Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-14
DISCUSSES VALUATIONS
STATEMENT BASED on OFFERS OF
MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL SITES.
Comm fssiOners Reminded That the
Southeastern Section of the Dis
trict Has Been Neglected.

Referring to the proposals recently re-
ceived by the District Commissioners for
the sale of land for site for the munich
pal hospital, DIR. ]. NJ. Watson of Ana
costa mentions the fact, in a letter to the
Commissioners. that tract in the vicinity
OF Giesboro Point was offered at s115 per
acre. Explaining that he is not interested
financially in such proposal. DR.. Watson
says that several days ago he discovered
that land near Gaithersburg, Md. can be
purchased for from 500 to 500 an acre.
He thinks land in the District should be
worth much more than that in Maryland
twenty or thirty miles distant from this
city If 1t is not. there must. he believes.
be some apparent reason for 1t.
This land. he states, Offered at $115
an acre a site for the municipal hospital
lies in the extreme southeastern section
of the District, in a part that is and has
been for years almost totally neglected by
those in authority in our municipality.
do not believe that today your hoHHgable
body would recognize this land as being
part OF the county of Washington. For
one thing. the public roads throughout this
entire section are mere county highways,
not worthy Of the name al all. and certain
beyond Gaithersburg. This is not surpris-
Ing. though. considering the manner in
which scant repairs are generally made in
the part OF the District to which 1 refer.
For instance, when hole or dangerous
washout exists in a roadway, the scarcity
of money allowed for the purpose only
permits the road superintendent to dump in
a CARLOAD of gravel or dirt to make re-
pairs. and residents have learned to expect
nothing more. unless. indeed. it be the re-
appearance of the same hole or one much
worse after a brief space. particularly
should rain unluckily fall about the same
time Citizens of that locality have APP
pealed many times to your honorable
board for better roads. better repairs, bet
ter improvements, but the answer has al
most always been that there was no APP
preparation available. The treatment that
has been accorded the people living in this
part of the District has also been melted
out to others residing in communities near
the center of the city of Washington, their
homes being in the eastern section.
But One Favor Conferred.
ITO discuss little this section, which
is Anacostia and a number of adjacent
villages: 1t has been a long time since the
one little, simple act lin a municipal sense)
which has done SO much to add beauty to
the city of Washington, has been per-
formed in Anacostia. / refer to the plant
ing of shade trees in our section. Requests
and petitions. not only for the setting out
or trees in parts of our town, but for other
improvements as well. have been made
time and again to your honorable board by
citizens of Anacostia and the Citizens AS
sociation of the suburb. Instead of being
nature from these requests in recent years.
II IS fact that our village shows the
effects of the slight which 1t has been and
Is still receiving in these respects And
yet we continue to appeal to your honor
able board for our due. as We have in the
years past
"A few years ago an appropriation for
the reclamation of the Anacostia flats was
stricken out by Congress. and today the
pest-breeding Eastern branch seems to
have been forgotten. Our section of the
District is conveniently situated with
reference to the center of the CITY, and
the prices for land will be, as I have in
cheated. more moderate than in other sec
tons. An improvement OF the character of
the municipal hospital in the county would
doubtless surprise many of our northwest
ern friends, but / can assure you that in
making such a selection you would arouse
a part that is now dormant for MANY rea-
sons. some outlined above, with the result
that more impetus would be given to build
ing and improvements by citizens to such
an extent as to amount to a revelation.
Near Enough Then.
I remember some years ago your honor
able board appeared willing to give us a
hospital for contagious diseases. We were
not too far away for that, 1t appeared and
though the matter never went beyond the
consideration stage as far as our locality Is
concerned, yet l recall 1t now to remind
you that our section has already been con-
sidered by your honorable body when cast
ing about for site for municipal insti-
tuition. We are certainly not too far away
for the municipal hospital. In closing I
wish to say that l have no interest finan-
cially In any site that has been offered
and am only interested a resident and
citizen of the eastern section OF the Dis
trict. / feel satisfied that the best and
cheapest site will be offered from this sec
ton. and hone and expect to see one of