Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-28
INCREASES IN VALUE
STATEMENT EXPLANATORY OF
AVENUE PROPERTY.

An increase Of 700 per cent in the value
of the land and of nearly 400 per cent in
the value of the buildings. in about TWEEN
ty years in sixteen of the squares the
purchase of which is advocated in the
Hepburn bill according to w Mosby
Williams ought to be argument suffi-
cient to insure the immediate enactment
of a bill for the purchase of the prop
erty.
I'm 1885, Mr.. Williams says, "a sub
committee of a committee of 100 tax
payers of South WASHINGTON. consisting
Of Ros A. Fish, then the District assessor;
w T. Walker II X. Gray. John Miller. j.
T Hall and DR.. ]. T. Fenwick was ap-
pointed to look into that very matter
That subcommittee considered the subject
from every standpoint even going so far
as to ascertain the lowest purchase price
at which squares I26 to $50. 2o6 to .6o
800 to 3o5 and $40 to $50. inclusive. could
be obtained Its report both as to
recommendations and prices makes in
teresting reading now.
Report by Committee.
1.-THE subcommittee reported. in part. as
follows: The improvement of this section
of our city lying between 10th and 18th
streets and Pennsylvania avenue and b
street is so exigent and of such proper
lions lIdL Sbul 1oliiliitt'0
the appointment of a special committee
to make an extensive report on this sub
ject The general government has need.
at the present time. of a hall of records,
for the preservation of its valuable
papers and a building suit table for the
Supreme Court of the United States. The
Smithsonian Institution wants a large
museum. The department wants large
and secure exposition building. and the
citizens nj Washington and the govern
ment need city post office building and
a building for the local government. The
ground on the south side of Pennsylvania
avenue between 10Th and 18th streets
should be purchased by the United
States
The report then proceeds with the as
sessed value Of the squares, giving the
ground and improvement separately. and.
as the recent report Of the Commission
ers gives the lowest purchase price at
which the same property can now be
purchased. it is interesting to note the
comparison The total value of the land,
in 1886 was SSl5.414. while in 1908. 1t is
stated to be S6.35o. O0o an increase of S.
$40 5SS. The total value of the improve
ment in 1856 was S651 600, while in 1905
il is said TO be So. 600. increase of
s. sos 400 This Notwithstanding the fact
that there have been no expensive I'M
provements erected on the ground in the
last twenty years. OUTSIDE OF very few
business houses. and the improvements
now are twenty-five years older than they
were then.
Three of the Squares Taken.
1T is noticeable that of the different
buildings recommended by that commit
tee Congress has provided for all but one.
and that one for the Supreme Court of the
United States, while three of the squares
mentioned have been taken for the post
office building. its annex and the mu-
nicipal building. The value OF those
squares in 1856. as shown by the commit
tees report. was S1H3. 925 for the land,
SS4.S1o for the Improvements, or S24S, 12o
for both. The government paid for the
municipal building square alone SooO,OOO.
about 1,oN0 per cent more than it's value
twenty years ago.
Yet Mr.. Williams concluded. there
are eminent men in Congress who would
still longer defer the purchase of this
land which all concede must sooner or
later be bought to meet the government
1seds.'