Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-01
BUT SAYS 'TISN'T "SIDING"
Question Was Decided
Way Last June.
dAJ. MORROW IS GLOOMY
If His Colleagues Persist, He Sees
Mandamus Proceedings and
Other Trouble Ahead.

The much-discuSsed substatiOn for the
southwest section of the city will be To-
Gated between 7th and Az streets. Com
missioners West and Macfarland both
favor this site. and SO the question ap-
pears to be settled as far as the Com
missioners are concerned. Maj. Morrow,
the Engineer Commissioner. who prefers
the proposed 14th and Water streets site.
says his colleagues gave their approval
to the later site two years ago. and sees
trouble ahead in the shape of mandamus
proceedings if they change their minds
at this late date. Altogether. the situa-
tion with respect to this pestiferous SUBJ
station site seems decidedly interesting.
Macfarland Elucidates.
Commissioner Macfarland. who has been
absent from the city for several weeks,
returned to his desk today and when
asked what position he proposed to take
in the substation observation-disclosures he
would side with Mr.. West for the 1th
street site or with Commissioner Nor
row for the 14th street site-he declared
that it was not necessary for him to
side" with any one.
The matter has been settled" he said.
"On the 18th of June last l recommended
to the Commissioners that we revoke our
approval of the 14th street site for the
subStatiOn and require the railroad COM
pany to construct the substation on Its
own land in the neighbOrhOOd of 9Th
street southwest, and the Commissioners
by a majority vote approved that recon-
mendatiOn. The railroad company was
notified and l supposed would submit to
the Commissioners a new site at the
point indicated.
I'm this as in other matters the Com
missionerS after careful consideration de-
cided the question by a majority vote.
and unless ma ajority of the Commission
erS are convinced that the decision should
be changed it will stand.
Why He'll Stand Pat.
II shall adhere to the action l took in
June. There were two reasons for it.
First, that Congress after considering the
whole of the long session had not rati-
fed the approval by the Commissioners
of the 18th street site, and second, that
the citizens and commuters who were to
use the substation preferred to have it
in the neighborhood of 9TH street. i un-
derstand now that the railroad desires to
construct the substation at 18th street. but
entirely on it's own right of way, which
would require no action by Congress. But
the other reason, namely, that the pro-
spective patrons prefer the substation near
9TH street, is stronger than in June, be-
cause there has been a larger express
sion of opinion. The distance between
1th and 14th street is so comparatively
short that l think the preference of the
patrons should determine the question" ="
Hear Maj. Morrow!
But Commissioner Morrow still insists
that the Commissioners approved the 14th
street site two years ago, and caused the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company to go to
considerable expense i'm building new
tracks and doing other construction work
in anticipation of thee erection of
the substation at that point. He
contends that if the Commissioners now
insist upon the station being located at
7tn street they break faith with the COM
pany, and he can see nothing to prevent
the railroad company from obtainin &
mandamus proceedings against them.
Mai. Morrow's Comment.
When Commissioner Morrow learned OF
the position taken by Commissioner Mac
farland. he made the following statement
This is not a question of preference OF
opinion either of the citizens, commuters
o. the Commissioners. The Commission
ers have no more authority to revoke their
first approval of this substation site than
they would have to Withdraw their sigma
lures from the contract made with James
L. Parsons for the construction of the
new District building. after its completion
and demand of him that he build else
where-at some spot they may choose.
Il have no doubt" he continued. that
the corporation counsel will sustain this
view. but am rather surprised that Com
missioner Macfarland has changed his
written expressed opinion of June IS that
he believed the 18th street site was the
hoffa