Evening star., 1909-09-02
INCLUDES CORNER AT
18TH AND PENNA. AVE,
Chase's Theater at $271 .O60; Regent
Hotel. $3O8,833
LESS THAN APPROPRIATION
Commission Reports This Afternoon
to District Court-Owners and
Sums Awarded.

Awarding Sa,45e,e31.os to the
owners of the property in the FIVE
squares bounded by Pennsylvania
avenue and the Mall, 14th and
18th streets, to be bought by the
United States, the commission
which has been determining the
value of that property filed its re-
port in the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia this after
noon.
As the appropriation was ST.
100000, this award is $40, ,o68. .o2
below the amount allowed by
Congress for the purchase of the
ground.
The commission making the re-
port is composed of Col. George
Truesdell, George w. F. Swart-
zell and H. Rozier Dulany.
The commission agreed upon the
amounts TO be allowed for the several
parcels and leaseholds yesterday. They
held a short session this morning 70
formally sign the report and made an
engagement with Judge Anderson. who
IS at present holding the court, to pre-
sent the report at 8 o'clock this after
noon
The land is TO be taken over by the
nited States as site for the erection
of buildings for fhe fDeparfment Of
lustbS. Dapa rtlEsHs, of state and De-
partmert OF Commerce and Labor. and
.ais commission was instructed by the
supreme Court OF the District of Co.
lImbia TO iix the value of the land and
thus determine the price which the
United States will pay to the several
owners of the property in the FIVE
squares in question.
Upon the award granted by this COM
mission, 1t Is generally understood, de-
pcnds much the project for the purchase
of all the land south of Pennsylvania
avenue between the Capitol and Treasury
by the government The appropriation of
S25o0.0U for the land between 14th and
9Th streets was based on the assessed
valuation Of the live squares involved
Had the commission found that the land
was much more valuable than the amount
of the appropriation it is regarded as
probable that Congress would have been
reluctant 10 take up for the present
the purchase of more land south of the
avenue.
The fact that the award is within the
appropriation. II is believed, will give the
south-of-the-avenue project big i'm
petus.
j he members of the commission took
the oath of office October q. 1905, and
they received their instructions from
the court November 3o. Before proceed
ing with the actual taking of testimony
the commission members viewed the
premises concerned. The taking of tes-
timony was begun December and con-
tinued in the court house and in the
municipal building. and was completed
in June.
The awards for the severa, parcels
stl out IN tHe commfSSf0n'S = report are
for both the land and the improve
ments.
The appraisements are as follows:
The value placed By the commission on
the several squares Was as follows:
Square 226 between Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and T. street, 81. 96O.01
Square 22I, between + and d streets,
St93 SAL
Square OBS between d street and Ohio
avenue. $40, 1880
Square 30. between Ohio avenue and C
street. S163, 1J195
Square 80 between Is and streets
SAIL .659OS.
The government was represented by At
torneys Morgan III. Beach, A. A. Birney
and ID. ID. Caldwell. Acting as the Sec
etdry Of the commission, administering
the oaths to witnesses and keeping the
records. Hugh F. Taggart prepared the
iinal report of the commission