Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-06

| commodity which has been utilized at great
| profit by the railroad company for two
thirds of century. Those portions which
lie within the abandoned right Of way with
In the city, and not included within street
bounds, are odd-shaped fragments of
squares or lots. in the extreme northeastern
section. In order to use them the govern
ment would be Obliged to acquire adjacent
lands at a cost many times the supposed
value of the gift from the railroad Or else
1t would have to sell its fragmentary hold
ings at an insignificant price. Thus far
no exact statistics have been prepared by
the railroad or the Commissioners separat-
ing the spaces In this class. according as
they lie within or beyond street bounds.
is fair to estimate. however that the
value of the lands beyond the street bounds
and within the city limits which are pro-
posed as a gift to the government would
not reach total assessed valuation of
5000.
This is all the railroad proposes to give
to the government, less than 5000 worth
OF lands of questionable worth and use
part OF which the government already
owns. and the rest of. which it would have
10 go to great eXpensein order to utilize
On the other hand what IS the ysIIIe of
the grants of the lands to the railroad com
Pdny rms value can be reached, approXt-
mateiy, by the same method. The District
authorities inform fne Star that the street
areas areas to be occupied blythe railroad under
the pending bill may, be thus stated:
At terminus, heween G. II. LIST and
-N"ilh NHPltoi streets and Delaware
~ avenue ........... .-.-.-....... 459 $50 So IT.
streets ESQ right Of wayt...... l42 400 sn II
On Delaware avenue between NJ and
Florida avenue (lG0' right OF wayI l25 $50 So IT
On street between 2l and Sd
streets. .........~-.,......... 13,oso so TT
10000
The assessed values OF these lands ac-
cording to the latest rate ascertained nv
the process above described would aggre-
gate $2oI ott3s There IS to be added an
item OF 1910 square feet of public space
not streets, to lie CrcCp.ed under the bill
being reservations. wholly or in, part Nos
q" 50. 22i and 226, WHICH may be computed
at the assessment rate in accordance with
the adopted plan, giving n value for these
spaces of about s15, 00n This amount added
to the s23I.0t9.5S already computed gives
a total IN land values given by the govern
1lent TO the railroad of more than S272 OGo.
mus, on the basis of the land values
alone, the account should read
The public's bill against the railroad 49, 1912 600
The railroads bill against the public AZ O,O
Balance in favor Of the public. $227 900
Inc assessed value IS always far below
the market value of lands The margin OF
difference Is believed to range from q, to
40 per cent. Applying d correction of 40
per cent to these figures the account would
run:
The publc's bill against the railroad . $3.50 900
Inc faiif'au Dill against The public 100
Balance in favor of the public S317 500
The Equitable BASIS of Payment
The contribution of the public in land.
privileges and damages and expenses out
SIDE OF the railroads. right of way repre-
sents Ell! that the public should in equity
pay. 1t should not give in addition a cent
or the million and a half of dollars demand
ed by the corporation under this bill.