Evening star., 1922-04-14
CHURCHPRQ1ES;'Js
RAILWAY S|D|AGS
Methodists- See Invasion OF
Rights in Proposed. B. & 0.
Track Extension.

Methodist Episcopal Church through
out the country and the friends or the
Woman's Home Missionary Society
have massed themselves in opposition
to the bill which recently passed the
Senate and which would authorize the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad company
to construct an elevated railroad sid
ing adjacent to it's tracks in the city
of Washington.
This organized opposition from all
parts of the country is shown. in cor
respondence- being received ny the
members of the House District COM
mittee. in which the request is made
that these members of. Congress pro-
tect the Lucy Webb Hayes National
Training School for deaconesses, mis-
sionaries and nurses, including the
SibIey Memorial Hospital. against
early encroachment upon their prop
erty rights.
An urgent request is made that
hearing be granted before the House
District committee before this legis-
1ation is fayorably acted upon. and as
surances have been given by Chair
man Focht and other members of the
committee that such a hearing Will
be granted.
Statement by Attorney Sinclair.
A. Leftwich Sinclair a Washington
attorney and a member of the board
of directors of the Lucy Webb Hayes
National Training School and the Sib-
ley Memorial Hospital. has laid the
case of that institution before the
members of the committee. He points
out that it is an institution owned
and operated by the Women's Home
Missionary Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, having about 30O,-
900 members. located in dfnerens
parts of the United States. He en-
phasizes that IF this bill becomes a
law we have reason to think tnat
within short time railroad trasks
would be run into square No. 673, on
fhe east side of North Capitol street
between L and NJ streets. directly IN
front of the National Training School
and Sibley Hospital, greatly damag
ing the valuable school ana noSpitAl
property and seriously impairins the
institutions great humanitarian
work"
Several. attempts have been made
in recent wears to procure from, Con-
gress legiiation authorizing the rum
ming of railroad tracks INTO TINS
square. and such attempts woulu nave
been successful. ii is believed, but Tor
the timely interposition OF the 1rlends
of the Women's Home Missionary So
ciety in the House and Senate.
.war Emergency Cited.
In 1918 Congress passed an act au-
tborizing the War Department to eA-
tend temporary single track across
1st street northeast into this square.
but for the protection of Sibley Hos
pital a provision was inserted for
bidding the track to come within a
certain distance-56S feet and 9
.nches-of Sibley Hospital building
and requiring the removal of the
track Immediately after the war
emergency. This track was promptly
removed by the War Department
after the declaration of peace.
Attorney Sinclair calls attention to
the fact that Congress many years
ago adopted a policy opposed to the
running of railroad tracks into the
squares west of 1st street northeast.
and he urges that Congress should
not now delegate to others authority
to set aside that wise policy.
Attorney Sinclair urges that if Con-
gresS should see fit to pass the bill
under consideration, for the protection
OF the valuable property and the
philanthropic work of the Woman's
Home Missionary Society the bill
issuance of permits for: the running
of railroad tracks or sidings into the
square opposite the hospital property.
He points out that this institution
ia in every sense philanthropic. 1T
stands for the training of Christian
women for the highest order of works
of mercy and help by the womanly
ministry of nursing the sick and aid
ing the poor and helpless under the
various orders of missionaries, dea-
coneSSeS and nurses"
h Physicians Interested
More than 200 physicians and sur
geons practice in Sibley Hospital. he
says. which is open to any reputable
physician and his patients. without
respect to race. color or religious faith
on the part of the patient. In this
hospital the poor and unfortunate re-
ceive the same care and service as do
those able to pay. Annually consid-
cradle free work is done for the poor
Of the National Capital, although Sibley
from Congress in support of it's work.
The running of railroad tracks 8
westwardly across 1st street north
east. into square No. 673, Mr.. Sin
jury to the entire institution. 1T
would destroy it's usefulness. To
the painstricken and suffering in
mates of the hospital the banging
and noise of the cars and the shrill
whistle and indescribabIe noise of
shifting engines would prove moth
ing less than torture. A great So
1arium has been provided on the roof
of the hospital building, which Is
surrounded by a roof garden and
large screen protected balconies. to
afford the advantage of outdoor
rursing for convalescent patients.
The smoke and dust incident to
freightage or warehouse and storage
purposes would prove not only Of
fensive to such patients. but highly
injurious. Thus, from sanitary and
health restoration point of view, the
very purpose of the hospital would
he materially thwarted by the extern
sion of railroad tracks into the
square opposite
Prior Decision BY Congress-.
When the establishment of the
Union station and it's terminals was
under consideration by Congress- the
question of the extension of railroad
tracks west of 1st street northeast
was gone into with great care, and it
was decided that no tracks should be
permitted west of that street.
Showing the interest that has
prompted members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church throughout the en-
tire country to send in their protests:
Mr.. Sinclair says that for the con-
struction and equipment of the build
ings of this institution the money
was collected throughout the entire
United States by the members, of the
Womens Home Missionary Society of
that church, and that the extension