Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15
RAIL WAY WILL SUE
TO RETAIN TRACKS
THROUGH TRIANGLE
R. L: May Refuses to Vacate
U. S. Building Area Unless
Repaid.
GOVERNMENT LACKING
FUNDS TO AVOID SUIT
Other Public Utilities Move Out of
Section; Action Due This
Week.

EeuClon 1of an injunction TO prevent
the Government from forcing a removal
Of the tracks Of the Mount Vernon, Alex
andria q Washington Railway Co.
from the Federal building triangle
without reimbursement to the owner
probably will be fled in a local court
early this week, 1t was indicated last
night.
Conferences recently between District,
Federal and railway officials looking to-
ward a solution of the question at one
time pointed to introduction Of a bill
in Congress to repay the railway, but no
bill was presented.
The Alexandria railway is the only
one of several public utilities which has
refused to comply with the order OF
the Public Utilities Commission of the
District to vacate certain streets in the
triangle to make way for the Federal
Government building program. All
other utilities have either already va
Gated their property in the streets, or
made arrangements to do so, except
the railway.
United States "Sitting Tight"
Meantime Government officials last
night were sitting tight and await
ing developments. The order to vacate
the triangle was given as a result Of
the Treasury Department program to
erect several huge structures in the
Federal triangle blocking some streets
and building over others which are now
used by the railway and other utilities.
If and when the railway leaves the
triangle, Congress might pass legisla-
ton repaying the railway owner, r. L.
May in some way for abandonment Of
the line, it has been predicted, but
there is no one who has authority TO
pledge the action of Congress in this
matter.
The Treasury Department is pushing
forward the building program under
authority Of Congress, which gave ex-
plicit instructions for such a project
in its building acts. The law Of May
Is, 1926, provides among other things
that where the construction of build
ings requires the utilization Of contigu-
GUS squares as sites for buildings,
authority is given the Government "for
closing and vacating such portions Of
streets as lie between such squares and
such alleys as intersect such squares,
and the portions of such streets and
alleys so closed and vacated" the law
continues, shall thereupon become
parts Of such sites"
Property Closed.
With this authority the Treasury
called upon the District Commissioners
to close the streets needed and notified
the public utilities to remove their
property from the streets at their own
expense.
The attitude recently adopted by r.
L. May, owner Of the Alexandria line,
is the elimination of a long fight with
the Public Utilities Commission for a
new terminal suitable to the use of the
line and for re-routing of tracks to
the new terminal site. Such a terminal,
May has commended, should be near
Pennsylvania avenue or north of the
avenue, as any other place available
would be so far removed from the
business center that the line would
carry no trafhc.
Permission to cross Pennsylvania ave-
nue. at Fourteenth street was refused
the line by the Public Utilities Com
mission some weeks ago, and May was
given to understand, he stated ut that
time, that he would have to establish
10 NSAhAA4oA ACaA run bSCALh AIlQ
Water streets.
Offers to Abandon Line.
Following this announcement May
stated that he would abandon his line
into the District, which would also
carry with it the abandonment of the
Virginia portion, provided he was re-
imbursed for his property.
A bill giving him 100000, Of which
500, 900 was to come from the District
of Columbia, was then drawn up for
to Congress, but no action
was taken on it after local organizations
began to fight the proposal that q por-
ton Of the money come from District
funds.
If May is forced out of the triangle
and no provision is made for a re-
routing of his line to bring it near the
business section of the city it will prob
ably be abandoned and he has threat
ened to seek an injunction to prevent
this unless he Is reimbursed for his
franchise and equipment.
The Arlington Fairfax line operates
Its cars into the Twelfth street terminal
over Mays tracks and any decision af-
fecting the Alexandria line will also
affect the other road. Civic organi5a-
tons in Alexandria and in Arlington
and Fairfax Counties are fighting the
that the line be abandoned.