The Washington times., 1913-07-30

mode and manner of ascertaining such
valuation shall be determined by Con-
greSs.'
Under this section Of the law the
Johnson bill provides for a virtual con-
demnation Of the market company prop,
erty, with the stipulation that 1t shall
revert to the United States and be ad-
ministered hereafter BY. the Secretary
of the Interior. The johnson bill does
rot provide that the back rental If COL
lected shall go to the District Golfers,
but that 1t shall apply to the joint purI,
chase price to be paid by the Federal
and District government.
Cites Vital Point of Law.
The section of the law of 1879. pro-
viding the amount of rental-which
aside by the general assembly OF the
District, reads:
THAT in consideration of the privi-
Ieges granted by this act to the Wash
ington Market Company, the said COM
pany shall pay yearly every year the
said time of ninety-nine years, unto the
city of Washington the sum of S5,OO:
which sum shall be received by said
city and set apart and expended by and
under the direction of the city Govern
ment for the support and relief of the
poor of said city and the District or
Columbia"
E. O. whitford, president of the
Washington Market Company, declared
today that any probing committee will
find the concern with a clean slate.
At present the concern is run by
Washington men. Its dividends never
have been above $4,000 year
until four or five years ago. when the
amount was raised to $4,000.
nf a n
pany. declared that there is absolutely
nothing in the history of the company
that will not stand the test of the pub
lie limelight which Chairman johnson
proposes to throw.
Officials Not Interested.
He explained that the only connection
between District officials and the con-
cern was in its early days, when the
city was anxious to have the old wooden
sheds wiped out as a market center.
One of these officials held slight tnan-
cial interest in the company, perhaps
$500. Further than that, there could be
not the slightest basis for suspicion
that the company has done other than
thoroughly legitimate business, and Mr..
Birney says that the connection of the
District official cannot be taken amiss
IN view of the small 'pecuniary interest
he had
Mr.. whitford said:
The only purpose the proposed in
vestigation can serve is to cost US
money for counsel fees. We have abso-
lutely nothing to conceal at present, nor
is there anything in the past history OF
the concern that We do not care to have
disclosed"
He declared that the Johnson action
had been entirely unexpected. He
points out that the District can have
the plant free at the termination of the
nfnety-nine-year lease. Now, If the
Government takes over the property tne
cost will be close to 81, l,0OO,0O0 Further
more. the Government will be conduct
ing a competitive business, inasmuch as
the cold storage branch of the company
is an extensive proposition, and now
operates N competition with several Ice
firms
Improvements Made.
This, Mr.. whitford points out, is con-
trary to generally accepted principles
of Government ownership.
The company has gone ahead with
number of improvements, anticipating
that the Government would not insist
on its right OF purchase and condem-
nation at the end of the thirty-year
term. The ninety-nlne-gedr ledse mas
a little over half yet to run. Then the
plant automatically would go to the
Government.
Mr. whitford pointed out today that
the company, instead of insisting on IT'S
rights in the contract bearing on the
question of taxes, had not done so.
This contract provided that anv excess
over $500 in taxes should be deducted
from the $500 annual rental. Instead
of doing this the company has paid as
high as $1,000 year in rent and taxes.