The Washington herald., 1907-10-20


tion in the halls Of legislation no end
of worry
Seven or eight years ago a Senator
from Michigan now dead. Senator Nc
MILAN. was chairman of the committee
having charge of District Of Columbia
affairs IN the Senate. He was a mil
uCnaire with taste for the beautiful
One day IN the closing session of
Congress Senator Mcmillan secured the
adoption Of a modest resolution by the
United States Senate authorizing his
committee TO employ expert advice in
connection with plans for capital i'm
prOyement. the expense TO be paid for
ont of the contingent fund of the Sen
ate. That was easy. But Senator Nc
MILAN made the most Of IT, He en-
plOyed three Of the most expensive and
celebrated architects and landscape
gardeners in the United States to fur
uish advice and plans
Commission Travels In Europe,
The commission travelled in Europe
and elsewhere for many months, and
completed a plan for making Washing
ton a garden spot The cost Of the
commission was about $4,000 Some
say II was more than 100000. and that
Mcmillan contributed the difference in
order 10 save the bankrupt 'cOntin-
gent fund of the Senate" out of his
ample private means
Then began the work of carrying
out the great identifying plans, copies
Of which. together with elaborate plas-
teh casts and drawings, are on file I'm
the Library of Congress.
The programme when il reached the
House Of Representatives. caused an
explosion of wrath But each House
Is the judge of its. own contingent
fund and viii tolerate no interference
on the part Of the other branch The
depleted Senate contingent fund was
repaired by "A new appropriation, and
the commission entered upon the work
OF seeing its beautifying programme
carried out.
one part of the plan contsmplates
the making Of a splendid. wide bOule-
ward from the Capitol across acres of
ground to the river, connecting with q
grand memorial bridge 10 span the Po-
tOmac and reunite the North and the
South with bands Of structural steel.
Along this great boulevard and adj
iacent parks, amid which flowers are
20 nod in season and limpid lakes are
TO sparkle in the sunlight. are 20 be
erected the new buildings for the Az
ricultural Department. the Smithson-
Jan Institution. and other structures.
Il appears that in making the plan for
this magnificent park the expert commits
sion of outsiders, who were working With
out line of legal authority, ignored
streets. buildings. and every existing
landmark. The carrying out of the plan
meant the beginning anew OF a city. This
developed when ground was broken for
the new Agricultural Department build
ing.
Legal Obstacles Encountered.
Conforming to the strict letter Of the
law, Secretary Wilson was about 10 build
the new building on the site. or very near
the site, Of the present building. The
commission of experts called President
RooseveIt's attention to the fact that the
arrangement did not comport with their
plan. He appointed the commission TO
locate the building. Then he ran up
against the letter Of the law
There is a law OF Congress that no work
can be done that has not been provided
for by law and an appropriation made 10
pay for it. President Roosevelt was uoti-
fed that he had no authority TO create
offices and pay salaries therefor. Then
he proposed to appoint the commission.
who would do the work withol pay
Then the Executive ran afoul OF law
which says the government may not ac-
cept gratuitOus services.
But President Roosevelt is not q man
TO be baffed by any such contingencies
He named the commission, without pay
and they We're directed 20 report 20 him.
The commission located the building in
accordance with the extensive beauufy-
ing plan.
Wilson Outwits SoIons.
To help. along the great enterprise Sec
-etary Wilson played a game on Con-
gress in connection with the erection Of
the new department building. Congress
gave him S.500l0 for such building He
worked it fine. He built two buildings.
the wings of which ultimately viii be
connected into a magnificent structure to
cost probably S6.0l0,0C0 The space be-
tween the wings is arranged precisely to
fit the central administrative building
That Jared Congress not a little. and
Secretary Wilson is certain to hear more
about il before he obtains the consent Of
Speaker Cannon and Chairman Tawney
for the additional amount.
The latest move I'm the great scheme for
beautfying the Capital Is in connection
with the commissions boulevard project
II is the placing Of an immense Gen.
Grant memorial in the spacious and beau
tiful Botanic Garden Park adjoining the
Capitol. That work was begun this week
It contemplated the destruction Of a fine
row of trees facing the Capitol, which is
TO be followed by the removal of all the
stately trees in the Capitol Park facing
the south, to make room for the hanging
gardens and the bubbling rills that are TO
make up the vista of which Nero had
Rome after the great fire.
Congress Must Settle II.
The Botanic Gardens are under the ju-
risdiction Of Congress. Now howl is
going up over what is termed the van
daIism Of destroying the beautiful park
of domestic and tropical trees and shrubs.
President Roosevelt is in the ~canebrakes
and cannot be reached Secretary Taft.
one Of the Grant Memorial Commission,
is in q distant section of the noncontigu-
Gus territory Of the United States, and
cannot hear the protest that is going up
here. Beside. the question may turn on
whether ne is committed 10 this along
with other Roosevelt policies.
The issue viii be drawn in Congress in
December.
RAILROADS AND EARNING.