The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-03-14
That Park in LangdOn.

Commissioner West Makes Pertinent
Statements Regarding the Purchase.
Commissioner West has discovered,
in regard to a bill now pending be-
fore Congress, some curious facts,
and he has thus far been unable TO
find any explanation of them, though
he has diligently sought therefor. He
now turns the matter over to Congress
with recommendation that the mighty
Congressional brain be brought TO
bear on it. The bill provides for the
purchase of a public park in Lang
don at a cost of $4,000. The ground
to be purchased contains little moro
than 10000 square feet, and was as
sessed IN September, 1902, at 4 cents
per square foot. The owner objected
to this assessment and asked that the
price be fixed at IL cents per square
foot He pleaded that he had been
trying to sell that land for two years
At ; cents a foot, but IN vain. A little
later he sought to move the Commits
sioners by writing that he was trying
to sell the land at . cents per square
foot. The price now demanded from
the Government Is 20 cents.
Commissioner West was struck, as
it would seem anybody ought TO be,
by this sudden, even phenomenal, rise
in the value of that property. If it
had only been known that ground II
Langdon could rise in value at that
rate, what a lot of money some real
estate Spectator has missed, Doubt
less the other Commissioners had good
reasons-indisputable reasons, phe-
nomenally convincing reasons-for
approving the purchase of this land
at ten times the value at which It was
held less than two years old, but what
were t1ey? Up to the present time
neither Mr. West nor anybody esss-
seems to have been able to find out.
1t is not possible, of course, that the
sudden increase III value of this land
was due purely to the knowledge that
the Government wanted it. 1t cannot
be that the demand for the park,
which Is said to be so strong that II
can no longer be ignored, has sprung
up over night. If 1t has, that land
ought to be worth more for a mush-
room plantation than a park. Where
did that extra 81 900 of value, which
has suddenly been spread over an APP
parentiy unpromising area Of ground,
come fromq 1t IS almost equal to the
discovery of gold in the Rand.
As very few people in Washington
ever go to Langdon, unless they live
out there, the actual strength Of tic
demand for this park cannot easily
be estimated off hand But if the
people really want a park as badly as
that, can they not find enc which will
not cost $4,000, but only about as
much as the alleged value Of that
tract would be, minus the mysterious
$4,000 which II has gained in value
in the last year and half? Let tie
people Of Laugdon be heard from
More than this, let the other Commits
sioners raise their voices and explain
how that particular tract of suburban
property jumped fom ? cents a foot
sworn value to 20 cents a foot sworn
value, the owner IN both cases doing
the swearing, and the only change IL
the situation, apparently, being the
willingness Of the Government TO buy
it for a park. Most Of the land out III
that region Is sold by The acre. How
does the Government come TO be buy
ing this at 20 cents a foot2 We have
no doubt that the Commissioners can
explain this mystery to the satisfae-
ton of Commissioner West, Con-
gress, and the sorely taxed District.
They have only TO explain.