company and you will find that
You are giving the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company in money and In benefits an
amount that will not fall short of fifty mil
lions of dollars"
Senator Gallinger suggested that legisla-
ton already enacted gives these railroads
large portion of the rights called for in the
bill.
Senator Patterson replied that there was
nothing in the franchise that granted them
a monopoly such as granted by this bill.
The mnopoly granted by the bill, he said,
was perpetual in its nature.
MIR. Gallinger replied that 1t was prefer
able to have one rather than two railroad
stations. and that the bill allowed every
railroad today entering this city TO use that
station.
The Future.
Mr.. Patterson said in reply that all Of
these railroads are pra ctically owned or
controlled by the Pennsylvania railroad and
1t was question whether Washington was
to be deprived of other railroads in the flu
ture. He said that this was great city,
and it was quite likely that In the future
other railroads would want to come here,
and he didn't want any legislation that
would make 1t necessary for them to
tablish their stations in the suburbs and
10 reach Inem by electric cars. In fdCt,
he did not think railroads would be built
to this city If it were known beforehand
that they could not enter after reaching
here The Pennsylvania railroad, he said,
is now entering New York city by way of
a tunnel under the river, which will allow
It's trains from the west to go into that
great city. but New York is not paying a
bonus to the Pennsylvania railroad for do
Ing that. 1t Is an Improvement desired by
the railroad company
Mr.. Gallinger said that the railroads of
New York had paid out millions of dollars
to accomplish the purpose that was being
sought in this city. The object in this case
was to get rid of grade crossings. In order
TO do that other cities had spent fabulous
sums OF money.
Dividing the Cost.
Senator Mcmillan asked Mr.. Gallinger
whether it was true that Massac husetts d.
vides the expense for such improvements
so that Boston pays 40 per cent and the
railroad 90 per cent, while in Connecticut
the expense is half and half between the
railroads and the cities
MIR. Gallinger said that that was the rule
there and he had understood that in view
OF the way these questions are solved in
other cities of the union this city is being
treated very generously in the division of
the expense. That was shown by COM
parlson of the division of cost in Boston,
New York. Chicago and other cities
Senator Patterson said he was not famil-
lar with what other cities have done in
these matters and for that reason would
have to take the statements as they are
offered
Nothing for the Railroads.
Senator Mcmillan said that the bill under
consideration did not call for one cent
of money from the District of Columbia or
the nlted States for tie Improvements
that the railroad companies We're to make.
depot would be paid for by the COMPANY
and the depot would cost nearly SJ,urO. 600.
The old bill! had settled the matter of cost
Dtt"sen the government and the railroad.
The United States and the District of %
luTbia. under the pending bill, agreed to
Improve the land in front of the station ut
an estimated cost of s1.Sn,NO, tut that
was merely to make a proper approach to
the station, and it not fpr the sta
ton itself.
Referring TO the presence of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company on the mail
Mr.. Gallinger said that he had been pre-
vously under the impression that Congress
had given the company that permission
but he had more recently learned that the
company occupied the land under a grant
from the District of Columbia, which grant
was confirmed by the United States Con-
gress.
Mr.. Teller said that in Twenty-Five wears
service in Congress he had always under
stood that the railroad company was there
uhief SuneranCe OF Congress and could be
required To move. He believed that this
was the law.
Mr.. Patterson said that so far as the Dis
trict was concerned it had no authority to
make such a grant. The land belonged TO
the government of the United States and
was especially reserved by the government
for its own purposes.
MIR Patterson continued to argue that
the railroad company in providing a beau
tifu! Improvement in This city for its own
uses In the form of grand union station
was doing only what individuals are doing
IN another way He said that a man who
builds a beautiful house at large expense
adds To the beauty of the city and has JUS.
as much claim on the government as has a
railroad company.
Right of Way on the Mall.
Mr. Tillman had sent out for COPY of
the act OF Congress confirming the act of
the city council in granting the railroad
company the right 10 remain on the MALL
and said that he found in that act a pro-
vision that Congress reserved the right to
repeal and modify the privileges of this
act, and from that he argued that no title
had been vested in the Baltimore and Poto-
mae Railroad Company to the portion of