Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
GARAGE BLOCKING
CAPITAL ENTRANCE
Stands in Way Of Proposed
Avenue From Station to
Peace Monument.
BIZ WILL P. KENNEDY.

The front doorway of the Nations
Capital is privately owned and the
elf-governing people from all over
the country who flock to the seat OF
Government are prohibited from the
fun and free use of that doorway
which is the main entrance to the
Union Station-by a corporation
which acquired this site, much OF
which was formerly public streets, by
grant of Congress and has refused to
pay any taxes during the more than
16 years it has occupied the site.
This front doorway is blocked by a
''blue-sky" garage, occupied con-
stantly by scores OF taxicabs owned
and operated by one company which
pays a substantial sum to the Wash
ington Terminal Co. annually for the
exclusive privilege.
Although Congress has Just spent
nearly three and a half million dol
lars to complete acquisition OF IL
squares of land between the Union
81 Station and the Capitol so as to give
a Sisitors a beautiful vista Of the Cap
lttol, it still lacks control of this van
tage ground.
&; Garage Blocks Avenue.
II As feature of the Capitol Union
TStation Plaza development, carrying
b out a project authorized by law more
u than Is years ago. an avenue the
same width as Pennsylvania avenue
IS to run fromaUnion Station to Peace
J Monument at the west front of the
4 Capitol grounds to connect with
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. The entrance
to this new avenue will still be occu-
i pied by this ''blue-sky garage" packed
with taxicabs.
This is one of the situations that
Congress proposes to deal with when
4 IT resumes legislative work in Decem-
Der. Individual members Of both
House and Senate have for years Wig
orously denounced such condition,
one of the most outspoken being KEEP
1 resentative Allen T. Treadway, Re
publican. Of Massachusetts. District
u officials have protested that they are
4 powerless.
Two methods of dealing with the
washington Terminal Co. to recover
4his front entrance for the public have
been suggested One is that the Dis
rrict collector of taxes exercise his
s1ght to sell this property at auction
for payment of taxes, as he
AHould any privately owned property
Congress Could Act.
The other proposal is for Congress
nby special act to authorize the acqutsi-
zion nv the Federal Government Of
this stretch of land Immediately In
, front Of the entrance to Union Station,
either by purchase or condemnation,
TO protect the rights Of the taxpaying
public. AS a. matter of fact title to
psnuch Of the land involved still rests
in the United States, having been
formerly streets that were closed by
act of Congress in authorizing the
Union Station location and the use
of the land given to the Washington
Terminal Co.
The Commission of Fine Arts be-
Jleves that the situation in front of
Union Station is perfectly absurd, :"
and that 1t is ian intolerakle condi-
ton The commission feels that
Instead of four street car tracks to
Union Station there should be only
two, and that those should be so
"a arranged that the public would have
full and free access to the main en-
trance. Charles Moore, speaking for
the commission, says that 1t is pre-
posterous that the Government should
not own and control the approach to
Union Station. Whatever legislation
control of the property directly in
front of the station entrance will have
the heartiest support of the commits
sion, which is the official mentor and
guardian for the proper development
of the Capital.
In this connection 1t is emphasized
that the attitude of the Washington
Terminal Co. in standing on its legal
rights to use this property as 1t sees
1T, regardless of the public interest,
IS poor requital for the great
generosity of Congress toward the
railroad companies when the Union
Station was being located and built.
S3,OOO,OOO to Abandon Mall.
The authorizing act specified that
Che station should cost not less than
$4,000, 900 and be monumental in char
acter" The railroad companies COM
planned that they were forced to great
expense to build a station far beyond
their needs. Then Congress became
very generous and gave the Baltimore
AZ Ohio Railroad and the Philadelphia,
Baltimore & Washington Railroad
100000 in cash to abandon the
Mall, what was already United States
sproperty.
In the act of 1901 the following
$rovision was carried:
I'm consideration of the surrender
by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Co, under the requirements of this
act, of it's rights under the several
acts of Congress heretofore passed,
and under its several contracts with
the municipal authorities of the City
of Washington, authorized by said
acts of Congress, and in consideration
Of the large expenditures required
for the construction of the new termi-
mails, viaduct, and connecting rail-.
roads as required by this act, to avoid
all grade crossings of streets and ave
aues within the City of Washington,
and further, in consideration of the
grant and conveyance to the United
States of the lands included within
the limits of the roadway and right
of way of the Washington Branch
Railroad, which can be used for a
street or avenue for the public bene-
fit, the sum of S1,500, 900, to be paid
10 said railroad company toward the
cost of the construction and said ele-
waited terminals, viaduct, and struc.
tures within the City of Washington,
shall be, and is hereby, appropriated
pne-hah to be paid out of any money
in the Treasury of the United States
not otherwise appropriated, the other
half to be paid out Of the revenues
bf the District Of Columbia. The sum
80 appropriated shall be paid upon
6resentation Of a certificate by the
commissioners of the District of Co
aunbia that the said viaduct has beer
completed as required by this act"
Provision of Act of 1908.
Then the act Of 1903 carried this
provision:
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