Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-19
Such Generosity!

6uNA NSACAOS4ty
A plan has originated in the cor
poration counsel's Office to pay the
Mount Vernon, Alexandria & Washing
ton Railway Co. 5000, 900 in cash to get
out of town, $4,000 of which would
come from District revenues. That may
be putting the matter rather badly,
but that is what it amounts to. 1t is a
fantastic proposal, and it is to be pre-
it, swiftly and silently. when it reaches
them for approval.
This is the situation: The railway
company, with its present terminal at
Twelfth and D streets northwest. will be
forced out Of the Avenue triangle" by
the Federal building program. 1t has
applied to the Public Utilities Commits
sion for permission to locate a ter
minal north of Pennsylvania avenue,
but there is little chance that such a
petition will be granted. If the terminal
is located in Southwest Washington,
near the Bureau of Engraving or the
Highway Bridge, there will be traffic
difficulties, and, in addition, the COM
pany says the terminal would not be
patronized. Bus service carries much
Of the load formerly carried by the In
terurban cars, and the ownership of the
railroad and the bus service is in the
hands Of the same man.
According to an informal understand
ing between officials and the railway
company, the best way to settle the diff
hculty would be for Congress to pass
bill appropriating 100000 out Of
Federal revenues to compensate the
company for loss of its property and
rights within the triangle; for the
Washington Railway & Electric Co. to
buy the trackage on Fourteenth street
between Water street and B, the use
Of which it now shares with the Alex
andria company owning it, and for
the District of Columbia TO pay the
company $4,000 for the loss of its
terminal facilities, in return for which
the company would withdraw its ap-
plication for q new terminal site and
| get out OF town.
Incidentally, the total payment to
the street car line under this plan,
amounting to $250,0o0, would be only
$4,000 less than the present owner
paid for 1t at q receivers sale. and
the purchase price included the Mount
| Vernon division of the line, which
| subsequently was sold to the Federal
Government for $150,000. Again, in
cidentally, the company's trackage be-
tween the Bureau of Engraving and
the Highway Bridge is in deplorable
condition and the District could order
it either removed or repaired. The
cost Of repair would be in the neigh
borhood of 100000. The District has
withheld its mandate pending a job
of its own, in 1882, of repaving and
| widening this portion of Fourteenth
street
| But these are incidentals. The main
point Is that the people of this COM
munity do not owe the railway a penny
for the loss of its terminal facilities. If
there Is such a debt, the Federal Gov
eminent, which condemns She property
and takes it for its own use, is the debtor,
and 1t is presumed that the Federal
Government is capable OF attending to
/ this part of its own business. The
mount of the damage would ordinarily
be determined by condemnation jury
The only test of the company's right
| TO a terminal in the District is the de-
mand for its services. If a terminal
north Of Pennsylvania avenue is con-
trary TO the public interest, and the
demand does not justify terminal in
/ Southwest Washington, that is the com
pany's business, not the Districts.
The owner Of the car line bought the
property from receivers presumably in
full knowledge of the Federal Govern
ment's program and the resultant prob
lem of finding another terminal. If he
did not have such knowledge, he can
expect no coincidence from either the
Federal Government or the people Of
this community. And If the company
has a just claim against the municipal
ity, q court Is the proper place TO pres!
it, in which case the corporation coun.
sci would be defending the municipality
and not, as at present, suggesting such
bizarre methods Of relieving it OF tax
payers money.