Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-02-09
BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.
Hearings are Held today in Rich:
mond on Question of Admission
fee to Mount Vernon.

According to dispatches received by
the Gazstte the question OF entrance
fees to Mount Vernon is being argued
before committee of the state leglsla-
ture now in session At Richmond. 1t
will be several days before the ques-
ton can be decided but it is not
thought that any change in the present
arrangements will be made.
As pointed out Yesterday tue opposI-
ton to the fee system at Mount Vernon
has been apparent for many years.
In the summer OF 1874 a steamboat
known as the Mary Washington, built
after the pattern Of Mississippi steam
ers, was built. Her owners intended
to put tie boat on the route to Mount
Vernon in opposition to the steamer
Arrow. 4 movement was lnaugurated
ut the time to abolish entrance fees TO
Mount Vernon. The movement, how
ever, did not appeal to the great ma
jority :or logical reasons given at tue
time, and the new boat was not allowed
to land at Mount Vernon. In 1872,
when the electric railway was COM
Dleted, the issue was again raised.
At that time the lale David Turner.
who had been collector OF the port OF
Alexandria, wrote 4 series OF articles
for the Gazette in which he urged that
the grounds should be kept open to
/ the public and that the admission fee
should be abolished. The late W. Fl.
Snowdcn also wrote articles favor;ng
the movement. 1t was shown on
both occasions that such Il course
would be impractical, and subsequent
years bave not caused the great major
ity to revise their opinion.
In connection With the agitation TO
have the entrance fees to Mt. Vernon
abolished Determined fight is being
waged against the transportation COM
pauies which carry passengers there.
In the House OF Representatives Con-
gresham Cary OF Wisconsin introduced
the following bill:
Whereas, Mount Vernon, the
former home and the burial place OF
George Washington, is visited annually
by many thousands of psrsous, and has
long been a place OF national interest
aud
Whereas, Mount Vernon is but
| fourteen and one-half miles below the
city Of Washington, District OF Colum
bia and the Mount Vernon and Mar
shall Hall STEAMBOAT Company has an
absolute monopoly OH the traffic be-
tween the city OF Washington and
Mount Vernon and
Whereas, said steamboat company
has been aud is extortiug cxorbltaDt
rates in that passengers for Mount Yer
non are charge - cents for the round
trip from Washington (iucludius adj
mission to Mount Vernon, while other
passengers are carried Oh the same
steamer Manchester to Marshall Hal ,
about one and one half miles farther
down tue river, for . ceuts q round
trip (.ee letter from Acting Secretary oil
War, House Document No. 654, Six
tieth Congress. first SESSION.. and
Whereas, the oulv convenient way
to reach Mount Vernon from the city
of Washington is by the Washington :
Virginia Railway, which company
also charges exorbitant rates, the
round-trip fare being - cents, not in-
clnd,ng admission 10 Mount Neruon:
and
Whereas, many persons, and par
tcularly school cbildien, are deprived
OF visiting Mount Vernon because oil
these unreasonable and discriminating
rates: therefore. bc 1t
Resolved, That the committee Oh
Rivers and Harbors is hereby author
! lied ant empowered to make a careful
and thorough, Investigation Of these
evils and bold hearings for that pur,
pose and report its findings and recon-
mcndalions to the House OF Rcpreseu
taives.