Evening star., 1909-06-18
HEARINGS Will Be RESUMED
VALUE OF PENNSYLVANIA
AVENUE PROPERTY.
Commission Engaged on Five
Squares East Of White Lot Near
ing the End Of It's Labors.

The taking Of testimony before the COM
mission which Is fixing for condemnation
the value of the property in the five
squares bounded by 14th and 18th streets.
Pennsylvania avenue and the Mall is eX-
pected to be ended next week. The argu-
| ments in regard to the value of the prop
erty In the last square to be considered
that fronting on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween 14th and 18th streets-wil probably
consume another week. BY July L. 1t is
therefore expected, the matter will be en-
tirely in the hands of the commission, and
it is expected to make report of Its
awards a short time after that.
At a brief session of the commission
yesterday, held in the District building,
the probable length of time necessary to
was discussed. Arrangements were made
to have the commission meet every day
next week, except Saturday, and prac-
tically the entire week will be taken up
by the examination of government wit
| nesses who will testify regarding the
value Of the square fronting on Pennsyl-
vania avenue The testimony of the own
ers of the property in that block has all
been presented. and the government eX-
perts In land and structural values Will
give their opinions next week.
Court Instructions Received.
Yesterdays brief session was the first
at which any testimony has been taken
for about three weeks A legal contro-
versy arose before the commission about
three weeks ago and an appeal was
made to the District Supreme Court for
additional instructions to the commits
| sion. Those instructions were given yes
terday and so the sessions can now be
resumed.
One of the matters taken before the
court was in relation to bridges across
the alley in the square between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and E. 14th and 10Th
hearings before the commission, showed
| that 8. G. Cornwell owned property
| fronting both on Pennsylvania avenue and
on + street and that the two buildings
were connected on the second floor by a
bridge over the alley. There is also
| bridge, 1t was shown, which provides an
| entrance from Pennsylvania avenue to
Chase's Theater.
| The court told the commission which
| Is fixing the value of the property that
| if there were structures in existence be-
| fore the condemnation proceedings were
begun which enhanced the value of prop
erty adjoining the alley the commission
| should take into consideration the in
creased valuation.
Another matter which came before the
court was the effect of statements in tax
appeals on the valuation of property
which the tax appeals considered. While
S. G.. Cornwell, the owner of a large
parcel of property in the avenue-front-
ing square, was on the witness stand
the government witnesses presented in
evidence two tax appeals which Mr.
Cornwell had signed and presented be-
fore the board of tax appeals. in which
the value Of his holdings is fixed much
lower than by the witnesses who test-
fed for him.
The court told the commission that
the tax appeals should be considered
for what they are worth and only as af-
fecting the value of Mr.. Cornwell's hold
ings.
The hearing yesterday was very brief,
and the testimony was in regard to
minor fixtures in some of the buildings
on Pennsylvania avenue.