Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-07
OWNED BY B. & 0.
Holds Much Land Between
Capitol and Union Station.
NO MYSTERY IN MATTER
! Official Statement Says Property Was
Acquired Under Old Terminal
Project.

In connection with the resolution intro
duced in the House several days ago Dy
Representative Sisson Of Mississippi TOT
an investigation Of the ownership or iano
between the Capitol and the Union sta
ton. and the subsequent general inquiry
which seemed to indicate that the Reai
Estate and Improvement Company OF
Baltimore was more completely inter-
ested In the condemnation OF the land for
parking purposes than was any other
corporation or association Of individuals,
a statement was issued today by j.
Hampton Baumgartner, on behalf OF the
Real Estate and Improvement Company
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company. Mr.. Baumgartner's statement
follows:
Devoid of Mystery.
"The answer to the questions in KEEP
resentative Sissons resolution, as "
what the Real Estate and Improvement
Company OF Baltimore Is. Is very SIM
nile and its real estate holdings in Wash
fngton are devoid of any mystery. me
Real Estate and Improvement Company
Of Baltimore city is regularly ChaL
tered company under the laws or the
state OF Maryland. all the stock OF Wnicn
Is owned by the Baltimore and ONO
Railroad Company. which mas useu es
corporation to hold title Tor Va1ous
pieces of property In the Dstrlct OF ~
iumbia and elsewhere pending concur
sion as to its use for railroad purposes.
THE old station OF the Baltimore ana
Ohio Railroad Company at New jersey
avenue and c street occupied oioch 800 10
and ISL Under acts of Congress dated
March ., 1881. and March 3. 1885. the Bal
tinlore and Ohio had right to occupy GER
tain streets and to facilitate business oS
eliminating crossing, etc. Inc salt,tT
and Ohio, after several years negotiating
with the District Commissioners, deter,
mined on a plan for new entrance 10 ana
station in Washington, which culmlnaaeo
In the act approved FEBRUARY ~. iou W.
The government granted easements ana
rights for necessary lines and authorized
construction of new station at stIeet
! and Delaware avenue, the CONSTRUCTOR
of Y and shops for care OF cars anu
engines, and for such additional passen-
ger and freight stations necessary In tne
conduct of business In anticipation or
this work the Baltimore ana Onio'
through the Real Estate and improve
ment Company acquired from 1898 to
1900 much of the property the plan
called for in blocks $50. So, 6S3 and 6S4,
fronting on Delaware avenue
Willing to Be Reasonable.
with the passage of the act approved
February 2s, 19O3 to provide for Union
railroad station. the Baltimore ana ONO
railroad and the Real Estate and I'm
provement Company transferred to the
Washington Terminal Company such or
the property as they had acquired which
could be utilized under the new plan Tor
a Union station. The old station site and
some of the property acquired for the n
street location it still holds. With the
exception of some small transactions to
conform to the adjusting OF street lines
in the vicinity Of the plaza. the Real
Estate and Improvement Company has
made no acquisition Of property south OF
Massachusetts, avenue since the determi-
nation with respect TO the Union station
plans.
I'm the erection of monumental sta
ton in harmony with the improvement
Of the Capitol and conforming with the
government buildings. the railroad COM
panies have expended vastly more than
the purely railroad requirements would
have dictated. and being in sympathy
with the proposed development of the
section between the station and the Capt.
tol. the Terminal Company and the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company have
been willing to dispose Of the property to
the government on reasonable basis.
and for time to hold the same for this
purpose, rather than take advantage OF
the current real estate market.