Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-03-05
MEMORIAL BRIDGE
u. IS NOW ASSURED
Appropriation For Prelim-
mary Work Becomes a
Law.
TO PREPARE PLANS.
Commission Named to Decide on Site
And Approve Designs For Struc-
ture-s25, 600 Appropriated.
TO PREPARE PLANS.
Commission Named to Decide on Site

The great memorial bridge acros:
the Potomac, connecting Washington
and Arlington and forming sthe ap
proach to the Mt. Vernon Avenue
extending from the Capitol City to the
home and tomb of the immortal Wash,
ington, was made certainty yester.
day by the passage of the public
building bill which includes an appro-
priation of $4,000 to pay for plans
and specifications for the new bridge
The bill provides commission to
have charge of this work, composed
of the President of the United States
the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House and the chair
man of the Senate and House COM
mittees on public buildings and
grounds.
The bill was among the very last
signed by President Taft previous to
his surrendering the reins of Office to
Woodrow Wilson, The provision for
the bridge and other appropriations
looking to the beautifying of Wash
ington was all that saved the bill from
being vetoed by the President. AS
is we'll known the memorial bridge Is
one of the things that President Taft
has heartily advocated Beofre signing
the bill he said:
"There are in the bill items agsre-
eating perhaps half million dollars
that ought not to be in it, authoriz-
ing the construction of public build
ings in towns too small to justify
them" said the President, land on
that ground, for the purpose of giving
emphasis to my views on the subject,
7 should like to withhold my signature
from the bill. But the bill contains
authorizations for improvements SO
important in the development-and
may say, an unduly delayed develop
ment-of the City OF Washington that
| cannot bring myself to defeat such
worthy projects.
Among the other items in the bill
is the provision for the erection at
Arlington of memorial ampltheatre'
including a chapel, under the direction
of q commission composed of the Sec
retaries of the War and Navy, the
Superintendent of the United States
Capitol buildings and Grounds, Ivory
G.. :Kimball of the G. A. R., and Char
los W. Newton, of the United Spanish
war veterans.An expenditure of $780,
600 to start wor kis authorized, the
ultimate cost to be s750,00o.
The bill had a rough road IN
Congress. After it had been loaded
down with number of items by the
Senate, of which the memorial bridge
was one, it went back to the House for
conference. The House conference
committee refused to consider new
items and it looked as if the whole
bill would fail.
A filibuster was started by Senator
1odpe. who was determined to pre-
vent the passage Of the bill without
nrovision for the requirement OF the
lower valley of Rock Creek at cost
of $780, 900, and Senator Root, OF
New York, desired to save the pro-
vision for ss,oOO,OO0 for the purchase
Of j New York courthouse site. They
made it plain that the public buildings
hill would not pass unless at least
these items were retained.
The operation of the filibuster came
IN Abe conference report on the agri-
cultural bill. Usually the conference
renorts are adopted after the forma
rsading of the report, but the filibus'
ters insisted that eac hamendmen'
sbonld be read, explained and votee
upon separately. That would take
hours and hours-and the consumption
Of time to the exclusion of other buSi
ness is the essence of a filibuster il
the Senate.
An ultimatum was issued to Senate
Swanson, who had moved that the
Senate recede on the Rock Greek Par
and New York courthouse site qusS
tion as we'll ss 90 the District Arnor
and Red Cross building itsms-the