The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-06-17
Uncle Sam May Buy Land.

the United States appropriating $751;
100000 to be used by the government
for the purchase Of all the land lying
on the south side Of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. between the treasury building and
the capitol. The bill was introduced
by Senator Hepburn and it went
through the senate quickly. What it's
fate In the house will be at this ses.
sion no one can tell yet, but eventual
ly probably 1t will pass.
The government owns already q
large part of the land lying between
Pennsylvania avenue and the Potomac
river, but there is big section of it
bordering on the avenue and extend
Ing to the park in which the agricul.
tural buildings are situated, which Is
given over to business, stores. mar
kets, small hotels and lumber yards.
1t is for this section that Mr.. Hey
burns bill provides the money for pur-
chase. For several years attempts
have been made to get congress to ap-
propriate the money to buy the bust
ness section Of Washington south Of
Pennsylvania avenue between the linn
its named. The fine arts commission
has recommended the purchase and
now that the senate has passed the
bill, the legislation probably will 60
through. In q few years it is likely
that the visitor at the capital on pass
ing down Pennsylvania avenue from
the treasury to the capitol will have
on his right a view unbroken save by
trees and by fine public buildings, and
extending as far as his eyesight id.
mits. ~. -..
E Fine Street, Poor Buildings.
Pennsylvania avenue between tho
treasury and the capitol is a hne
broad thoroughfare but tho buildings
on it are small and ugly In the main,
and except for its breadth and for tho
fine buildings at either end of tho in
cluded part Is It not much to look up
on. Visitors here are tremendously
disappointed in the avenue and they
say 80. Thousands Of persons have
written to congress urging that the
great national street" be improved
and the Improvement suggested in al
most every case has been to remove
business entirely from the south side
Of the thoroughfare and leave 1t wide
open to tho river.
Congress has been completely over
phadowed this winter by politics.
Scores Of things of national moment
have been before the Legislators, but
1t seems that the press and the people
In the main have been interested
more in what the various candidates
were doing to secure their nomination
than in what congress was doing In
the way of legislation. The work Of
congress this year has not been of
the kind called sensational, but In q
good many instances 1t has been use
hui to the people.
There have been all kinds OF investi-
cations going on over on Capitol Hill
and when they started they attracted
immediate interest and attention, but
q good deal Of the interest has gone
and probably will not revive until the
subjects are brought up again after
the election next November. Attempts
have been made to cut down appro-
priations In the interest Of economy
and the debates on this Saving sub
ject" have been keen and interesting,
for while one party has insisted that
the cuts were for economy only, the
pther party has insisted that the gov
eminent services would be crippled
and that It was not real economy at
Ill.
Pension legislation seems to be
about the only thing which has at
.tracted widespread interest. OF course
there are hundreds Of thousands Of
persons in the country who are inter.
ested IN this subject financially and
this may account for the closeness
with which the pension legislation has
been followed