Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-04
HEPBURN SUBMITS
BILL TO SENATE
MISUNDERSTANDING Purchase
of Land for Buildings.
WINS POPULAR APPROVAL
Cost of Project Will Be Within
$10,0o0,ooo.
LOOKING TO CAPITALS FUTURE
Proposed to Locate All Government
Structures on the Sites-Harmo-
NOUS in Arrangement.
WINS POPULAR APPROVAL
LOOKING TO CAPITALS FUTURE

| Senator Hepburn today introduced bill
| authorizing 1.-The purchase of grounds for
| the accommodation of public buildings for
| the use of the government of the United
States in the District of Columbia which
was referred to the committee on public
| buildings and grounds. 1t is the bill
| which it was known he intended to intro
| duce at the opening of this session pro-
viding for the south of the avenue pur-
chase" o. the extension of the Mall
and is exactly the same as that drafted by
him last winter and passed by the Senate.
The Purchase Proposed.
The bill contemplates the purchase by
the government of all the ground not at
present owned by it lying south of Penn
sylvania avenue and north of Maryland
avenue. up to 9Th street. where Maryland
avenue intersects 9th street, and all of the
ground not at present owned by the gov
eminent lying between Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and the Mall up to 18th street north
west; also block No. 221 lying at the
junction of Maryland avenue and list
street Immediately in front of the Capt.
tol grounds; also block No. 57J and res
ervation Il. lying Immediately in front of
the Capitol grounds between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and 3 street northwest.
The total area of the proposed purchase
Is 1852. 1874 square feet. not including any
land at present owned by the government
or any of the streets. alleys or avenues
within the area referred to. The gov
eminent already owns between 9th and
18th streets 441961 square feet. The
areas of the streets and parks within the
boundaries mentioned is 1.243 1888 square
feet.
Value of Land and Buildings.
no Of ho 1o,,I
included within the proposed purchase is
81, 153, 9O6. The assessed valuation of all
the buildings therein is s., 2O3, 800. These
assessments are based on two-thirds of
the actual cash value of the property.
This would make the land proposed to
be purchased of the value of $3.50, $50.
and the buildings S3,3O5.70O. making a
total of IS 936, $50 as the actual cash value
of the lands and buildings proposed to be
included within the purchase.
These figures are contained in a report
presented to the Senate when the bill was
returned in the last session from the COM
mittee.
Ten million dollars is the sum which
Senator Reyburn would have appropriated
for the purchase of these blocks or as
much of that amount as may be necessary.
The bill would authorize the Secretary of
the Treasury, subject to the order of the
President to acquire the land, or any part
OF 1t, as soon as practicable, at a price
that may be fixed upon by agreement be-
tween the Secretary and the owners of
the land. not exceeding the actual cash
value of the land. 1t further provides that
the payments shall be made to the re-
spective owners after the titles are ex
amlned ythe Attorney General and other
necessary business requirements are met
In the event of a failure to agree on a
price for all or any part of the land men
toned the Attorney General is empowered
in the bill to prosecute proceedings for the
condemnation of the land in question.
Popularity of the Measure
This is the most popular measure affect
ing the District that has come to the at
tention of Congress for many years.
Scores of senators and representatives
have already publicly expressed their
views on the question. and all of these
are In favor of the passage of the bill.
Ever since the matter came prominently
before the people of the District upon the
introduction of the bill at the last session
by Senator Hepburn 1t has met with moth
ing but approval locally.
In giving his reason for introducing the
bill Senator Hepburn said:
1T is very important that in the future
all government buildings located at the
National capital shall be located upon
this proposed purchase and shall be of
such harmonious architecture and ar
rangement as will make the government
buildings a combination of all that Is
beautiful and adequate to the wants of
the service.
THE buildings could be constructed
along varying architectural lines, and yet
De entirely harmonious. thus affording
great possibilities for architectural ac-
eomplishment as we'll as for the develop
ment of plan that will greatly enhance
the beauty and usefulness OF the. nations
home.
I'm the interval between the purchase
and the actual use of the grounds for pub
lie buildings they could be maintained as
an attractive pleasure ground in connec-
ton with the MALL
The Hepburn Bill.
The following is the text of the bill:
AN ACT
Authorizing the purchase of grounds for
the accommodation Of public buildings
for the use of the government of the
United States in the District of Columbia