Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1907-02-21
SENATOR FOX'S
BILL APPROVED
Favorably Reported BY the Senate
Committee On Appropriations.
Character Of the Section Which Il Is
Proposed to Take For the En-.
larpement of Capitol Park.

Harrisburg, Feb. 1.-THE illustra-
ton which accompanies this letter
shows view of the central section of
that part of Harrisburg lying between
the present capitol grounds and the
Pennsylvania railroad, which it is pro-
posed to acquire for the greatly needed
addition to Capitol Park.
AS will be seen from the picture q
vast majority OF the buildings in this
section are common and cheap, and
this picture, showing the central part
through which State street runs. is
by far the best part Of the tract which,
exclusive OF streets, contains about II
acres of land.
A vast majority of the buildings In
this section are cheap and in many
cases sQualid, bnilt Of frame and in.
habited many Of them by ignorant and
vicious negroes. The whole section is
skirted by the main tracks OF the
Pennsylvania railroad. Ii it is cleared
OFF and made into park as proposed
it will give everyone a fine view of our
magnificent capitol who passes through
on a railroad train. At present only a
glimpse of it can be got through State
street and the narrow alleys, north
and south OF State street.
Moreover, available sites for big
manufactures and warehouses ada
cent to the railroad are becoming very
scarce. II the state does not secure
this land now it is inevitable that
great buildings will very soon be built
in this section along the railroad which
will forever shut off view of the
capitol and so enhance values that it
will be practically impossible ever to
make the enlargement of Capitol Park
which every consideration of good
business demands should be made.
The United States government is
now about to pay $4,000, 900 for a
comparatively small tract OF land to
enlarge the White House grounds and
provide sites for necessary buildings
for the executive departments of the
United States government. Thirty-fve
years ago, before Washington got its
boom from the enterprise and fore
sight OF Governor Alexander r. Shep
herd in laying and paving new streets
and in various other ways b"autifying
and improving the city. the land for
which the government will be required
to pay Sl000O.000 could have been
gotten for one-twentieth of that sum,
100000.
If the enlargement of Capitol Park
is not provided for now the time will
pass forever or we viii in a few years
be compelled to pay ten times as much
as we could secure the land for now.
Senator Fox's bill appropriating ST.
100000 to pay for the land was report
ed favorably by the senate committee
on appropriations on Wednesday. This
appropriat ton will not interfere in any
way with the appropriations for pris-
ons, hospitals. asylums, schools, good
roads, nor any other proper expendi-
ture by the state, for it will take some
years to acquire the property, and the
bill will carry proviso that not more
than One-third or one-fourth of the
total appropriation shall be expended
in any one year.
1t is confidently expected that the
bill will pass both houses. as it ought
to. There Is no sane or cogent reason
why 1t should not pass and many rea.
sons why 1t should.