Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-18
GOVERNMENT GETS OFFER
Sum Asked by B. & o. for Its Hold
ings Least Exorbitant.
PROPOSALS BEING TABULATED
Will Be Inspected by Members of
Commission When They Return
to Washington.

Railroad operations have the reputa-
ton of driving hard bargains when they
get a chance. Yet when the proposals
for the sale to the government of the
land between the Senate office building
and Union Station were tabulated re-
Gently it was found that the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad had offered its large
holdings at from $l.OO to $500 square
foot less than the private owners of land
within the tract in question. Local real
estate experts take this as an indication
that these private owners prefer to have
their land acquired by the government
through the medium of condemnation
proceedings rather than purchased by
authority of the commission for the en-
largement of the Capitol grounds, which
is made up of Vice President Sherman.
Speaker Cannon and Elliott Woods,
superintendent OF the Capitol.
Many members of Congress are of the
belief that every time the government
acquires land by condemnation proceed
inss il pays more than a reasonable
price for the property. They say that
in Washington-and elsewhere, too, for
that matter, although the National Cap
ital occurs to them as shining ex-
ample of the practice-every man who
is qualified to sit on condemnation
Jury seems to have burning sympathy
for the owner of the property the value
Of which is in process OF adjudication
when the government Is the intending
purchaser. Consequently, the awards OF
condemnation juries in government land
matters are, in practically every case,
eXorbitantly high
Views of the Commission.
1t was with the idea of getting away
from this condemnation system to the
more simple, and it Is hoped. less ex-
pensive method of direct purchase, that
the commission for the enlargement OF
the Capitol grounds was created and
authorized to expend half a million dol
lars a year until the total of S., 500, 900
was reached. This, the leaders in the
Senate and House believed was rea-
sonable price, both as concerns buyer
and seller. for all of the land between
the Senate Office building and Union
station which Congress has declared it's
intention eventually to purchase. And
when the commission advertised for pro-
poSals for the sale of this land il was
hoped that a healthy competition would
be created and that owners would en-
brace the opportunity of securing a rea-
sonable price for their holdings in the
near future rather than wait for years,
holding onto their non-productiTe prop
erty for the possibly uncertain results
of a condemnation award.
But this seems not to have been the
case, for the offer of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad of the large tract which it
own at approximately 81 u square foot
is the only offer which has been received
by the commission which Is. according to
the opinion of experts, at all reasonable
The commission has not held a meeting
as yet, but the tabulated proposals have
been prepared for the inspection of the
members when they gather in Washing
ton after the November elections 1t is
expected that meeting will be held early
in November, and that il will be decided
at that time whether the S5O0OOO shall be
expended in the purchase of a portion of
the railroad holdings OF whether pro-