Evening star., 1915-01-08
AQUEDUCT BRIDGE
ACTION |MPENDS
House Committee Soon to De-
eide For or Against New
Structure.
SUGGESTED THAT COST
BE EQUALLY DIVIDED
Virginia Representatives Declare
State Will Never Consent to
Aid Construction.

At the conclusion OF a hearing on the
Carlin bill for a new Aqueduct bridge,
Chairman Adamson of the House COM
mittee on Interstate and foreign COM
merce today said that as soon as a re-
port from the War Department is re-
ceived action on the matter one way or
another may be expected.
Representative Carlin of Virginia pre-
sented to the committee today his ar
guments in favor of building new
Aqueduct bridge near the sight of the
existing structure. but the attitude of
the committee did not point to a favor
able report on the bill as it is written.
Members of the committee expressed
themselves forcibly in favor of a dis
tribution of the cost of the bridge
among the District Of Columbia. the
state of Virginia, the United States and
the railroad line using the bridge.
Representative Carlin returned that
the state of Virginia would not pay
anything for the bridge. and this was
backed up forcibly by Representative
Montague of Virginia, a member Of the
committee and former governor Of the
state.
Favors Another Site.
Representative Adamson. chairman Of
the committee, has all along expressed
himself in favor Of some other site for
the bridge than that now in use. and
went at Representative Carlin hammer
and tongs as soon as the hearing
opened:
"The government doesn't need the
bridge badly enough to pay out $780,
900 for it," he said, "and the War De-
. L. g.
the whole bridge it wants to put 1t
somewhere else"
THE people of Virginia don't care
who pays for the bridge" Mr. Carlin
started to say. when a committeeman
finished the sentence for him by inter-
jecting the remark:
LAS long as Virginia does not have
to contribute anything"
"Of course. the state of Virginia is
not going to contribute for a United
States BRIDGE" replied Representative
Carlin.
What would you say If this bridge
should be built and the District of Co
lumbia contributed a fourth, the state
Of Virginia a fourth, the United States
a fourth and the railroad q fourth?'
asked Representative Adamson.
Calls Idea Ridiculous.
"I would say that it would be abso-
lutely ridiculous. 1t would have a
three-headed control. and anything
three headed is monstrosity," was Mr.
Carlin's reply.
THE War Department doesn't need all
the bridge. anyhow, commented the
chairman.
"All right, then let the present bridge
fall down.. responded Mr.. Carlin. ANY
how, you needed it for forty-eight
years."
"If we agreed to report this bill dis
tributing the cost among the four par
ties involved would you still call it
Il am just telling you it would be
impossible
"Who would kick?" asked Repre-
sentative Adamson.
Virginia. The legislature meets only
once in two years. Then it's an i'm
possibility, because Virginia won't pay
a fourth"
No Military Necessity.
Representative Stevens of Minnesota
said that army officers had Indicated to
him that there is no military necessity
for the Aqueduct bridge. Representa-
tive Carlih had argued that the United
States had tremendously valuable prop
erty in Alexandria county. and that the
value was kept up because Of the pres
ernment should pay for the entire cost
of a new bridge. Representative Adam
son asked If Mr.. Carlin thought 1t
would be fair to make the District of
n Columbia pay a part of the bridge cost
and exempt the state Of Virginia.
Virginia would contribute if there
could be a toll BRIDGE
Representative Decker of Missouri
surprised the committee by saying he
and Chairman Adamson had visited the
Aqueduct bridge on one occasion and
that he inferred from Chairman ADAM
built at the present site.
Says Virginia Will Not Pay.
You gentlemen should rid your
minds" advised Representative Monta-
que Of Virginia, that Virginia is go
ing to pay for any of this bridge.
States don't do that. Virginians don't
use the bridge except in an infinttest-
NAL fraction.
1.-THE people of the United States who
come here to visit Arlington are those
who use the bridge. Furthermore. in
sion concerning the ceding back to the
District of that portion of the old Dis
trict of Columbia, do not think there
is much chance of any important con-
sideration. in Virginia, of paying for
this proposed bridge
Statements as to the safety of the
bridge were referred to from time to
time. One member said the chairman
had pointed out that the bridge shook
when traffic went across It,
Secretary Garrison
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