Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-04
FOR ROCK CREEK PARK
Discussing Purchase of Propos-
ed Addition.
LAND AT $4,000 AN ACRE
Hearing by the Senate District Com
mittee.
THE PENDING BILL SUPPORTED
Arguments Also Presented in Favor
Of Acquiring Land on Meridian
Hill for Pleasure Ground.
THE PENDING BILL SUPPORTED

ate committee on the District of Columbia.
called meeting Of his committee today
to hear testimony on the subject of pend
ing bills for adding 100 acres to Rock
Creek Park and for a park on Meridian
Hill.
The Rock Creek Park addition is pro-
vided for in Senate bill 5201 providing for
the purchase by the government OF GER
tain pieces OF land lying In the vicinity Of
Massachusetts avenue and Rock creek. 1t
provides that the chief of engineers of the
army and the District Commissioners shall
be made board of control to secure an
accurate plat of the land and to accept
the same for park purposes after they have
determined just compensation for the
same, with the approval of the President
The compensation already determined upon
amounts to about an average of $4,0G0 an
acre, options for the land being secured
and accessible to the proposed board of
park control. The bill specifies these pro-
posed tracts of land.
Another bill under consideration was to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire by purchase or condemnation, to
provide public reservation. the pieces of
land between Euclid street Columbia ave-
nue. or 18th street,~W street or Florida ave-
nue., and 18th street In Holland Elvin's
subdivision Of Meridian Hill. containing
437 600 square feet Of land for the acQui-
this land cannot be purchased at price
satisfactory to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior condemnation proceedings are 10 be
instituted.
Present at the Hearing.
When Senator Galinger called the meet
Ing to order there were present Senators
Hansbrough. Long. Scott. Burkett. Alice,
Gearin, Blackburn, Martin, Foraker and
Dillingham;
There were also present Gen. John M.
Wilson. president Of the Board of Trade;
Senator Carter, Mr.. Charles c. Glover Mr..
R. HI. Goldsborough, Mrs. John B. Hen
derson, Mr. Couldren, DR.. Sewers.
Senator Gal!inger laid the two bills before
the committee, together with the report OF
the Commissioners. showing the assessed
value of the land proposed for an extension
of the Rock Creek Park. This report
showed that the entire tract of 1914 acres
was assessed for s1S0.612.52 and the Com
missioners stated that, based on that as
| sessment, the value of the property would
be $270,91S.73 Senator Martin stated that
the assessed value In this case was nearer
| the price asked for, 10000 than has been
the case in other purchases of property by
| the government. He said that in the case
| of the purchase of land for office buildings
| for the Senate and House of Representa-
| tives the difference much greater.
| LAS member of the commission that
| purchased the land for the Senate office
| building" remarked Senator Galinger, Il
| can say we were simply robbed on that oc-
| casion. In that case the price paid was
| three times the assessed value of the prop
| erty.
Gen. Wilson's Argument.
| Gen. John NJ Wilson. president of the
| Washington Board OF Trade. was the first
| witness called upon to speak on the pend
| ing bills He stated that the Board or trade,
| composed of roo of the leading business and
| professional people in this city, had at Its
last meeting Endorsed the proposition for
| the extension OF Rock Creek Park unani-
| mously.
"You may be surprised to see me, sol
| der here as the president of the Board OF
! Trade" said Gen Wilson, 'but the fact is,
| when l was retired five years ago I de-
| termined to devote the balance of my days
| to the betterment of that dear old city in
| which I was born. as was my father Tne
| Board of Trade does no business except to
| promote what 1t believes to be the best in
| terests of the District of Columbia.
This land can now be bought for 9s cents
| a foot. I remember when could have pur-
chased land on Connecticut avenue ex-
| tended for two-ffths OF cent q foot, and
| 1t is now selling for $3.50 foot"
Mr.. Glover's Statement.
Mr. Charles C. Glover followed. He re-
| counted how twenty years ago he had fire.
| quently gone through the present Rock
4
croft. the historian. and how he determined
to lend his efforts toward making that
beautiful region public park so as to pre-
serve for future generations. He told
| the story of the efforts that resulted In the
| purchase of the land by the government.
| This land for the extension of that park,
| he said, was offered at an average price Of
| about $4,000 an acre.
| Il have heard of a United States sena-
| tor" he stated, who said that II Con-
| gress did not take the 100 acres now offered
| to 1t at $4,000 he would himself give $1,000
| an acre for It.
| Later it was developed that that state
ment had been made by Senator Clark of
Montana.
The purchase of this land by the Con-
gress he said would also result in pre-
| serving the beautiful forest trees now on
| the property and would protect the United
| States. naval observatory. 1t would bring
! Rock Creek Park down to the border of
| the city. Mr.. Glover gave figures to show
| the reasonableness of the price asked, and
| said that the syndicate owning this prop
/ erty would not have agreed to sell II for
| $4,000 an acre were 1t not for the purpose
! OF public park, which they believed would
enhance the value of their other property.
| He said that he had paid 5000 an acre
| for the land of the cathedral just beyond
| the property referred to, and that land was
also extremely rugged and uneven. He had
| gone to the trouble of getting an option
signed by all the owners of this property,
| ais we'll as by the trustees, and nobody
| would make cent out of the transaction
except the owners OF the property them
selves The 1900 feet of land on Massa-
chusetts avenue was all available for build
| ing purposes. and at the rate OF 10 cents
| foot he considered 1t very cheap indeed.
| He stated that there would be IN the near
| future project for railroad north of this
proposed park. which would give additional
access to 1t.
/ Senator Foraker made brief statement
| In favor of the purchase of land on Me-
| ridian Hill for park on 18th street. He
| said that that section of the city had not
| had its share OF park improvement, and
he believed that II should be given more
Improvement of that kind.
referring to the general subject of park
improvements. the statement was made
| that Rock Creek Park and the Zoo now
| comprise nearly 1900 acres of land.
Proposed Meridian Hin Park.
| Mrs Henderson was then heard Mrs.
| Henderson spoke earnestly on the desira-
| bllity of establishing a park on Meridian
Hill.
There are three reasons she said. why
| the especial parking space now brought TO
L ratr zffpnttou on Meridian Hill should he