Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-17
COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE
INQUIRY TO BE MADE INTO
BIEBER LAND GRANTS.
Explanation by Chairman Bartholdt
Of the House Committee on Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds.

Represe NATIVE Bartholdt Of Missouri
chairman of the House committee on
public buildings and grounds. has ap-
pointed special subcommittee consisting
of Representative Andrus of New York,
chairman: Representative Norris of Ne
braska, Representative Nye of Mime
sofa. Representative Johnson of South
Carolina and Representative Bennett OF
Alabama, to Investigate the Bieber land
grants which were so severely criticised
by Senator Carter recently. The chair
man and members of the public buildings
and grounds committee are extremely
anxious to have a searching investigation
made and believe that such an inquiry
will develop the fact that in his bitter
criticisms of the committee Senator Car
ter was entirely too hasty.
Bartholdt's Explanation.
In discussing the. Bieber grants MIR.
Barti cidt says that the committee. In
passing upon that section Of the public
buildings bill which gave Bieber the
right to purchase the land from the gov
eminent, felt the government was safe
guarded from the fact that Bieber could
purchase the ground only with the consent
of the War Department.
BY the law. he said. it was specially
provided that the Secretary of War
should set price upon the land In que g.
ton. OF necessity. Mr.. Barthoidt said,
the committee was unable to give a great
deal of attention to every item of bill
which contained as many items as the
public buildings bill. But the committee
always was careful. he said. not TO pass
upon items of expense to the government
without being sure that they were right
or that the government was safeguarded
1T was a simple proposition" said Mr..
Bartholdt "A citizen of the District
came to us and said he wished to pur-
chase some property to which only the
government could give title. He said he
was willing to pay the government what
the Secretary of War said 1t was worth.
Up to the War Department.
"A law was passed authorizing him to
purchase this land, swamp land at that,
which was not thought to be worth much,
at a price fixed by the Secretary of War.
III the Secretary of War had considered
this land of value to the government. he
could have put high price upon 1t, a
price high enough to make 1t prohibitive.
But the War Department, apparently did
not think the land was worth much. The
land was sold to Bieber.
Several months later Bieber came back
to Congress and said that he wished to
purchase some more of this property: that
If he was not allowed to obtain more land
in this neighborhood that which he al
ready had would be OF no value to him.
There had been no objection on the
part of the War Department to his buying
this property before. We had no reason
to suppose there was anything irregular
in the purchase. Therefore, we allowed
Bieber to buy more land. but always with
the provision that the War Department
pass upon the transaction.
Mr.. Bartholdt declared that Senator
Carter had been too hasty in one OF his
criticisms of the House committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds in connection
with the Bieber land grants. Senator Car
ter had read section u of the bill and of
the report upon the public buildings bill