The Washington times., 1913-01-25

| 4
ed to the yalue-af the ad1acert properly
street and the extension OF the Four
teenth street car line later which en-
HANGED the value OF the land on the
eastern side of the park and the grad
ua improvement OF Connecticut aye
nue. and the Chevy Chase region which
enhanced the value OF the lands on the
west side of tire park 80
II was the opening up of Slxteenfh
street AMI the extension OF the Four
teenth street car line which increased
the value OF the land adjacent to tha
eastern boundary of the park. which l
bought afterward, and bart Of which I
have since sold at an advance.
am not q lawyer. but II Is common
sense. ard believe also good law, thar
no assessment for benefits could be
made justly except at. and as Of ths
time when the park lands were acquired
for Rock Greek Park by the Govern
ment Certainly no one would claim
that IL would now, fifteen years later.
be equitable or even legal to assess the
caused by the opening or Sixteenth,
street and the extension OF the Four
teenth street car line. or even by ths
opening OF roads in the park Itself"
Work of Park Commission.
Now / promised The insurance csm-
mittee that I would ascertain exactly
what was done by the Rock Creek
park commission In regard to this mat
ter. / have obtained, and now submit
an official copy Of an extract from the
minutes OF the Rock Creek park COM
mission on this subject. as follows:
Washington. d. c., Oct. 4 1S9s
The commission met in room So OF
the District building at 3zo'cIock p. :
m. pursuant To- Adjournment At pre-
Present: General Wilson, .Genersf
Boynton, Mr.. Langley. Captain
Beach and Mr.. Wefgnfman
The chairman Introduced to the
commission Mr.. Richard Wefghtman.
who was appointed by the President
OF the United States to succeed 3fr.
H. ROSS Perry, resigned. ~
{ The minutes OF the last meeting
were read and approved. -sa
MI. William p. Richards, who
made the survey Of Rock Creek
Park, testified, and his tesffuUny
win be found in the. stepegrapher's
report of even date. No other festi-
mony was offered The commission
ehen proceeded to discuss the ques-
ton Of special benefits, and -affar
ezcn member had given an EXPIRES
: following resolution was adopted:
No Benefit to Neishborhood.
Resolved. That rhe Rock. Greek
Park commission. having, as direct
ed by section OF the act authorfz-
Ing the establishing Of public park
IN the District OF Coiumbia. heard
testimony from all parties WIN came
before 1t. after public advertisement
required by said section. and having
made personal examination Of the
ground. are OF the opinion that
while they believe Rock Creek Park.
II improved. would be of special
Denent to surrounding property, yet
In It's present condition, that Of an
un1mproved tract OF public land
Win no thoroughfare through IL To
allow Of communication from east
% west, and acting as q barrier to
me deveiopment Of property lying
adjacent to its eastern and western
boundaries, they. belfye that 1t has.
!. 10 date, conferred no appreciable
dement, on surrounding property. and
therefore the commission, In carry
ing out the provisions of sect5on
OF the act that 1t assess such prof.
portion OF the cost Of the. land for : :
the park upon the lands, lots ana
docks situated In the District OF
Columbia specially benefited by rea-
son OF the location and improvement
OF the park as nearly as may be In
TO such real estate. do Determine
such benefits to be inappreciabIe at
this time and not sufficient to be in
dicated by money value.
Resolved. further. That the execu-
i've officer of the commission Is d.
rected to prepare report to the Slr-
pEeme Court esof the Dfstsfet OF y,
Columbia embodying the conef1sior -
OF the fc0mmission. as expressed in.
the foregoing resolution, and subusft :,
copy of same to each OF the mem =
Ders OF the commission for MS an
proval. the approved report to s.
then signed by the commission and
forwarded to the court" :
There being no further business.
before the commission. II was moved.
seconded, and carried that the COM
mission adjourn to meet at the cali
Of the chairman. and 1t accordingly
adjourned at 3:45 D. m =
lSigned) JOHN M WILSON,
Brigadier General. Chief OF Eng;-
neers, Chairman
Executive Officer and Secretary.
DANIEL E. GARGES.
Clerk to the Commission.
Argues Against Assessment.
May add that do not believe that
my court in the world or any man of
common sense would hold that now, ar
EN- years after that action was taken
With the conditions all changed, bene-
Its should be assessed @
At this point in his speech Mr. Sims
ried to dsscredit- my statenienf thar Il
lid not know of the attack tfpon' me-
II March 8. 1903. until my attention WAS
'alled TO il in the Congressional Record
II that date. only a short time before I
asst appeared before this COMMITTEES. He
ioes this by relating a Conversation
which he says occurred between him
Ind me at my place Of business in No
iember. 1903. in which he quotes me 80
Is to make 1t appear that / knew then
III about the attack that he had made
IN me. He may have had a copyersa-
ion with me at that time and place. I
lave no recollection OF any such CONVEX
'ation as he reports. Certainly his IN
imation that / knew then thai he had
attacked me as he did In his speech sne
he Sd of March. 1909. Is absolutely false
would not have welcomed him IN nv,
,ffice or allowed him TO remain there
inless he came to apologize If had
Known then that he had made such an
lttack on me in the House
The fact Is that while I was in and
'ut of the gallery of the House and taiS-
ng with members in the corridor at the
ime on the afternoon of March 3. 1893.
hen the debate was going on. in which
ne attack was made on me, i did not
lear any of the attack nor read any
II L until / read in the Congressional
Record the week before appeared be--
ore the committee In December last.
After the vote was taken that afternoon
Ind the bill defeated I was so disguised
hat went straight home without
'peaklng to any 0ua axCapf t0 Ya