The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-12-18

the owners refused so foot or for the whole
parcel Today it could probably be bought for 81 foot
$265,0O0 as entirety
AT this rate the value of such square of ground is
advancing by $4,000 year For each of these
departments hen- these figures hold for available sites
generally it is believed they do-the Government is
paying penalty of $4,000 for every Congress holds
back The total of $4,000 is iten Committee on
Appropriations would otherwise disregard.
Now the proposition is to locate these four bureaus of
the Government the between Pennsylvania avenue
and the Mall Included with it is plan to purchase the
whole of that tract together with the three blocks facing
the Botanic Garden and not owned by the Gov
ernment-the squares between the streets bill to
that end has been introduced by Senator Hepburn and
favoraby reported by him chairman of the Senate
Committee Public Buildings and Grounds The sum car
ried by that measure is $00OO0OO which fourth
than the principal represented the be by
the erection of these four buildings.
The assessed valuation of all the land included with
in the proposed purchase is that of the improve
ments, $21958OO; the total $59 399 By CALCULATION on
the proportion fixed by lawwhch requires that the as
sessment shall be two-thrds of the market value-ths
ground has present market value Of $8912O98
Now the Government is VIGOROUSLY ''free" buyer,
whether in Danville, Ill, Winona, Mnn- or Washing
ton, D. c. For the site for to the Postofice
building it paid 1896 000 about $50 per the vaua
ton calculated from the assessment For the new Munich
cent of the valuation calculated from the assessment
There is why it should pay for the remain
ing blocks than it paid in this latter instance If it does
the fault belongs generally with the Government and chief
y with the Congress which does not take sufficient precau
tons to prevent overpayment And ITO per cent of the
valuation calculated from the assessment the entire area
included in the Hepburn bill is $98O3 Boa well with
in the appropriation which the bill carries.
But why buy the whole of this tract7 -Four buildings
will not fill it, and though the plain people may not object
to business proposition to give the departments decent
quarters they will want to know about land deal cover
ing twenty-seven blocks.
The is short Buy it as a good business move
for the Capital
For all practical purposes that is the only means of
redeeming Enfants grand four hundred feet
BREADTH and about mile in length bordered by gardens
ending in slope from the houses each side and con-
Meeting the Congress House, and the PRESIDENTS Pal
ace Ultimately every foot of this ground will be needed
for Government buildings it is to be bought at ALL the
time to buy it is when can be had cheapest and today
price is advancing the record of block 900
at the rate of 100000 year.
Until all Of it is required for governmental use the
Secretary Of the Treasury might make the available
squares yield considerable income to the Government Or
the ground could be cleared and made into an attractive
pleasure ground the Hepburn report recommends Or
better yet Pennsylvania could in fact be bordered
by gardens and the Grant Memorial be given noble set
ting corresponding that of the Archie de Tromphe the
imposing thoroughare of the Continent be redeemed
from uglnes the legislative and executive branches of
the Government be joined by link worthy of BOTH and
the Capital of the United States be advanced at single step
to a rank with Paris and Berlin
But the particular consideration which The Times
urges today not of eshecs 1t is one of business
Put in nutshell it is
That all this ground must be bought some day. and it
will never again be as cheap as it is now