Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-08

After deliberations THAT consumed
over two and half hours, the federal
court jury yesterday afternoon report
ed the price at which the government
may take property in the rear of the
postoffce. which is needed for II post
office extension.
The price fixed Is not that which
business property in the very heart of
the business district would command.
1T is approximately what the experts
by Dist. Atty. Booth said
was Il fair value and is less by almost
half than the testimony introduced by
the owners of the Minor Building COM
pany, claimed il to be worth.
The award was a surprise to the
Minor Building company, which had
demanded $4,000 for its property and
had introduced evidence to show it
worth SSO,0C0, with the damages consid-
cred to the adjoining land.
Not all OF the money awarded was
for real estate alone. The sum of
$G,792 was for damages done to prop
erty from which the amount needed By
the postofflce was trimmed. OF this
5000 goes to the Minor company,
whose building lot of 100 feet in front
age was cut down to GO feet. and Il
part of whose present building Is to
be destroyed to make room for the
postoffice improvements. For the
Swenson strip very little of the total
paid was for real estate, as this was
valued at 1896. For damages to the
property from which it is to be taken.
the sum of s792 was awarded.
The case closed yesterday afternoon
after arguments by y. S. Dist. Atty.
Booth for the government, and Benner
x. Smith, Frank 3. Stephens and Gull
bert Olson for tile owners.
CHARGE TO JURY.
IN charging the jury, Judge Marshall
called attention to the fact that the
Jury must not take into consideration
the value OF the property in futures
but as it actually existed on Sept. IS,
the date the suit was filed. This ma
terially affected the Importance of tho
mass of testimony going to show that
future shifting of the business center
would increase the value OF this prop
erty.
Dist. Atty. Booth had declared that
the prices fixed by the. owners were eX-
orbitant, and were based entirely on
what the future might develop for the
land. His witnesses introduced at the
morning session had substantiated this
view, and 1t was the one that prevailed
WIKI tHe jury. Hs
STILL A QUESTION.
The price fixed Is s131SS more than
the appropriation made by Congress
will allow for buying land alone. In
this the appropriation was s175,0G0, of
which $4,000 was specifically men
toned as the total to be spent for
land alone.
Whether or not the government will
go ahead will depend on the ruling of
officials in Washington toawhom the
matter will now be submittde. There
is a possibility that q narrower strip
will be taken, and that this strip will
be such as can be procured, at the
rate fixed by the jury, for the $4,000 in
the fund
Another matter mentioned is to rec
the building OF a new post
office, near the new Oregon Short Line
depot, so that the mails may be quick
ly handled in connection with the train
service. Mail carriers starting from
the depot postoffice could save consid-
cradle time, it is pointed out. while
mails could close later from the out
going trains In many cities the policy
OF putting the postoftice near the depot
is being adopted, for its saving in time
and delivery expenses. In the event
that such a recommendation is success
fully made, tho present spostoffice would
become an office building for federal
several of whom are now
renting offices in various parts of the
city