Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-20

This community owes a debt of gratitude to
Mr.. Taulbee, both for his effort to preserve in
its integrity the testimony in the real estate
investigation and for his honest and sensible re-
port upon this testimony. He has done his
duty in the face of abuse and of ANNOYING
though petty persecution The findings of his
report are fully sustained by the testimony, as
it came from the mouths of the witnesses, and
represent the opinions of nine-tenths of the
people of the District.
This investigation was not originated by THE
STAR, or urged by it, or conducted by it after
the House had decided upon the inquiry, and
ii has not thought that the committee has per-
formed the duty of investigation which the
House intrusted to it. But the testimony which
was forced upon the committee sustains in
every substantial particular The STARS pub
Eshed statements of fact, so far as they bear
upon the same points, and the reasonableness
Of The Stars deductions from these facts will,
it is believed, be sustained by the Judgment of
every one Of its readers.
According to the majority report Mr.. Cox
was requested by the Commissioners, in the
absence Of any expressed authority of law to
employ an agent" ''to assist in the procuring
and purchasing of certain Sites for public uses
without compensation from Them and in such
purchases Mr.. Cox "acted manly in the inter-
est of the grantor to the District" Mr.. Cox
Is thus left in the position of serving two hos
tile masters, and this report does not state by
whom, as a matter of fact, his compensation
was actually paid. The questions of greatest
interest to the District are not directly touched
The community had hoped that the committee
would investigate and ascertain whether the
relations of Mr.. Cox to the Commissioners were
or we're not of the confidential character which
would prevent him from buying on his own ac-
count the property indicated as desirable for
public use and from selling at an advance to
the District, as in the police station site case
twas expected that an opinion would be given
as to whether or not the District did not pay
Mr.. Cox's compensation in cases like that of
Mr.. Willard and that of Mr.. Dodge, where the
vendor viewed Mr.. Cox the representative
Of the District, charged and collected his own
price for the property sold, and openly and
avowedly added Mr.. Coxs compensation to
the price which the vendor was willing
to take in order to make the
price which the District paid. The
testimony THROWS considerable light on
these questions. How in view of that evidence
the majority of the committee could indorse.
even vaguely and evasively, a method of pur-
chase which is not only susceptible of abuse
but which by making an Intermediary serve
two masters is certain to be abused. passes all
comprehension. Where the intermediary was
known to represent the District, the excuse for
his employment fails; where he was paid
directly or indirectly by the District such pay
ments were without authority of law. and
where he was paid by the vendor a commission
dependent on the amount of the price Sc
cured it is logically absurd to assert that
he voluntarily cheapened that price.
and with it his own commission. The
system of purchasing employed will be
condemned by every thoughtful mind. and it
should be reformed in the public interest. The
Commissioners have befogged the real issues
in this controversy in order that they might
congratulate themselves upon vipdlcation from
charges which have not been made There is
no escape from the conviction that the method
of purchase is bad, that the present interme-
diary has not, in its application, relieved it of
any of its Objectionable qualities, and that the
Commissioners ought to have known more than
they did concerning the conduct of their nom
deseript assistant in the duty of purchasing
public sites. The testimony suggests. not cor
ruption. but unftness for important executive
Office in the Commissioners affected.