Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
The Capitol Park.

There is an ancient Spanish proverh
to the effect that "all comes round to
him who will but wait" For a score OF
years the project of extending the Capt.
toll grounds northward to the Union
Station has been agitated. After many
delays, and the passage of much legis-
lation, court action and the like, it looks
as though Congress had finally brought
the project to position where it would
be put through. Just before adjourn
ment the so-called Capitol plaza bill
was passed by the Senate, the House
agreed to the Senate amendments and
the measure was signed by the retiring
President, Mr.. Coolidge, all within the
period of fifteen or twenty minutes. But
while action came quickly at the end,
this legislation has been given much
thought and was the subject of con-
troversy.
The measure passed yesterday, known
as the Reyes Elliott bill authorizes the
final steps for carrying out this project.
The plan has been gradually extended
to cover more ground than the original
scheme, until now it fits in admirably
with the whole project for the develop
ment and Identification of Pennsyl-
vania avenue
The extension of the Capitol grounds
northward to the Union Station, pro-
viding a beautiful entrance to the Ma
tional Capital, has been the obvious
thing ever since Congress authorized
the construction of the Washington
Terminal. But like many things that
are obviously correct, it has been de-
layed, postponed and sidetracked. There
were difficulties with some of the own
ers of the property after the passage of
the first legislation authorizing the ex-
tension of the Capitol grounds. For the
most part the property was unoccupied,
or was occupied by buildings of poor
construction, and there was reason to
believe that the Government would
have comparatively little trouble aequir-
ing the land.
Then came the World War, with
crowded living conditions in a city
which never before had been crowded.
The influx of thousands of Government
workers, high rents and lack of accom-
modauons gave rise to the project for
the construction of dormitories for
woman workers. They were built on the
ground which had been intended for
the Capitol park. There they still stand.
The determination of some of the men,
bers of Congress to keep the Federal
Government in the hotel business, not
withstanding the fact that Washington
has long since been able to build up to
the requirements of its population, has
been responsible for further delay in
carrying out the project. During the
last session of Congress, which ended
yesterday, there was demand that if
these Government dormitories were
torn down others should be erected on
another site, Finally this demand was
abandoned and the plaza bill was per-
mitted to pass. But it has been with
the understanding that even now it
will be two years before all these dormi-
tories go down.
The Congress has done much in re-
cent years to provide for the develop
ment of the Capital City and to beautify
it. No more important step has been
taken, however, than that which makes
it possible to put into operation at last
the plans for park extending from the
Capitol to the Union Station.