The Washington herald., 1909-08-24
SITE is SURVEYED
District Government Prepar-
ing to Build WOrkhOuse.
PREL1MINAR1Es UNDER WAY
Legal FOrmaIities of Purchase of
Virginia Property for New Penal
Institution Are Expected TO BE
Completed Next Week-PIans Being
Drawn for Temporary Structures.

The legal formalities for the vesting Of
title Of the United States government in
the site for the new District workhouse
at Occoquan, Va, are well under way
1t is probable that the preliminaries will
be completed within the next week, when
the deed to the property Will be made by
j. L. Dawson. OF Fairfax County. owner
Of the tract OF land on which the new
penal institution is to be erected.
The original law appropriating the mon
ey necessary for the purchase Of the
site and the new Jail 10 be erected at
some point in Maryland. was defective
In that no provision was made for the
vesting Of the title In the United States
government. As the District government
cannot hold title to land in either State
nor exercise jurisdiction over prisoners,
the defect was corrected by the last
Congress, giving the District government
the right to hold title under the United
states government.
After the amended law was passed, the
District Commissioners were notified that
before the purchase could be made IT
would be necessary for the District sur
veyor to make a survey OF the property
10 be purchased. and the boundaries
clearly shown, with all title data.
VIII Report Tomorrow.
District Surveyor Hazen has about
completed that work and viii tomorrow
submit to Auditor Tweedale his report
and plans Of the survey. Following this
the papers in the case viii be sent 90
the Commissioners. who will transmit
them 10 President Taft The President
win forward the report 20 Attorney Cen
eral Wlckersham and the Department OF
Justice VIII pass upon the title AS soon
as ii Is found to be clear. the Secretary
OF the Treasury will then order the
payment on the land and the deed will
be recorded In the name Of the United
Stsfes government
There are 1.o9O acres OF land in one
tract, on which is located a stone-crush-
lns plant, The District viii pay SlS an
acre FOR this, plus 5000 for the stone
crushing plant. In addition. there Is an
other tract OF sixty acres, for which SIS
an acre VIII be paid, plus 500 FOR I'm
provemeEt on the property. The two
tracts. with improvement, viii cost the
District S27.2o0.
( II is the purpose Of the Commissioners
TO commence the preliminary work OF
the Virginia property as soon as the
purchase money has been paid. In antici-
patton OF an early start the COmmls-
sioners have asked L. Z. Dessez, a we'll
known Washington architect, to prepare
plans for the temporary buildings which
are 10 be erected az the site OF the work
house. in which to house the prisoners
who win be used in the erection OF the
/ preliminary and permanent work.
AS soon as the temporary buildings arc
! completed the Commissioners viii be
ready with plans for the permanent
Igructures. and bids for the construction
OF the work will be advertised. II is the
/ hope Of the District officials 20 have The
work well under way by next spring. II
will require probably more than year
TO complete the permanent buildings.