The sun., 1892-04-15
THE ROCK CREEK PARK JOB.
PRESIDENT HARRISON APPROVES THE
LIZARDS or THE COMMISSION

He hid This Against the Advice OF BIS
| Attorney q enerai, who Denounced the
Scheme As n Job-The President Has
| steadily Refused to Give = Hearing To
the Property Ovyaers, hut Has Allowed
the Leader or the Real Estats Riag % be
| Cioseted with Hin at the White House.
WASHINGTON. April 14.-presldent Harrison
to-day approved the amended awards OF the
Rock Creek Park Commissioners. covering
1880 acres OF ground. ut cost OF $l.2OO.oOO.
to be devoted to the uses Of public park for
the benefit OF the citizens OF tho District OF
Columbia. Tomorrow, unless something un-
foreseen happens to prevent. Speaker Crisp
will recognize a member OF tho House. prob
ably Mr.. Bailey OF Texas, TO suspend all pro-
ccodings relative to tho payment OF money TO
tho property owners. This action will be
taken with n view to having an Investigation
OF tho whole Rock Creek Park scheme.
President Harrison approved tho awards
against the honest and earnest advice OF his
Attorney General, who a'month ago rendered
n decision to the effect that the 1000 acres
taken by the Park Commission would involve
tho Government several hundred thousand
dollars over tho limit OF money appropriated
by Congress for tho establishment OF the rark.
This Official opinion Attorney-General Miller
followed up by n rlain talk with tho President.
in which he denounced the park scheme as
job. Tho President listened to his legal ad-
wiser. and then told the Park Commissioners
ho could not approve tho award. But he did.
A modified map was taken to the President,
from which 600 acres Of tho land condemned
BY tho Government year ago were lett out.
This proposition was referred to the Attorney
General md failed to meet with any better
MI hnpt tba five Tho ioh n nd tho Sphame
wns still, thcrc. and Mr.. Miller said his chief
could not afford to Go before the country Just
before the opening OF n campaign with such
scandal on his skirts lie also said that the
President was not relieved from the necessity
Of stultifying himself by saying now
that certain pieces Of land were worth twice
as much as lie had formally pronounced them
to be worth year ago. when tho Park Conf
mission took to him a list Of prices TO he
approved as Just compensation Tor tho llnuS
to bo token. This list was made up by two nf
the real estate specuators engaged in . nrHmot.,
approved Y without taking pains to satisfy
himself whether Or not it bore bore ., Iny in
lands. AS "a matter of fact. the figures that
were made up by the syndicate schemers were
hardly 10 er # fSn i've y
gresate was SSOo.ooO. Nevertheless the Pres
fdent tlndly approved them. To-day ho
worth 81. 100000. and this declaration is made
without any new light on the situation so far
It was this situation that annoyed the At, At;
1 sns he for the asTi I i
unconstitutional The ground OF this uncon-
sttutonal feature OF the Park law was the
full limit OF land allowed by the law and yet
they We're restricted by the terms of the act to
effect an attempt by Congress to leglsIate
price upon the land to be taken. and was. in
tact. seizure Of private property amounting
There was still another ground Of objection
on the part Of the Attorney.General. he said
that thai afp ali The land Included in that map was
the nited states: that the Commission, was
utterly poweress to reduce % the area Of tho
would be cnnstruing the law otherwise than
strictly rs It should be where private rights
But Mr. Iiarrison's Attorney General did not
realize how empty his legal objections were in
the Presidents estimation. There WHs never
that the President had any, intention OF doing
cost. The reason for this will not he known
unless Congress decides to investigate this
psn ie% Ssaa d marx s
Friday the Attorney-General threw up his ar
sod ths f Piesdrt that s Wanted
tho park award Tho coul Id do so mi historically
That is. he was simply 70 say for the Govern
ment. as it's agent. that 1t was losing nothing
to conhscate the lands in Kock Creek Valley.
owned by the California syndicate.
The beauty Of u ministerial approval OF the
award Is that there is no appeal from IT.. The
Supreme Court Of the District OF Columbia
also approved the award, minsterially. The
park ring wants to keep the owners from get
ting into tho supreme Court Of the United
States. where the constitutionality Of the Park
act would very likely be ripped wide ouen.
The President to-day helped them Us far as he
could.
The District Supreme Court. in approving
the values OF the various lands taken, acted
upon the park as whole. and cert fed to tho
President as one judgment the value of the
nearly two thousand acres condemned. The
President hns taken it upon himsclf To curtail
this judgment OF the court The President has
steadily refused to give the owners hearing.
but has allowed the leader OF the real estate
ring to he closeted with him and to in fluence
him. In order that the ring might put millions
In their pockets.
RAGGED THE STOCKMEN.