Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-12

sci. headed by the Hon. Wayne Mac
Feagh. former Attorney General of the
United States. were employed to prepare
the brief In the case, the substance of
which was presented to the Senate by
Senator Carter.
Senator Carter. however. did not men,
ton the PENNSYLVANIA railroad Senator
carter. calling the attention of the Senate
to these frauds and Irregularities took
high moral grounds. He was afraid that
If he grew lax in the watchfulness over
the public interests. for which he Is noted
that somebody would give me title to the
United States Capitol Perhaps the fact
that the railroads are not so popular at
the Capitol as Of yore may have had
something to do with Senator Carter's
failure to mention that the statements he
presented to the Senate were nothing more
than resume of the charges and argu-
ments prepared by legal counsel Of the
Pennsylvania railroad in its fight against
my efforts to buy certain property on the
Anacostia river. adjoining my own.
Senator Carter also failed to state that
the original square (No. 113D came into
my fathers possession in 1889 as regular
business transaction. 1t Is interesting to
note that when ! refused to sell to the
600 the property / had bought from the
government the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company undertook to do everything in
its power to discredit my claims to title
and to make Intellectual my efforts to
purchase. after proper appraisement by
duly constituted board Of engineer Off
GERS of the army. the portion Of property
adjoining my own.
Pressure on War Department.
II am informed also that the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company made representa-
tons and brought strong pressure to bear
upon the War Department to prevent the
appointment Of a board to appraise the
property; in fact, endeavored to prevent
any action whatsoever.
ut appears that the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company has induced member Of
the Senate to believe. or to profess to be-
lieve that irregularities and frauds In
connection with several legislative enact
ments threatened danger to most valuable
government possessions
Reputable gentlemen OF the Senate and
House have handled the various bills
which, at different times, have been be-
fore four committees Of the Senate and
House. No question along the lines OF
Senator Carter's argument has ever been
raised before. although each of these leg
islative enactments has been subjected to
the closest and most comprehensive scru-
tiny, not only in both branches OF Con-
gress, but in several OF the departments
as we'll
Representative Bartholdt's State
ment.
REPRESENTATIVE Bartholdt of Missouri,
chairman of the House committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds, made privi-
legged statement on the floor of The House
today with reference to the several legis-
lative enactments concerning which SEN
ator Carter charged ''irregularities" and
fraud"
Mr.. Bartholdt declared that everything
in connection with these enactments
which authorized Sidney Bieber to pur-
chase from the government land on the
Anacostia river had been entirely regular
and above board and had been thrashed
out In Congress and in the departments.
Mr.. Bartholdt said:
an item. published with big headlines, in
relation to a paragraph contained in the
public building act of March ., 1907
That paragraph authorized the War
certain lowlands on the Anacostia river
In the District of Columbia at a price to
be fixed by the Secretary of War upon
consideration of all the circumstances
From the press report the inference might
easily be drawn that the committee on
public buildings and grounds had acted
hastily in this matter. Therefore, on De-
half of the committee. l desire to make
a plain statement of facts. leaving 1t TO
the judgment of the House whether the
legislation referred to was iii-cOns1dered.
The First Enactment.
I'm the spring of 1906 bill introduced
by Mr.. Allen of Maine was referred from
the District comnittee to the public bu"u-
ings and grounds committee. During the
preparation of the public building bills of
that year that bill was taken up and con-
sidered. Mr.. Bieher appeared before the
full committee and stated that he had
fallen heir to a piece of property in the
location above stated. which. however,
was worthless unless he was put in a po-
sition to purchase some adjoining tract
from the government. He stated that
these tracts were of no use to the gov
eminent and he was perfectly willing to
pay the price which the War Department
would deem proper under all the circum--
stances. Thereupon. the committee re-
ferred the bill to the War Department
and in due time the bill was returned with
its approval and this explains the enact
ment of the first section to which refer
ence Is made
I'm February, 1907, Mr.. Bieber again
appeared before the committee and asked
for additional legislation which would
enable him to purchase still another tract
from the government. In his statement
plain that he had either to purchase more
land or have the War Department au-
thorized to repurchase that part which
had been sold to him by the government
''He also stated that he had made an
expenditure Of money amounting to about
$1,000. which would be absolutely lost un-
less he could secure this additional land
Since this contemplated a transaction ex-
actly similar to the previous one. the COM
mittee had every reason to believe that
the War Department would approve 1t,
hence the paragraph authorizing the sale
was inserted. However, after .ne COM
mittee had passed upon the paragraph by
a unanimous vote took the extra precau-
ton of comforting with several members
of the committee on appropriations, who
were more or less familiar with the loca-
ton of these lands. and upon their sug-
gestion the paragraph was altered in some
minor details in order to still better safe
guard the interests Of the government
No objection was heard from the War
Department even after the passage of
the bill by the House. and no objection
was raised in the other house when the
bill was considered section by section.
He and Committee Were Satisfied.
while the members of the committee