Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-30

posltion Wnere tney would nave TO take It. Mr..
Warner said he sold the station-house site on
| 9Th street to the District himself for so cents
| and he thought, OF course, the price was very
| low.
| THE COMMISSIONS PAID
| in cases of real estate sales he said, depended
on the amount of work done and the liberality
OF the client. Ordinary commissions, he said,
were per cent, but on large sales, running
INTO the thousands, 2 per cent was generally
charged. On sales of $1,000 or $1,000 for cash
he thought 8 per cent would be considered a
falr commission. When one real estate dealer
sold property for another generally the COM
| mission was divided.
MIR. Warner said that If he were Commits
sloner, or if he were buying in order to invest
idle money in row of buildings, he would
readily pay the prices paid by the Commission
ers in these cases.
Gen. Lee asked the witnes if he thought that
II was OF advantage to the District
TO EMPLOY MIDDLEMAN.
THAT is one of the Matters" said Mr.. War
| ner, "a man has to determine for himself. If
were Commissioner 1 would determine that
by the surrounding circumstances"
What do you think in these cases?" said
Gen. Lee.
Il should think" said Mr. Warner, cit was
, an exceedingly shrewd move on their part es-
peelally If they had employed me-"
DO You think they have lost anything by
not employing your
''Well. they may have lost somewhat"
Mr.. Warner having stated that there was a
real estate organization here, he was asked its
objects and said, "the private good of members
and the general good of the community"
(Which is the prime object?" asked Mr..
Baker,
I'm the commencement" said Mr. Warner,
the purpose was to elevate the standard Of
the business"
Mr.. Baker asked what Mr. Warmers opinion
Of he anti ax-ip i'm, for lie
service to the committee.
II Think" said Mr.. Warner, ''my services as
an expert are worth about $500"
Then the government owes you $685." said
Mr. Baker
you will have to get Mr. Baker to introduce
a bill for your relief" said Gen. Lee
In relation to the school site on 9Th street,
East Washington, bought of Mr.. Dawson
through James A. Taylor as middleman. for
which the District paid between So and 81 cents
a foot, Mr.. Warner said he did not care to give
Judgment, as he was not as familiar with prices
in that section as Mr.. Weller was
MR.. MARTIN 1. WELLER
was called as the next witness and asked re-
specting the sale of the site for the new
station-house on 9th street northeast.
MIR. Weller said that in the early part of July.
1888, he waited on the Commissioners and
asked Mr.. Wheatley when they bought the
sites appropriated for that year to give his firm
OF Weller Repetti, who controlled consider
able property in East Washington, an oppor-
tunity to make proposals. He did that. he
said, because the year before, when the Dis
trlct bought a school site in East Washington
they had given the firm no opportunity to
make proposals, although they owned lots in
the same square which they would have
SOLD TO THE DISTRICT CHEAPER
than the lots that then were purchased. Mr..
Wheatley did not promise, of course,
to buy lot from him, but did
promise to give them chance.
Mr.. Weller stated that he left the city on his
summer vacation, and day or two after his
return, on July %, as the appropriation bill had
become a law, went to Mr.. Wheatley and asked
him it he was going to let his firm sell them a
site. MIR. Wheatley laughed and said, Do you
want to sell two sites?"
WHO MR. cox REPRESENTED.
He asked Mr.. Wheatley what he meant and
Mr.. Wheatley asked if Mr. Cox had not been to
see him. Witness asked then if Mr.. Cox rep
resented the Commissioners, and Mr.. Wheatley
said he did. The witness was somewhat indig-
nant. and wanted to know why they had not
dealt directly with him. He objected to that
surrel titious way of doing business. ooh
he said" the witness went on, you would have
run your prices up on u.s." Witness told him
that was impossible, for the property was on
their bulletins for 3715 cents, and advertised at
he would have objected to the sale to the Dis
trict if he had known it, for he owned the ad-
joining property, and was afraid it might be
injured Mr.. Wheatley said that the building
of the new station-house there would bring
street improvements, and the witness then con-
coded that it might be a good thing for the
property. He, therefore, urged the consum-
nation of the sale before the directors of the
association that owned the land. The price at
which the land was sold was 371a cents.
THE PRICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN REDUCED.
If MIR. Cox had stated to Mr.. Repetti that he
was buying for the District and for cash it was
possible the price would have been reduced
The property was bought by Mr. Cox at a
time" price-one-third cash. Mr.. Weller ex-
hibited his letters and checks. showing the
transactions with Cox. The property was
bought by the District from Daniel S. Pickrell
the middleman, for 4212 cents a foot. Mr..
Cox required his firm to give him half of their
commission. So after the firm received the
Commissioners check they gave Mr.. Cox a
check in return for S323.44
Mr. Weller referring to the talk in reference
to the injury done to property by locating
school buildings near it, said that to all low
priced property, property worth not more tn an
so cents, the erection of public institutions was
benefit. as it brought improvements; to prop
erty worth between 90 cents and dollar, the
result was doubtful, and to property worth
over 81 it was positive injury.
AN EXCESSIVE PRICE PAID.
Speaking of the price paid for the station
house site by the District he said he considered
it an excessive one, as they might have bought
it at 3719 cents.
At noon the committee took a recess until