The Washington herald., 1908-04-28

sidney Bieber may be s5solvsd by the
House subcommittee which has been
looking into his methods OF acquiring
government land along the Anacostia
River, but it is not considered likely that
title to that section OF property in this
vicinity which Bieber last sought 10 OBJ
tain, will be passed to him.
1t was stated yesterday on good au.
thority that there Is little likelihood that
the government will consent TO sell this
land to Bieber, and it is necessary. and
as such consent is. Of course. necessary,
there is little danger that he viii secure
the property.
Bieoer can only get title to the land
through the War Department. and as
that department has already been cen
sured to certain extent for its seeming
blindness on previous occasions, Il is not
likely that such consent will be given.
This is especially true since Senator Car
ter's bill TO repeal a section Of law Civ
ing Bieber the right TO purchase the land,
now lies upon the table IN the House
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds.
VIII Lie on Table.
This bill to repeal will lie upon the
table, /; is understood. until the special
commission TO be authorized IN this years
public building bill has thoroughly in
vestigated not only grants to Bieber but
grants TO hundreds OF other citizens This
proceeding. It is assumed, viii take sew
~ = -
sisting of the Secretary of War, the At
tcrney General, the chairmen Of the Sen
ate and House Public Buildings and
Grounds committees, and the president
OF the Board of District Commissioners.
viii go to the bottom before it is ready
To report.
A member OF the House yesterday tx
pressed the view that while there may
be some feeling that the House Commit
tee on Public Buildings and Grounds was
a little sleepy when the section under
which Bieber last sought to purchase,
went sailing through. the real blame
should be placed on the War Department.
This member said that the whole mat
ter was placed up 10 the department in
the bill through which Bieber was au-
thorized 20 buy. and further added that IN
the previous instances in which Bieber
did get bills through. and did succeed in
buying government land. the War Depart
ment evidently approved such sales, be-
cause II eountenanced them without any
protest.
Why They Are on II.
It was further asserted that the COM
mission which is to investigate all SINH
lar cases. was constituted with the pur-
pose that persons who should naturally
be most interested should be upon it,
AS one Of the grants to Bieber-grants
which he already enjoys in full posses
sion, and which can hardly be taken
from him under present conditions-came
through the committees on Public Build
ings and Grounds OF both the House and
Senate. and as the last proposed conces-
sion also proceeded through these same
committees it was deemed highly proper
that the chairmen Of the committees
should be upon the commission.
AS all the grants to Bieber went
through the War Department-two have
been consummated and one which was
stopped-it was also esteemed proper TO
put upon this commission Of investiga-
ton the head Of the department, which,
II is asserted. has been rather Unwise IN
its handling OF the grants.
While 1t is understood that there is no
likelihood that the commission viii re-
port that the land previously granted 10
Bieber. or those granted TO 100 others.
shall be turned back TO the government
through some process Of law, II Is practi-
cally certain that the last deal OF Bieber
viii never be eonsummated.
Not 10 Get Sleepy.
The War Department is not likely to
again 60 10 sleep on the job. as It is said
to have done in these many In
stances, and it is probable that it viii
have before Il, when the whole matter
is cleared up. a scheme for the disposition
or retention Of government land IN the
District
The report Of the subcommittee Of the
House Committee On Public Buildings
and Grounds. which started TO investi-
gate, has not yet been made IN writing.
but it is possible that this formal step
will be taken in a few days. Meanwhile,
this subcommittee is still endeavoring to
uneaTth similar cases.