Evening star., 1922-03-19

Hopes for union station in Wash
ington were expressed long before
that highly de
CARROTS Plan for sirable estab-
rr c.. lishment was ef-
as soon as a second railroad was OF
the point of entering the city. In
The Star OF March II. 1872. is the
following editorial on the subject:
"Manifestly. the best solution of the
railway problem in Washington Is
the erection of a grand union depot
IN some suitable locality. Elsewhere
the interests Of the railway com
panies themselves, as we'll az the
public, are served in this way, as they
would be here. no doubt. In his efforts
in this behalf. II they arc honest and
earnest. Mr. Garrett" (of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad) will there
fore have the good wishes and in
f1uence Of nearly everybody inter
ested in the growth and welfare OF
Washington. But the trouble in the
case lies in the want of con1dence
in Mr.. Garrett's sincerity. As the
protector OF enterprises for the bene-
cess, but as consummator he is :,
sad failure-one of the worst, in
fact, that the country can show. o.
this account there is good ground for
fearing that his proposition to put
up such depot here is only INTENDED
as foil to the Pennsylvania railroad
and that if he is able to carry that
point before the District committee
tomorrow he will never build ii, o.
at least. not for the next half cen
tury. The people here have lost cor
fidence in Mr.. CARROTS promises. Thr
far, at least. as Washington is cor
cerned. II Congress thinks favorably
of his plan let it insist that he sha
carry it out within the next siN
months. That is ample time, and II
he means business he will gladly &C
cept that condition and give security
for its fulfillment. If he does not. lc,
him get out of the way and allow u
to get such relief as we can from
other quarters. He has been the old
man of the sea for this community
quite long enough
i: =
Countering the protests OF thos"
citizens who sought TO block the pub
lie improvement pldnS
Memoria1 In of the new District gov
ernmcnt fifty years
Congress. ago. by appealing to
Congress and starting an investiga-
ton into District affairs, a memorial
was circulated among and signed by
numerous Washingtonians asking the
closing of the inquiry and beginning
upon the program of betterments.
The memorial stated:
Since the location of the Capita
city in Washington little or nothing
has been done towards the improve
developing its natural beauties. The
condition of the capital of great
people, now assuming prominent
place among the nations OF tht
earth. had become not only ineN-
cusahly bad, but highly discreditahle
To remedy this evil the citizens.
without distinction of party. applied
TO Congress for an independent ter
ritorial government. Congress grant
ed our petition and our people. WIFI
out the aid of the federal govern
ment, undertook to make our CITY
worthy of its position as the capita
of our country. 10 90 inns
money was necessary; nor could We
undertake and accomplish the self
imposed task with the revenue de-
rived from ordinary taxation; nor
could the work be delayed from year
to year for this purpose. 1t was
therefore resolved to create a losn
for that object and to pay off til"
debt by a small sinking fund. T"
this end the District Legislature
passed a bill early last season, but
those opposed TO the policy of ere
ating a debt in the manner proposed
obtained an injunction from our
court. by which means the work was
delayed until late last fall, and be
fore what had been begun could be
finished the severity of the weather
stopped its further prosecution. leav-
ing our streets and sidewalks In
most unsatisfactory condition, anu
now, at the commencement or the
second season for labor. we find the
authorities embarrassed by an in
yestigation which promises to he
greatly prolonged and out of which
in our judgment, no good can pos