Evening star., 1902-01-30
SIXTEENTH STREET AWARDS
HOUSE DrsrnIc1 COMMITTEES RE
I FUSES 70 nsr bss An OPINION.
Members individually Believe That
Action Of the jury should BE
Approved By Commissioners.


The House committee on the District of
Columbia decided today that it would make
no expression of opinion to the District
Commissioners as to whether the jury
award on the 10th street opening case
should be accepted or rejected.
The greater part of the regular session
of the committee today was taken upain
list ening to a delegation of attorneys rep
resenting interested property owners along
the line of the proposed extension. Every
one heard was in favor of the approval of
the award, and the committee was asked to
express itself in favor Of the same in a
letter to the Commissioners.
Those who appeared before the commit
tee were Charles c. Cole, Benjamin F..
Leighton, Chaplin Brown, John Ridout, s,R.
q. donaldson and Blair Lee. Mr.. Cole, Mr.
Lee and Mr.. Brown addressed the commit
tee.
Street Extension Proposition.
Mr.. Cole introduced his remarks with a
brief history of the 10th. street extension
proposition. He said the award of the jury
of condemnation was filed with the Com
mfssioners last May; that the Commission
ers had taken the ground that, while they
undoubtedly had the authority to approve
or reject the award, nevertheless they felt
somewhat bound by the evident intent of
Congress that in all street opening the
awards for benefits and damages should be
equal
AS the award IN this case was $729 952
for damages and cnly $1OS,s34 for benefits,
they could but hold that 1t was not in
accord with the intention Of Congress.
MI. Cole said that as the representative
OF the land owners he had been heard by
the commissioners, soon after the award
was filed, and that they had suggested that
matter CONGRESS
should assemble, when the views of the two
District committees could be obtained on
the subject. Mr.. Cole remarked that while
he was not authorized to speak for the
commissioners, yet from his interviews
with them on the subject he felt justified in
stating that they were all personally Of
the opinion that the award was the best
that could be obtained.
As a result Of a private conversation be-
tween the Commissioners and Chairman
Mcmillan of the Senate committee on the
District OF Columbia, the matter had been
called to the attention Of that committee,
with the result that on January 10 letter
mad been sent to the Commissioners from
that committee stating that It's members
were unanimously agreed that the award
should be approved.
Questioned by the Committee.
Nearly all of the members of the commit
tee asked Mr.. Cole questions on the sub
Ject, both as to the merits of the awards
anu as TO the authority of the committee TO
make such a statement
MIR. Cole explained that the proceeding
was simply an informal one and intended
only to strengthen and back up the action
of the Commissioners
The expressions of opinion by members
of the committee in the discussion showed
that they were all in favor Of the approval
OF the award, but all seemed to feel that
they would be laying the committee open
to the censure of the House by sending
expression of opinion one way or the other
to the Commissioners
Some jocular criticism was made Of the
Commissioners by members Of the commit
tee because Of their seeming unwilingness
to take the responsibility of acting on the
award. 3
Mr.. jenkins suggested that If the Com
missioners would address communicat ion
to the Speaker Of the House, requesting
such an opinion the matter would then be
referred to the committee and an answer
could be had ON the matter in the regular
way. :.
Before the committee went into executive
session to consider ythe subject Mr. Blair
Lee and Mr. Brown spoke briefly on the
merits of the award which has been made,
both contending that new proceedings
would doubtless result in a still more un-.
satisfactory award in view Of the Increase
In the value Of the property affected. Z