Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-11
THE ROCK CREEK PARK.


PURSUED III TIE conxlsslox m DETERMINING
TIE VALUES OF TIE PaoPsRTr 10 n TAxsN.
II ID more than probable that before the con-
clusion Of this week the United States and the
District Of Columbia win have possession Of .
valuable slice Of land lying within the bounda-
ries Of what win some day be Rock Greek Park.
Only few Of those persons owning
property In the tract laid out by the
park commission have accepted the prof
iered prices-many Of the proprietors
are waiting to see what other proprietors will
do-out the action Of Mr.. Klingls win probably
result In stirring things up somewhat The
commission offered him e2,ooo per acre for
something more than thirty acres Of the most
Desirable land on Rock Greek and Mr.. Kinsls
Matters preliminary to . transfer are being
hsxe sSor 70 s and p Saturday Mr. Klinsle win
nss, and in the getting thereof VIII have parted
Win ms nome and the land inmediatsiy sur
rounding the house.
AkTHoDs USED n rH8 CONFUSION.
up 70 this time there has bssn no publication
made OF the methods use BY ths commission TO
determine values in the park. Congress had
appropriated the sum Of d, 2o0, 900 With which
TO purchase tract Of land not exceeding in sx-
vent z,0oo acres. The language Of the act WAS
construed BY the commission g mean q nearly
- possible 900 acres; had Copsrsss meant i, 400
acres or / 500 acres IL would have specified the
limit. A careful and accurate survey was made
and . tract Of I, $50 acres was selected. The
matter Of valuation was then placed in the
assisted BY Capt Rossell These gen.
tlemen in turn called in 70 aid them
two real estate experts, men whose iudg-
ment they believed to be - good q
the best and whose probity would hardly be
then divided into sones, and . price was set
for all property within the outer gone; L O.,
the one farthest away from the city.
THE VALUATIONS ARRIVED At.
The valuation Of land within each zone was
then given, prices mutually increasing Is the city
was approached The average valuation was then
found to be $500 per acre, and as that brought
the total considerably within the a. 200 600
limit the commission raised all the prices
until the appropriation was apparently alb
e .S Then these zones were subdivided and
the hgures within each resdjusted. Some Of
the land was valueless for building sites and
worse than useless for farming, and thus nat
uraiiy came cheaper than soil which might be
used either for villa sites or agricultural pur-
poses. When the work Of valuation was
zone the schedule OF prices was submitted to
the President and he approved it. Since then
al interested property owners have been mott
ned, but only afew Of them have accepted the
| terms offered.
CONDENSATION PROCEEDINGS PROBABLE.
Under the law Q term Of thirty days
exists during which the commission may
treat directly with the proprietors or their
agents. That term expires on Saturday
next and unless the present plans are
will on Tuesday next Ale a petition with
the Court in General Term to institute
condemnation proceedings Within two weeks
from that day the assessors will un-
donbtediy be appointed and everything
will be ready for them by the middle Of June
The taking Of testimony win occupy the board
Tor about six weeks, 90 that a report may bs
looked for by the first week in August
woRK WILL NOT BE DELAYED.
Those property owners who are bent on op-
posing the commission will have some diff
Guilty In carrying out their plans, for it
is generally understood that the commits
sion will keep their legal business before
the Court In General Term. Appeals, there
fore, can only be taken to the United
Of the commission cannot possibly be delayed
Fortunately for those interested in the
establishment Of the park the Court in General
Term has had good deal to do recently in
hearing appeals from the District court in the
matter OF the post-ofice site, so about all the
questions that can be raised have been decided
by the superior court
GOVERNMENT AND DIsTRrcr INTEREST,"
The interests Of the government and the Dis
trict in the park and the appropriation are being
sharply looked after, the commission bssine its
wstchfulness legally upon the remarks of Chief
Justice Fuller, made recently in delivering an
unanimous opinion Of the United States SUI
preme Court Said the chief justice: "The
right OF eminent domain Is the offspring of Do
iitical necessity and is inseparable from SOW
ereignty unless denied to it by its fundamental
law. 1t cannot be exercised except upon
the condition that Just compensation shall
be made to the owner, and it is the duty of the
the compensation is ascertained 70 see that it
is just, not merely to the individual whose
property is taken, but to the public which is to
pay for It."