The Washington times., 1913-12-05

mortgages as may already cucumber the
property.
The present embarrassments Of thc
| property owners date back to the be-
ginning OF construction work on the
Union Station in 1897 At that Time
large blocks of property were con.
demned and taken over by the terminal
company, under authority of the ACT
providing for the construction OF the
station. The situation was further ag-
Sravated by the act authorizing the
change of grade on the streets ap-
preaching the station and the plza in
fl ont of il.
From that moment many of the
owners have been deprived of the use
of their property. as In the case of the
old Mcdowell warehouse and the ad-
the property of the late DIR. Clark.
Earth used in banking mp the streets
adjoining to the prescribed grades
crushed against the buildings. and The
authorities are said to have notified
tenants to vacate. Since then no reNe-
nue. has been derived from the property
by either of the owners. and II is now
as completely buried under the resur-
facing of the plaza as though II had
been at the foot of Nesuvius at the
ye, been paid the owners. the loss TO
one of whom is already in excess or
1900, though taxes and interest have
been met regularly.
Authorized In 1910.
The first authorization for the taking
over of the Mcdowell and Clark lands
was contained in the act of June. 1910.
under the terms of which twelve COM
plete blocks of land. comprising the en-
tire property between the Union Station
20 a1 IN ho
by condemnation, IL the prices asked by
the owners were thought unreasonable.
The amount to be taken over each year
was limited in value to $500.000 worth.
and this stipulation has never been re-
peaIed.
Three days after its creation, by
the terms of the act authorizing the
extension of the Capitol grounds, the
commission met and fully organized.
and on May Q, 1911, all bids for the
sale of property to the Government
were rejected and the Attorney Cen
eral was asked to begin condemna-
ton proceedings. A jury was ap-
pointed by the court. and on May Is,
1912, the work was completed on the
two blocks extending from to Z
streets and lying between New Jersey
and Delaware avenues. and the total
award for the same was announced,
amounting to $1.11S, ,035.50.
On August %, 1912, having reached
the conclusion that it was desirable
to proceed with the condemnation OF
the entire property which, under the
terms of the act was eventually TO
be acquired. the commission requested
the Attorney General to begin pro-
ceedirgs for the condemnation OF the
entire property. and jury composed
of George Truesdell, Michael i. We'll
Ter, and Thomas II. Mckee was ap-
pointed by the court.
Reports On Value.
Excluding the block of land west Of
Arthur place, which. it was decided,
was not necessary for the carrying
out of the purposes Of the act and
also the two blocks previously ac-
uuired, the jury on January %, 1919,
of the property was s3,204, ,43I.1S. and
in its report tc Congress on February
c. 1913. the commission recommended
that that sum be appropriated and
the entire property be acquired
without delay.
After extended debate an item was
inserted in the sundry civil bill. then
under consideration, appropriating e.
s23, s72 So, which, together with the avail
ahi6 balance remaining after paying
g. .119 537.57 for the two blocks already
acquired. amounted to the sum required
To meet the total ASKED on the con-
dernnation jury's estimate.
This sum. in the language OF the act,
was "the sum necessary, in addition to
the sums already appropriated, to pay
the amounts awarded by court commits
priations Of $4,000 each had been made
nm IN that time.