Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-26
At Last the Union Station.

Yesterdays action by the House in reced-
ing from its insistence upon the amendment
reducing the bonus to the railroad COM
panies insured the final passage of the
anion station bill, and the District is in
lined today heartily to congratulate itself
upon this fact. Whether the local taxpay-
ers will be, as willing to throw up their
hats when they consider the terms Of the
legislation is another question. The chief
fact in view is that after many years OF
effort the local railroad problem is now
to be solved in the most satisfactory man
ner. the tracks being elevated at all points
within the city limits. all grade crossings
thereby abolished, the miserable excuses for
stations wiped away and the terminals con-
solidated in a single monumental station
building of type to mark 1t as one of the
chief architectural features Of the -capi-
tai.
This result is worth waiting for in one
sense, although the cost Of the long delay
in the railroad improvement has been heavy
AS compared with the legislation of two
years ago the present union station bill is
a great gain. Had the work proceeded on
the 1901 basis the city would have been
burdened with useless railroad structures,
the stations, however handsome, being dis
tance and the grade crossing elimination in
the southern portion of the city not alto
gether satisfactory, while the crossing of
one of the most beautiful streets of the city
by the railroad viaduct in the northeast
would have detracted materially from the
capitals artistic aspect.
The financial terms are bad when consid-
cred in the light of some of the conspicuous
instances of municipal Improvement in this
respect, such as Chicago and New York,
and are fair only when compared with such
cases as that of Philadelphia, notwithstand-
ing Mr.. Morrells denial in yesterdays de-
bate. They are most generous to the rail-
roads. But so were the laws of 1901, which
were framed despite the emphatic protests
Of The Star and other representatives of
the local sentiment against the money and
migrant features. AS the case now
stands however, the District Is no worse
or In the direct charge made for the bene-
fit OF the corporations than it was under
the acts of two years ago, although the
wider scope of the plans will involve a
heavier incidental expense. 1t will pay its
half of the 81, 500 600 bounteously given TO
the Baltimore and Ohio and no part of the
same sum given by the government to the
Pennsylvania. Had the House amendment
been adopted it would have saved $3.50, 600.
Had the difference between the houses been
compromised 1t would have saved S125.O00.
Assuming that in the event of the House
further insisting the bill could have passed
only on the basis of a compromise, yester-
days recession by the House therefore cost
the District only the smaller of these sums,
which is not high price to pay for the
passage of the bill if there was any danger
Of Its failure.
That such a danger existed there now
seems to- be no doubt The debate yester-,
day showed that the railroad companies
were in a most stubborn frame of mind,
which. although 1t may have been based
upon confidence Of ability to secure ma
jority on a roll call, was nevertheless a
factor in threatening the measure with
defeat. Failure to pass the bill at this
session would have done more perhaps
than to throw it over for one more year.
The bill would die with the fall of the
gavei March 4. and 1t would have been
necessary to go through the whole process
again of passage through both houses,
perhaps occupying both sessions of the
next Congress. So that in the last analysis
this loss of $4,000 represents the price
the District pays for insurfng immediate
progress on the work instead of delay of
one at the least or perhaps two years. If
the Fastening Of the work Of raising the
tracks by a twelvemonth will save a single
human life. the price will be cheap
Now that the bill Is practically a law 1t
Is TO be hoped that the railroad companies
will lose rno1 time in putting the work
through. 1t is understood that the land
for the terminals has been In the greater
part secured already in anticipation of the
Improvement. A large part of the con-
struction can proceed without disturbing
the traffic on the present lines, and short
OK difficulty in the securing Of materials
In these times q great activity, In building
there should be no delay whatever but the
station and its full equipment should be
completed within the five years mentioned
In the -.