Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-22
DISCUSSED IN SENATE
Union Station Bill Taken
Up.
NO ACTION REACHED
MR.. PATTERSON WANTS OTHER
LINES ADMITTED.
Declares That Measure Gives the PENN
sylvania Company a Monopoly
Mr.. Gallinger's Reply.
NO ACTION REACHED

railroad station In the District He ex-
| plained that he took this action in accord
ance with his notice given in the Senate
| last Friday.
when this bill was called up last FRI
| day said Mr.. Mcmillan, Senator Jones
| of Arkansas objected to it's consideration
| then. saying that he wished to examine It.
| He is not here today, but he has authorized
me TO state that after examining the bill
thoroughly he would withdraw his objection
and is in favor of its passage.
Commissioners Amendments Adopted.
The amendments proposed by the District
committee were then adopted without OBJ
| lection.
Senator Culberson of Texas asked that
the report accompanying the bill be read
by the clerk, which was done. Mr.. CALM
| ger asked that the report of the Commis-
sioners be entered on the record.
Mr.. Patterson's Amendment.
Mr.. Patterson of Colorado then offered his
amendment, notice of which had previously
| been given, providing follows:
And any railroad company whose tracks
| may or shall connect with or intersect the
tracks of any of the companies hereinbe-
| fore named shall have the right to move
| its passenger traffic over the tracks so con-
| nected with or intersected and to use the
main passenger station and terminals here
| inbefore provided for upon such terms as
| may be agreed upon between such railroad
| company and the company or companies
owning said tracks, station terminals:
| and in case of failure on :he part of any
| of such companies to agree about such use
| either as to terms, accommodations, sched-
ules, or otherwise, the matters in dispute
| shall be submitted to the Supreme Court OF
| the District of Columbia in equity term for
Its determination upon the petition Of either
rf he nnfafr l....s.
| to hear and consider such disputes and 10
| finally adjudicate the same according TO
| principles of equity and the very right OF
| the matter and to enforce its orders or de-
crees in such respect is hereby conferred
upon said Supreme Court"
Speaks for Chesapeake Road.
Several of my constituents said Mr..
Patterson, speaking Of his amendment,
with some capitalists of Pittsburg, have
invested several millions of dollars In the
construction of railway from this city to
the shores OF Chesapeake bay. That rail-
road is some forty miles in length. At its
terminus on the bay they have expended
| hundreds of thousands of dollars in pur-
chasing land, the erection of hotels, baths,
piers, walks, &c. The purpose of the con-
struction of that railroad to the Chesapeake
beach was to afford to the people Of this
city seaside summer resort for those who
cannot afford to go to the Atlantic coast.
mum cost. That road was constructed. and
its Washington terminus is some four or
i've miles out, and since its construction
the company has found it impossible to
enter this city. Passengers from this city
desiring to go to the beach must leave the
city on cable cars and transfer to the steam
road. 1t is practically a railroad in the
air. capable of immense good to this city
and TO its people, and has been rendered
almost valueless by reason Of being refused
ingress into the city.
An Alleged Monopoly.
II was told of these facts several weeks
ago, and it caused me TO examine the bill
and to offer shis amendment. Ordinarily,
understand that senators do not interfere
with the management of the District by the
committee having its affairs in charge. L
would not have done so were 1t not for the
fact that my constituents are deeply inter-
ested in this matter. My examination of
the bill has disclosed to me that in most
OF its features this bill is extraordinary,
without a parallel in the dealing of any
municipality with railroads or other cor
porations. The measure grants the Penn
sylvania railroad more money and more
property ever before granted any corpora
tion within the limits of the United States,
and, venture the assertion, ever given any
corporation by any municipality in the
world
THE result of this extreme prodigal,ty
upon the part of the government in dealing
with the Pennsylvania railroad is to estab-
lish a monopoly of all passenger traffic
and practically of all the freight coming
into and going out of this city. i mention
this for the purpose of showing the neces-
sity of some such amendment as | have
offered. The amendment l offer does no
more than break the monopoly. The bin as
il is makes the District of Columbia a mere
annex of the Pennsylvania railroad. AS il
is now framed it gives to the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company monopoly of all the
passenger and freight business of this city,
and unless that feature of the bill is cor
rected it will, in my judgment, be utterly
impossible in the future to break that mo-
nopoly. 1 call the attention of the Senate
to the ground on which this tremendous
grant is made to the railroad company.
1T Is that the District is to be improved
along certain artistic lines, and that Il II
necessary for the harmonious development
of the city that some such depot should be
erected; that by the last Congress right
was given to erect two depots and that the
United States had induced the two com
panes to unite in a single large union
depot.
Reason for Consolidation.
They seek to impress this inference upon
the Senate, that two railway companies. by
way of concession have agreed to con-
solidate their business in one union station
and their entrance to the city along a single q.
approach.
The fact is. Mr.. President, taat by rea-
son of consolidation Of its lines CT railway
1t has become almost imperative ne
cessity that they unite their two stations
with a union depot. Ii is admitted in re-
ports printed for the Information of the
Senate that the Pennsylvania road owns
and controls both the Baltimore and Po-
tomac and the Baltimore and Ohio ral-
road companies. That condition of owDer-
ship did not exist when the two measures
granting each of them additional powers
for building their stations were passed
in the last Congress.
'In the interim conditions have been
brought about that have made il desir-
able for these two corporations to unite
in the construction of union depot
1t has become a necessity with these cor
porations that there should be but one
depot. You can hardly imagine any rail-