Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-19
SCHOOL SITE PURCHASES.
The Report OF the Majority of the HOUSE
Investigating COMMITTEE.

The majority report OF the House special
committee appointed to investigate the
methods followed by the District Commits
sioners in the purchase of school sites and
other property is as follows:
1.-The committee respectively report that they
have considered the evidence submitted upon
such investigation, and which is hereto an
nexed. and from the facts established find and
report the following conclusions:
"The Commissioners Of the District of Column
bia in the exercise of their official duties have
been charged with the duty of acquiring the
title to certain real estate for school sites and
other public uses in the city of Washing ton.
In the absence of any expressed authority of
law to employ an agent in the purchasing of
such sites, or to institute any proceedings for
the condemnation of lands desired for public
uses. they. in their discretion, requested Mr.
Jno. +. Cox, An attorney and real estate
agent, to assist in the procuring and
purchasing of certain sites for such uses;
that they stated to Mr.. Cox that they
were not authorized to accord any COM
pensation, but that he must look to the
persons from whom the purchases might be
made for payment OF any and ali fees, commits
sions or compensatiOns; that certain purchases
were made by the District wherein said Cox
acted mainly in the interest of the grantors to
the District and received certain fees and
commissions a real estate agent or attorney
aggregating about $1,000 upon purchases OF
real estate aggregating in cost upward of
900; that it appears from the testimony Of
all the witnesses. and there is no evidence to
the contrary, that the several parcels of real
estate purchased by or for the Commissioners
for the use of the District of Columbia were
purchased at reasonable and fair prices; that
IN no instance was any exorbitant or unreason-
able price paid by the Commissioners of the
District for school or other sites. In our opin-
ion the Commissioners are entitled to full ex-
oneration from any charge imputation Of
wrong.
The methods employed by the Commission
ers are, 1t is true susceptible of abuse. II is in
deed question whether any method that may
be presented by law may not be subject to
abuse. The pending legislation pertaining to
the purchase of sites contemplates a provision
authorizing the District Commissioners to en-
ploy an agent in such cases, and further con-
ferring authority upon them to institute pro-
ceedlngs in the courts of the District through
which lands required for public uses may be
acquired by condemnation and appraisal. There
is no doubt in the minds of the undersigned
that under either Of the methods last men,
toned the cost of the lands and sites acquired,
as shown by the testimony, would have been
much greater than it was under the method
practiced by the Commissioners
I'VE feel 1T DUE in conclusion to state that
there were but two questions raised by the in
vestigation: First, was any wrong or fraud per-
petrated upon the public in the several pur-
chases in question or in any of them: second,
were the Commissioners or either of them
guilty OF any disposition to cooperate in any
way in the acquisition of said sites or any of
them at prices above their real value To each
of these questions we unhesitatingly answer in
the negative"