Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03
B|EBER LAND CASES
Subcommittee of House Re-
ports Property Worthless.
NOT FULL INVESTIGATION
Appointment of a Special Commits
sion Is Recommended.
TO PROTECT THE GOVERNMENT
Ask That Authorized Sales Be Held
UP Pending Inquiry-Will Look
Into Titles.

The Andrus subcommittee of the public
buildings and grounds committee of the
House. which investigated the Bieber
land eases. yesterday made its report to
the full committee. The report. although
holding that the land which Mr.. Bieber
purchased from the government is prac-
tically worthless. says that many similar
cases were discovered wherein shadowy
titles We're confirmed by the government
and suggests that during the summer a
committee consisting of the Secretary of
War the Attorney General the president
of the board of Commissioners of the Dis
trict and the chairmen of the Senate
and House committees on public buildings
and grounds investigate the subject of
tax titles
The report says:
Your subcommittee. appointed to make
an investigation and report on Senate file
No. fO41. repeating section Is of the act
approved March >. 1907, beg leave to
make a partial report.
THE land in question is located along
the south side of the Anacostia river
near the Pennsylvania Avenue bridge. 1t
is mostly covered with water. and at high
tide is practically under water. some of
ii to depth of seven or eight feet. For
all practical purposes tine land is really
useless. lie OILY way III WilCl IL
be made of any value would be to build
wall along the front of it and fill in with
earth. This would necessitate very large
expense and would be unwarranted as a
financial investment.
No Improvements.
There are no buildings or improve
ments in the vicinity of the land. and the
authorization of its sale was no doubt in
cluded in the omnibus public building BILL
the act above referred to, with the idea
that the land was of no value and could
not be used for any practical purpose.
The War Department., to which the spe-
cial bin providing for the first sale was
referred. returned ii with the report that
there was no objection to the transaction.
hence the second sale was authorized in
the belief that the policy of the govern
ment was to dispose of the lands in
question.
The only way in which these lands
would be of any value to the government
would be in the carrying out of plan
started several years ago of filling in the
marsh land along the river for parking
passed several years ago this work has
been progressing with considerable rap
idity along the Potomac river. west of the
mouth of the Anacostia river. Your
committee understands that plans have
been perfected looking to the parking
and Improvement of the river front from
Rock creek south to the railroad bridge.
Not Full Investigation.
Your committee has not had time to
make as full an investigation of the sub
ject as it desires. but in the limited time
at its disposal it has discovered that there
are a great many tracts of land other
than the land described in said act In the
District of Columbia belonging to the
ont u-h off, rfc how oov, 4
are now being made to obtain title from
the government by means of special and
general acts of Congress. In many in
stances your committee Is of the opinion
that these attempts are made by virtue
OF tax titles secured by recording quit
claim deeds to government property from
persons having no shadow whatever Of
title with a view by such illegal transfers
OF having the land put on the tax list and
then by paying the taxes thereon obtain
Ing shadow of title thereto.
'On account of the work being done by
all members of your committee on the
omnibus public building bill your SUBJ
committee has not had time 20 fully in
vestigate the subject, but it feels that It
has made sufficient investigation to rec
ommend that there be placed in the pres
emf omnibus public building bill a section
providing for the appointment of a COM
War. the Attorney General the president
Of the Board of Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia. the chairman of the
Senate committee on public buildings and
grounds. and the chairman of the House
committee on public buildings and
grounds. whose duty 1t shall be to in
vestigate the title TO all the real estate in
the District of Columbia. or parcels or
tracts of land owned by the United
States. and file map of the same, with
a view of ascertaning what, if any, legis-
lation is necessary TO protect the inter-
ests OF the government in such tracts.
Hold Up Contracts.
I'VE further recommend that such sec
ton provide that until the coming in of
such report and the action thereon by
Congress all sales, authorized by any
general or special act. of government
property in the District of Columbia
which have not been consummated or
completed. or in which contracts have
not been entered by legal authority of the
government so as TO bind the govern
ment, shall be held in abeyance.
M0VTr1 DIT AT m CAT n