Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-29

BStiNo tkoCSh.
Now that the President has signed the act
making appropriation for sundry civil expenses
of the government. il is probable that the first
active steps toward the purchase
of site for the city post Office
will be taken. II is not generally known that
just over the signatures OF Speaker Reed. the
President OF the Senate and the President of
the United States, is q section numbered five.
which will have q most material ef-
feet upon the manner in which the
square opposite The STAR Office is TO be bought
for this purpose. nor is il known that by means
of this amendment there may be a total saving
in the final cost Of the land amounting TO any
where from half million to a million dollars.
And yet such is the case.
TALK ABOUT THE DELAY
There has been q good deal OF talk lately
among the real estate men of the CITY and
others interested in the erection OF the new
building all tending to a criticism Of Secretary
Windom-in whose hands the matter
has been placed-for his inactivity.
10 b on. selecting the square referred
or over two months ago, and, so far as the pub
lie knows, nothing has been done under its
provisions. This act provides as follows for
the purchase Of the square: That the said
Secretary be and he is hereby empowered and
directed to purchase of the real estate COM
prised in the said square the following parcels.
to wit: Part Of lot 1, consisting OF LAO
square feet, part Of lot 2, consisting of
S.4o3 square feet. all of lot 3. consist
ing OF zoos square feet, all OF lot 4. con-
sisting of $3.50 square feet all Of lot g. consist
ing Of 1865 square feet, all of lot G. consisting
OF g. 02 square feet. part of lot e. consisting OF
2.31T square feet and part of lot g. consisting
OF 1,SOO square feet making all together
70, 145 square feet, at a price not exceeding
SlO.5 90 per square foot as proposed by a certain
offer in writing by the owners or agents
thereof, bearing date the AID day of NAV,
1890 and addressed TO the committee on public
buildings and grounds Of the Senate and House
OF Representatives and signed Chas. C. Dun
canson, the original of which was filed with
the Secretary OF the Treasury on the eth day
OF June, ammo Domini $780, and where any OF
the said owners or agents may be unable for
any reason to vest by voluntary conveyance a
complete and valid title TO any parcel or tract
hereinbefore described. as proposed in said
offer, then the same shall be condemned in the
manner hereinafter provided.
Sec. 8. That the said Secretary is authorized
and directed to acquire tho remaining parcels
Of real estate in the said square by negotiation
so far as such parcels may be so acquired and
title thereto secured. at price not above the
fair relative value Of the same as to other par
Seis acquireu Dy agreement.
LOOKING INTO TIE FIGURES.
Secretary Window realized at once the effect
Of such a transaction. He saw, by little Der
sonal inspection of the site, that the lots
were mostly on the south side Of
the square and, viewed from the standpoint of
a business man, the least valuable. This
he should pay elo.5O a square foot
for these lots he would, by the language of the
law, be compelled to pay still more-perhaps
as high as S25 foot-tor the other portions of
the square fronting on Pennsylvania avenue.
He likewise saw that there was no equality in the
that should pay $40 SO foot for the
enumerated lots, as this figure gave no account
to improvements. For instance, one of the
lots bears fine new ware house, and next to
1t Is a vacant space, also named in the bill A
little figuring showed that Congress had named
$500, 900 for the purchase OF the square on the
basis of sl0.5O a square foot for the entire
property. whereas $1,000 would in all
likelihood be the lowest price paid. and in
some instances the lots would probably cost as
high as S25 foot, SO that instead of the total
cost being 5000 600 it would be nearer 81 500 OOO
All of this appealed strongly to the financial
pilot of the administration and he was
thinking over the situation about a
week after the signing of the act, when he re-
ceived a call from delegation representing
the owners OF the square, who wanted to know
why he was not taking the steps contemplated
by the law. They said that the act having
but Tor him to proceed in the
manner set forth, and they would like TO see
something done. The Secretary took their
good naturally aud laughingly
said that he did not think there was anything
in the act to force him to move in
two days or twenty. that real estate
transactions needed careful handling, and
that he would go ahead just as soon as he could.
The delegation went away satisfied that all was
well and that the delay was due to the pro-
verbal red-tapishness OF Treasury Department
methods. And SO the matter stood for two
months.
An AMENDMENT INSERTED.
Meanwhile some one at the Capitol had seen
the situation and without making any noise
succeeded in having the amendment al
ready referred to tackled onto the sundry
civil appropriation bill. 1t has been for this
reason that the Secretary has done nothing
He has been waiting for the bill, charged with
it's new clause, to go through and be signed.
and now that that has happened he will begin
action.
This aii-important section reads as follows:
SEC. s.. That section of an act approved
June Is, 1880. entitled IAN act to authorize the
Of certain parcels of real estate
embraced IN square numbered 1913 of the
city Of Washington to provide an eligible
site Tor city post Office, IS here
by amended by inserting after the
word offer" where the same last appears
in said section, the following: ''0r whenever
the Secretary of the Treasury is satisfied that
the price demanded for any of the lots or parts
of lots described or referred to in
this section is excessive or above their
fair market value. That the building author
lied by the said act approved June %, 1850,
shall be constructed in a fre-proof manner,
with not less than eight stories and at
a total cost, including approaches and
heating apparatus, not exceeding 81, 800. 600,
provided that the Secretary of the Treasury
may authorize a contract or contracts TO be
entered into for the construction of any por-
ton or whole Of said building. subject to APP
to be made therefor by Congress
toward the construction of said building,
S25. OO0."
The meaning of the amendment is that the
Secretary is given absolute power TO purchase
the land by condemnation whenever he sees
lit. and in view of his Investigations il is al
together probable that the terms of
the original act relating to the purchase
of certain parts of the square at SlO.50
a foot will be ignored and the entire square
given market price by a board of valuation.
BY this means the price of the square, it is
said, can be brought within the 500. 900 con-
as il is not thought that the average
value set upon the land by board will be oyar
IS or SO foot
THE COURTS.