Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-16

ATTRIBUTED TO HIM
William F. GUIDE Says Repre-
sentative Johnson Had No
Right to Use His Name.
REFERS TO HOUSE SPEECH
ON MEMORIAL BRIDGE
Assertions by the Kentuckian Are
Said Not to Be Borne Out
by the Facts.

Said Not to Be Borne Out
by the Facts.
Chairman Johnson of the House Dis
trict committee made certain state
ments on tire floor of the House Sat-
urday, the result of which the
project for a memorial bridge from
Potomac Park to Arlington was prac-
tically defeated, but which, it is said,
are not borne out by the facts
William r. GUIDE, to whom Repre-
sentative Johnson referred as authority
for the charge that the memorial
bridge was real estate project" in
dignantly denies that he said any,
| thing. of the kind, or anything upon
which such conclusion could be
predicated. II do not know Mr.. John
son." he said to a Star reporter, land
SO far as 1 know 1 never saw him. L
| certainly did not hold any converse
ton with him upon the subject of the
memorial bridge, nor did 1 appear be-
fore his committee in connection with
the matter
some time ago 1 did appear before
ME- Mr. G nonse .h suoe;ommittee'" continued
70 the proposed South Capitol street
bridge across the Potomac a project
which l favor and urged most earnest
~, l said nothing whatever about real
Mr.. Johnson has taken an unwarrant-
able liberty in using my name to
further his own ends
Another of Mr.. Johnson's charges at
me time was that the Improvement of
the ground between the Capitol and
| Union station was a scheme of the
baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
TO sell its million and a half dollars
worth of property.
Says Johnson Has Poor Memory.
| Mr. johnson has a very poor men,
ory," declared a prominent citizen to-
day, who is familiar with the facts in
that case.
hen the proposition to incorporate
the land lying between the Capitol and
Union station into the Capitol Grounds
as a park extension to Union station
was approved. Congress appropriated
100000 for the purpose of buying as
much land as possible without resort
ing TO condemnation proceedings 1t
was then generally understood that
Congress was willing to pay $4,000, 900
for all the property needed, and the act
for the purpose provided for an an
Hudi
that sum was reached.
Under the law the commission to
! look after the purchases of the prop
| erty was composed of Vice President
Sherman; Speaker Cannon, Elliott
| Woods, superintendent of the Capitol
grounds and building. and James c.
Courts, then, as now, clerk to the
House committee on appropriations.
Invitations for proposals to sell the
land were regularly advertised, and
%.
1910, it was found that the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company had offer
ed its property at approximately "a a
square foot, or from 81 to 81 less a
foot than property was offered belong
| ing to private owners 1t was openly
stated at the time that this offer Of
the railroad company was the only
| offer received by the commission
which, according to the opinion of eX-
perts, was at all reasonable"
| July Z, 1911. following the introduction
OF a resolution by Representative Slssol
| of Mississippi for a congressional in
vestigation Of the matter in which 1T was
/ intimated that members OF Congress and
| government officials were involved In the
! so-called scheme to raid the Treasury, j.
| Hampton Baumgartner FOR the Real Els
| tate and Improvement Company of Balti-
! more a duly organized corporation owned
and operated by the Baltimore and ONO
Railroad Company to hold title Tor It's
property in the District and elsewhere
!
! road purposes, issued a public statement.
Explains Requirement of Land.
After explaining what the title-holling
company was and the purposes it served,
the statement set forth that the old sta
ton of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
occupied squares 632 and 6S1 by due au-
thority of law The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company" it declared, after
| several years negotiation with the Dis
trict Commissioners, decided upon a new
| entrance to and station in Washington.
This eliminated in the act approved Feb
ruary IL. 1901. In anticipation of this.
the company acquired from 1893 to 1900
much OF the property the plan called
| for in squares $50 6S2 6S3 and 6S4, front
| ing on Delaware avenue With the pas
sage of the act of February %. 1908, pro-
| vidng for union station, however, the
| Baltimore and o 10 and the Real Estate
| and Improvement Company of Baltimore
| transferred to the Washington Terminal
| Company its holdings which could be util-
| lied for the Union station plan.
| THE cd station and some OF the land
s! acquired for the II street site it still
| holds. With the exception of some small
| transactions to conform to the adjust
| ms of street lines in the vicinity of the
| Plaza, the Real Estate and Improvement
Company of Baltimore has made no &C
| QUESTION of property south of Massa-
! chusetts avenue since the determination
! with respect to the Union station plans
I'm the erection of a monumental sta
ton in harmony with the improvements
| of the Capitol and conforming with the
government buildings, the raj .road 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.
toll, the Terminal Company and the Real
Estate and Improvement Company have
been willing to dispose of the property
| to the government on a reasonable basis
and for time to hold the same for this
purpose rather than take advantage of
the current real estate market
/ Held Property for Government.
The facts set forth in the statement, it
is declared, are borne out by the refusal
of the railroad company to dispose of
any of its property, even at very advan-
tageous opportunities, to individuals
whose object in purchasing it was be-
lieved to be speculation. at the expense
Of the government.
The investigation sought by the Sisson
resolution In the House was denied by
the committee, 1t Is said, because Mr..
Sisson's charges were based upon ruruors
and Mr.. Sisson's failure to make out a
case.
The value OF the Baltimore and Ohio