The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-25
INLAND TRADE COMMITTEE
TO OPPOSE TRACK REMOVAL
| Prefers Grnde CROSSINGS on BROAD and
Deividcrc Streets 10 West
End station.
WOULD WAIT ron UNION DEPOT
Finance Committee to Act on Impor-
tant Revolutions, Including Public
Library, Tonight.

| a subcommittee from tho inland
trade committee OF tho Chamber of
| Commerce will appear before the Coun-
ell Committee on Streets at o'clock
this afternoon to urge the withdrawal
/ or objection TO the railroad tracks on
! Broad and Belvidere Streets. Two or
! dinances of long standing, scheduled
for hearing this afternoon, provide
| for the rcvpking of the city ordinances
under which the grade crossings on
these streets arc maintained.
| Broad Street merchants In particular.
have repeatedly protested against the
| blocking of vchicular trafilc caused by
! the passage of long trains across this
| thoroughfarc. All ordinance intro
duced more than year ago directs tho
| removal OF the tracks on Broad Street,
and another pending ordinance repeats
the act under which the connection
railway along Belvidore Street Is
operated
The long union station inquiry and
the consequent Endorsement by the
Council of the plan for a two-road sta
/ ton on the Hermitage Golf Club prop
| erty, caused the merchants to abandon
their fight for the removal of the
tracks. In the hope that the relief
would be provided by the early con.
struction OF the proposed station. The
failure OF the West End station to
materialize has injected now life into
4
made to secure report on the two
pending measures aimed at the grade
crossings.
CHAMBER HOARD FAvORS
DOWNTOwN UNION STATION
From the beginning OF the union sta
t!on movement. the board of directors
of the Chamber OF Commerce has con-
s!stently cspoused the downtown depot
plan, and opposed the West End sta
ton agreed upon by the Richmond,
\ a.
lantic Coast Line Railroads. This po-
sition is reflected In the chambers
views upon the proposal To require Il
removal OF the tracks on Broad and
| Relvidere Streets. 1t is the conviction
| of the chamber--or at least of it's board
| of diroctors-that II Is better TO endure
grade crossings on thcse streets until
they can be eliminated By the construc-
/ ton OF a union station 10 accommodate
all the roads. than to force the removal
! Of the tracks and the construction OF
q two-road station in the West End.
! 4 number OF the merchants who are
pressing the two ordinances before the
committee, although members OF the
! Chamber OF Commerce, are on record as
| favoring the West Enl station. Most
or the merchants on Broad Street
united In signing "A paper indorsing the
proposed station on the Hermitage
Golf Club site and in presenting this
view TO the special Union Station Com
mittee which conducted the general in
quiry
NAY RESULT IN NO
STATION At ALL
The sharp difference OF opinion that
sim appears to obtain with regard to
the West End station VIII, Ii is be-
leved, seriously rctard the building
plans OF the two roads which proposed
10 construc, and use Il. at the last
public hearing on the matter, Vice
President Alexander Hamilton. OF the
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, warned
the city that his road would not join
/ in building An expensive station. which
was not acceptable to considera BILE
I body or citizens. lie intimatcd that
nothing would be done as long as
marked dlvis'on az opinion continued.
Tho fact that neither the Atlantic
Coust Line nor the Richmond, Fred
ericksburg and Potomac has taken any
steps. as far hs is publicly known, to-
war! carrying into effect their promise
to build si.ooo. 600 join. station In the
West End. appears to indicate that Mr..
I AlcSander's threat was rot an Idle one.
4 beautiful drawing OF the proposed
station was exhibited {, The CITY Coun-
ell. and tentative construction plans
were made public. but. aside from this,
the West End station project has for
almost year given no sign OF life
FIVE OTHER COMMITTEES
! ON THE WEEKS SCHEDULE
Five other committee meetings Will
this week engage the Councils atten-
ton. The Committee on Public Build
ings. Properties and UtiIiiies viii rnaat
at o'clock Tonight to oonsiuer among
other things. the proposal 10 allow
Richmond College TO empty into the
James River below the intake nj the
, Settling Basin n large trunk sewer
draining the college tract at Westhamp-
ton. The college authorities, as well
as the heads OF tho city departments
affected, VIII be present at the hearing.