Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-12
NO NAVY YARD SIDING
Pennsylvania Railway Disre-
CARDS Act of Congress.
HAS REFUSED TO BUILD
Pleads That Expense Is Not War
ranted by Revenues.
Is IMMUNE FROM CONFUSION
Navy Department Will Probably
Ask for Appropriation to Con-
struct Line.
Is IMMUNE FROM CONFUSION

| The PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company
has declined to construct the branch line,
commonly known as a siding. to connect
the navy yard with its main tracks a>
provided by act of Congress.
This stand is taken in a communication
to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Tru-
man H. Newberry, who has been IN cor
respondence with the railroad company
for some time. He has forwarded the IN
formation to the District Commissioners.
Surprise is expressed by officials at 'he
District building.
the act of Congress, the railroad company
gives as it's reason the fact that cost VI
building the new siding. and purchdsIis
the right of way and maintaining IL al'eI
construction would be too great ana ulat
the amount of revenue to be derived from
the navy yard by means of the slalIs
would by no means be sufficient to war
rant such expenditure.
Attitude of Railroad.
Charles Weight. second vice president
of the railroad company. in his letter to
Secretary Newman announcing the COM
pany's refusal to construct the branch
line said the act provides that the en-
tire cost of furnishing the right of way
and building the siding shall be borne
by the railroad company: also that tpe
work shall be begun within SIX months
after the passage of the act Che SIX
months expires November 2D and COM
pleted within two years from the date
of the act: that the volume of business
during 1907. year of great activity to
and from the navy yard. produced an
approximate revenue of 100000
He pointed out that it will cost $93,-
900 to construct the line. The cost of
us,l,< IS ic Il
tity and would cost $4,000 year to
maintain.
"OnIy small portion of the line would
occupy any public hi ghway or pubic
space" he said. 1T is difficult to de-
termine just how much we would have
to pay for the private property. because
Of the value fthe ground taken and
the destruction and impairment OF RI
parian rights.
Because of the small gross earnings
and the heavy cost we would be put to
this company cannot see it's way clear
to build the tracks under the conditions
prescribed in the act"
Cannot Be Compelled.
AS the matter stands now it Is con-
sidered impossible for Congress to force
the company to comply with the legisia-
tive provision. Chances are that the navy
yard will not get its new siding and
stands in peril of losing it's old siding
on K street, which the new siding was to
relieve; or if this old siding is not re-
moved it will mean that the citizens will
be disappointed in not having the X
street grade crossing abolished.
Citizens in the southeast section of the
city. in which the navy yard is located,
have been pleading for many years for
the removal of the X street siding. de-
claring it to be menace to life and
limb and a detriment to the surrounding
property. The fight to have this sid
ing eliminated was taken W in earnest
by the East Washington Citizens Asso-
citation. 1t has also been officially in
formed by Secretary Newberry of the
railroads refusal.
Several days ago w. Mosby Williams of
the association wrote to the District Com
missioners informing them that the time
is drawing near for the commencement of
the operations and concluding by say
ing:
"It is the removal of this grade cross
ing track running to the navy yard that
our association is particularly interested
in
In speaking of the railroads refusal
Engineer Commissioner Morrow said to-
day he can see no way in which the
company can be required to construct
| the line against it's will. He is of opin-
ion that the government or the Navy
Department will. at the coming session,
ask for an appropriation to construct the
siding at its own expense.