The Washington herald., 1908-04-25
UNEARTH LAND
GRABS In CAPITAL
Continued from Page One.

find. and will keep up its efforts to dis
cover all the queer transactions which
have taken place in years.
Hundreds Of Land era bs" Found.
Just how many acres Of valuable
lands have been conveyed away from
the government in the last ten years or
more, cannot be known until the ma
chinery of the commission gets to
going. That the acreage must be great
seems most probable since Mr.. Bar-
tholdt asserted yesterday that several
hundred instances Of land deals similar
to that in wfiich Bieber is concerned,
have already 3een unearthed.
The subcommittee findings will not be
made public for some time, as they are
not complete; but Representative Andrus,
Of New York, told reporter for The
Washington Herald that they will be
given TO the country as soon as it is best
so to do.
The whole case dates back to the ef
forts of Sidney Bieber to secure through
Congress and the War Department title
10 certain lands bordering the Anacostia
cured title 10 certain lands In the Ana
costa fats. In 1907 he appeared before
the House Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds, and asserted that the
lands which he already owned were of
no use unless some adjoining property
could be made over to him.
The committee believed that this re-
quest was merely peTfunctory. and that
II contained nothing but natural desire
Of Bieberis 10 secure land which was
valuable TO no one else. Therefore. the
committee inserted a section in the bill
of 1907 providing that Bieber might secure
the land he desired, If the Secretary Of
War saw III TO pass title to him. The
amount TO be paid by Bieber was left
with the Secretary OF War.
The bill passed the House with but
little debate, practically none on this one
section. 1t was sent over 10 the Senate
and referred to the Committee on Public
Buildings.
Bill Not Clearly Studied.
AS this was near the end Of the session.
and as the Senate was in great rush,
the provision affecting Bieber was, accord
ing 10 Senator Scott. passed over hur-
riedly. The Senate committee thought
evidently that the House committee knew
what it was doing and paid but slight at
tention to this section.
The bill became law eventually, and
then Biebsr proceeded to the War De-
partment TO obtain the title to the land.
The officials Of the War Department,
however. after investigation. found that
there was something strange about the de-
sire Of Bieber to secure this property.
The land has never passed 10 Bieber.
The War Department and the Department
Of Justice kept kicking the matter about
until they were thoroughly convinced that
title should not be so passed.
Senator Carter In March brought in q
report from the Senate District Commit
tee advocating the passage Of a bill
which would repeal the section Of the
1907 omnibus public building bill. granting
( ,eber the right 10 get title TO this Land
The Senate passed this bill after r1r.
Carter had made two OF the most scorch-
ing speeches which the Senate has heard
IN many days. The bill came over TO the
House and now lies in the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds.
Il is possible that after the omnibus
be taken up. although members Of the
House committee may desire to wait un
til the commission has made its report
before final action IS taken.
While the land along the Anacostia
River has been asserted to be OF no great
value. II Is believed that il is not SO
worthless that ii will not bring a good
round sum. For several reasons il is de-
sirable, and particularly so TO the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company.
This company after it found that II
could not purchase thar portion OF the
land along the river which Bieber owned
before 1907, commenced an investigation
Of its own and produced much evidence /
bearing upon the whole strange affair
Biebers title 10 the lands which ne
secured previous 70 1907 was secured, Mr.
Carter said. upon shadow Of a tax title,
nothing more. The government, he de-
clared. had lost the lands merely by
sharp practice.