Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-19
'LANDFOR PARKWAY
TO Be CONDEMNED
Commission Meets, Organizes
and Decides on Method
of Procedure.
McADOO MADE CHAIRMAN:
HOUSTON is SECRETARY
Department of Justice Will Begin
Proceedings When Detail Map
Has Been Made.

The commission created by the recent
act of Congress to carry into effect the
plan to connect Rock creek and Geological
and Potomac parks by parkway met
yesterday afternoon at the office of the
Secretary of the Treasury and organ
lied 1t was decided to use the con-
demnation method Of acquiring the land
necessary to carry out the improvements
to be made.
resolution was adopted calling on the
Department of Justice to take the steps
necessary to carry out the program of
the commission, and it was also resolved
that the District Engineer Commission
er's office be instructed to furnish the
Department Of Justice with a map of
the various parcels Of land to be con-
Gemned. These decisions mean that all
the land required will be condemned at
tire same time
All three of the cabinet officers named
in the recently passed public buildings
act commissioners to carry out the
law were present at yesterday afternoon s
MISUNDERSTANDING of the Treasury Nc
Adoos. Secretary Of War Garrison and
Secretary of Agriculture Houston. The
first was elected chairman of the COM
mission and the latter secretary.
The commission had invited to be pres
ent at the meeting Senator Root and
former Senator Wetmore, who have both
been especially identified with the effort
TO bring about the park-connecting law.
Others at the Meeting.
In addition there We're present, upon
the invitation of the commission, Col.
Chester harding, L. S. A, Engineer Com
missioner of the District; William P.
Richards, assessor of the District; NJ. c.
Hazen, surveyor of the District; Reeves
T. Strickland, assistant attorney general
of the United States; Henry C. Gauss, as
sistant, Department of Justice, and Lieut..
j. J. Balm, Corps of Engineers. u. s. A.
Chairman McAdoo first called upon SEN
ator Root for a statement. saying that
he had been informed that Senator Root
was intimately acquainted with the park
connecting project. Senator Root. who is
familiar with the project from the days
of the formation Of the Mcmillan park
commission, informed the commission Of
points in connection with its history, and
spoke of his long fight to get the law
passed. Chairman McAdoo also called on
former Senator Wetmore for statement,
and he and Senator Root entered into
an informative discussion for the benefit
of the commission of the various possible
ways of acquiring the land needed for
the Improvements to be made.
They called the attention of the COM
mission 20 the fact that the enabling
act permitted the commission to acquire
the land either by purchase, condemna-
ton or otherwise and urged the commits
Wetmore, who had passed in the Senate
in 1911 a bill known as "the Wetmore
BILL most of the language of which is
used in the enabling act recently passed.
to acquire land by purchase no matter what
prices it decided to pay for it, would
never be able to justify itself in the eyes
of the public for fixing such prices. In
declared that to except itself from DOS
sible future criticism as to prices paid
for land it would be best to use the
condemnation method.
Statement by Commission.
After the meeting, a formal statement
was issued, in part as follows:
1T was moved. seconded and unani-
mously adopted, that the ATTORNEY Cen
eral be requested. as soon as he NAV do
SO. to institute condemnation proceedings
for all of the land shown upon the map
referred to in the act of Congress- which
is undoubtedly in private ownership. and
that he also proceed to ascertain aided
by the District engineer. what land that
is shown on the map is undoubtedly in
the ownership of the United States. and
what land on the map is in dispute be-
tween the United States and private per-
sons: and that the Attorney General be
further requested to institute proceedings
to acquire title in each instance where
there is any dispute between the United
States and private persons as to the title
in order to. perfect title in the United
States: and in any case where it is de-
termined that the United States has no
title and why, then condemnation pro-
ceedings shall be instituted to acquire
such.
Enginee.. Commissioner Harding and
District Surveyor HaZen produced the
original map file in their office, which
was made the basis of the recently passed
act. and explained its details to the COM
mission a resolution was then passed
requiring the District Commissioners tC
| furnish the Department of Justice with a
detail map of all the property to be ac-
auired. soon as the Department of JUS
tice shall want it, and Assistant Attorney
General Strickland stated after the meet.
! ing that he would write a letter today
/ calling upon the District Commissioners
1 for this information.