The Washington herald., 1913-03-19
PROPERTY Will
Be CONDEMNED
Attorney General to Start
Proceedings Having in View
Connection of Parks.
COM MISSION MEETS
Departments Method Of Acquiring
Land will Prevent Raising Of
Price by Owners.

Within the next ten days Attorney
General McReynolds will start condemna-
tion proceedings to acquire for the United
Staes the land that is needed to connect
Potomac, Rock Creek and Geological
Parks. This was decided yesterday af-
ternoon at a meeting of the park COM
mission proveded for by Congress and
the acquisition of the land will mean the
expenditure of between s5,0oo,O00 and S.
100000
This decision OF the commission will
set at rest many questions that have been
agitating property owners ever since the
proposition of connecting the parks was
broached. The most important question
IN the minds OF the real estate owners
was, of course. as to the method of the
acquisition. TIE decision on condemnation
proceedings will forstau any who may
have had an idea to improve their prop
erty and then raise on its price.
Then. too. real estate owners had been
interested to know at what point the
-~--~rnment would start first to buy up
land, and this was settled at the
nE yesterday by the decision of the
dssion that the Attorney General
at once start proceedings against
:e land in the string that will lie
d.
p acquisition of this property WAS
provided for by the passage of
lblic buildings bill. which author
100000 in the first installment to
the work off. IL will proba bly,
to more than s5,0o0.0y when title
lred
McAdoo Is Chairman.
commission designated by Con-
20 consider the matter included
ecretarics Of the Treasury, War,
griculture. The meeting was held
Office of Secretary Of the Treasury
20. who was elected chairman.
the invitation of the commission
blowing gentlemen were present:
tors Root and Wetmore, Engi-
Commissioner Harding, District
Assessor Richards, District Surveyor
Hazen. J. ]. Balm. Corps of Engineers.
and Messrs. Strickland and Gauss, OF
the Department of Justice.
1t was decided that the Engineers of
the District shall be requested to pro-
vide map showing the amount of
land required for the viaduct connec-
tion between the lowest point shown
on the map mentioned in the act of
Congress and the Potomac Park.
senator Root Gives Views.
One of the questions raised in con-
nection with the proposed park i'm
provement is whether the "open valley"
method or conduits shall he used in the
treatment of Rock Creek Valley. On
this point Senator Root said
4 should call your attention 10 the
fact that you have for your guidance
in determining the questions that may
arise in the performance of your duties
under this act, the full plans and esti-
mates for the treatment of the Valley
of the Rock Creek, made under the |
District appropriation act for 1908. |
That act contained appropriation |
for the preparation of plans and esti- |
mates for the treatement of the VAL |
ley of the Rock Greek, moth by the |
open valley method and by conduit 1t |
provided that plans and estimates |
should be prepared at a cost of $4,000. |
That work has been done in accord |
ance with the appropriation act by |
the District Commissioners. and all |
these papers are in the Office of the |
Engineers of the District, and there
submitted a report"