Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-08
MAKES CLAIM FOR RENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ALLEGED TO
BE TENANT By sUFFERANCE.
S. H. Walker Again Demands $4,000
Per Annum for Louisiana
Avenue Building.

The District government in its occupancy
of the District building. at No. 464 Louis
lana avenue northwest, is ''only tenant
by sufferanee,,' according to a letter made
public by the Commissioners today from
Samuel H. Walker president of the Ma
tional Capital Investment Company, which
owns the building. This condition, 1t ap-
pears Is due to the refusal of the company
to accept less than $4,000 year as the
rental for the building, and the failure OF
Congress to provide more than 5000 year
for the purpose.
The question as to the amount of annual
rental to be paid the owners for the Dis
trict building is one of long standing. and
has arisen each year for the past decade.
1t seems that when the building was rented
by the District. Congress allowed only
$1,000 year for the rental and the COM
pany accepted that amount under protest.
The lease entered into between the Commits
siOnerS and the owners Of the building from
year to year stipulated that the Commits
sioners believed the building to be worth
$4,000 annual rental and that they would
recommend to Congress an appropriation
OF $1,000 each year as additional rental for
the premises during the tenancy of the
same by the District government.
The Original Rent Charge.
Mr.. Walker. in his letter. made public to-
day, and which will be presented to the
Senate appropriation committee at the
hearings to be held within a few days,
states that the original amount asked by
the company for the rent of the building
was $4,000 year, but that the amount
verbally agreed upon March l. 1895. be-
tween Commissioners Ross, Truesdell and
Powell and the company was $4,000. The
commissioners, he says, paid no rent from
March to July, 1895 the appropriation for
nd hoir, h fhn let .traat
building. From July, 1895, to July, 1896, the
letter states, the Commissioners paid the
company $S,l96. and secured an additional
appropriation of 1904, which the company
received under protest.
Believing that there was no rrs,-t with
out remedy" the letter continues, and
relying on the verbal assurance Of the Com
m1ssioners that they would secure de-
nclency appropriation, we allowed this con-
dftion to continue"
Mr.. Walker states that the District build
ing cost the company without a contrac-
tors profits, the sum of $1G0, 600 and that
S6,Ooo has been expended on the structure
| In improvements since it's erection. He de-
clsres that his company has examined
| many of the buildings rented in Washing
ton by the U. S government and that he
has found that, per foot of floor space. the
company is not paid half as much as is
paid to others for similar properties.
Terms Of the Lease.
MT. walker mentions the terms OF the
lease, wherein the Commissioners agree each
year to ask for $1,000 in addition to the
5000 as additional rental for the building.
This agreement the writer states, has
been carried out every year in the regular
and deficiency estimates, and we are aston
lShed at the utter inability of the Commits
sloners to secure US an appropriation of
what they themselves have acknowledged
to be reasonable and just compensation for
our premises. The money for our rental is
approved by the same committees that ap-
prove the rentals for the departments of the
u. S. government, and they have no right
to disparage or discredit our claims because
these buildings are occupied by the District
instead of the United States
I'VE ask the examira ton of the rate of
payment per foot of floor space for this
and other properties and request the Com
missionerS to investigate our claim upon
After making the statement that the Dis
trict Isl only a. tenant by sufferance the
writer concludes as follows:
You must also recognize the fact that
the necessary internal and roof repairs have
not been made as stipulated at the COM
mencement of your tenancy. Shall it be
claimed that we have no rights under the
law against the government? Rather let
us say that we have not yet lost our faith
in the honor and fairness of the Commits
sioners and the gentlemen of the appropri-
alton committees, to hear the case upon its
equities and merit, and deal Justly by us
as they would hope to be dealt with if our
positions were reversed"