The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-14
LAND SCANDALS.
Prospect of Fresh Crop of
Them in Washington.
The Rock Creek Park DeaI-1axpayprs Grumb-
llng-Purchases for speculative Purposes
-HarrlsOn's Suspicious PrOmptness.

LSpecialto THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch
NEW YORK, Jan. 13.-The ECcHtng POSTS
special from Washington says: There is a
prospect of fresh crop of real estate scan
dals In the combined movement to repeaI
the act establishing what is known as
ROCK Creek park, in the District of Column
Ola, and to investigate the proceedings
already taken under that act The act re-
1erred to was passed after a hard fight in
the closing days of the first session of the
tl1ty-trst Congress. Its opponents rested
tnelr objections on several grounds.
ECONOMY was one. but this was met by the
argument that if the government ever in
tended to set apart
THE BEAUTIFUL ROCK CREEK VALLEY
as pleasure grounds, its chance to buy the
land at anything like reasonable figures
was rapidly slipping away from it, as real
estate values were going steadily upward
In all parts of the district. Another opiec-
ton was made by the taxpayers, who did
not rehsh the idea of having half the cost
OF the enterprise levied upon the district
In numbers, however, those Inconsistencies
were overborne by not too small house
holders, comprising contractors, gardeners.
laoorers and others who would have mate,
rial to sell or work 10 90 if the scheme went
through. The third objection came from
owners Of land within the proposed bonn
DIARIES of the park who had bought
1or villa or cottage sites, or
FOR SPECULATIVE PURPOSES.
and who did not relish being disturbed or
having The IT titles clouded by the ever
present liability TO seizure by the povern-
nn6pr / : ri OH of
The condemnation proceedings which
nave been Instituted are still before the
court on exceptions dled by land owners
olssatlshed with the awards. but there are
so MANY WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
in the business that these people are afraid
OF having their case pushed through and
decided against them unless Congress- can
be induced to interfere. The money paid
out already with awards made for land
not yet purchased outright would carry
the figures or the whole a good WAYS
above the present appropriation and the
attorney general has given his opinion that
another appropriation will be necessary be-
lore further action can be taken so the
remonstranls seem to be safe enough till
the pending inves tigation is finished.
Inc part of the affair which is specially
interesting to the Democrats in the House
is the fact that the whole park scheme has
been engineered from the beginning by
CALIFORNIA SYNDICATE OF CAPITALISTS
who have bought up large tracts of land
near the site of the proposed park and
plotted out a fine thoroughfare through
their tract with the design Of making the
lavish expenditure of public funds on the
park aid in booming the prices of their
building lots. The legislature agent en-
plOyed by them is said to be Senator
Stewart, of Nevada, and the chief financial
manager Mr.. Glover, of the Riggs bank. Ii
is charged that M. Glover drew up 8 list
Of commissioners whom the President was
to appoint to make the appraisal and took
them over to the White House and that
President Harrison made the appointments.
WITH SUSPICIOUS PRoMPTNEss.
This, taken in connection with the widely
circulated report that there was to DE a
presidential summer residence planted on
one of the most desirable sites on the syndi-
Gates road, and that there has been some
scandalously contradictory test mony on
the stand since the unsatisfactory apprais
ais were carried in the court, give the
Democrats feeling that
THE WHOLE SUBJECT WILL BEAR SITTING
and that there may be some spicy campaign
material in store for them involving some
of the leading men in the Billion Dollar
Congress" who were ready to stand on
their heads to see the park bill pass