The Washington times., 1914-07-11
JOHNSON CR|T|C|SES
B. & Q.PLAZA AWARDS
Chairman in Report Objects to
Courts Hasty Action in Con-
domination Case.
Continued from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
President. according to the opinion
of the Attorney General. was COM
PEELED either TO approve all of the
awards or to disapproye all of them.
The President became satisfied. after
a complete investigation of the mat
ter, that some of the awards were ex-
cessive. 1t is the accepted under
standing that the President was will
ing to approve many of the awards.
but could not. in justice to the pub
lie Treasury approve them all
Therefore. as result of the joining
of the several actions. he was COM
PEELED to reject all Of the awards.
The Substitute which the committee
now presents to the House in lieu of
the Senate Resoluticn No. IL, socks
to give to a commission to be ap-
pointed by the President authority to
purchase at a very early date the
property of those whose awards are
found to be reasonable.
B. and o. Controversy.
When the proposition to acquire this
property was before the House in June.
$40, the gentleman from Alabama CMr.
Underwood) inquired of Mr.. Walter I.
Smith, who was then one of the most
prominent members of the Committee
on Appropriations, as to whether or not
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany owned any property in the area
sought to be acquired. The substance
of Mr.. ESnith's reply was that this COM
pany did not own any property in that
area 1t develops, however, that out of
the s2,S3,972 which was appropriated
by the act OF June %. 1918. the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company Of It
col nd or Ia1
would have received 81. 729, All under the
awards made IL those awards had been
approved by the President. This Is true
Notwithstanding the further fact that
Mr.. James A. Tawney who had charge
of and advocated the passage of that
section of the appropriation bill by
which this additional ground was to be
acquired, stated substantially but plain
ly that there was an agreement with
the railroad company by which they
were to accept original cost, plus 6 per
cent interest thereon. for their holdings
in that zone. M. Tawney at that time
was chairman of the Appropriations
Committee However, the then COM
mission. whether II consisted of more
than one active member or not, reject
ed an offer from the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad and urged the payment of
An award amounting to about $500, 900
more than the property could have been
purchased at according to the agree
ment stated by Mr.. Tawney.
Illegally fastened He Says.
The court action which was had for
the purpose of condemning this property
was unreasonablv and Illegally has
tened. At the time the petition or dec
lsration was filed in court for the pur-
pose of condemning more than 5000, coo
worth Of property the law was that that
commission could not acquire either by
purchase or condemnation proceeding
exceeding 10000 worth on any one
year. This plain mandate of the law
was ignored by the commission.
After the awards had been made and
had been reported to the court, the
court allowed thirty days within which
exceptions thereto could be filed. How
ever, the attorney who represented the
commission in that proceeding moved
the court before the expiration OF the
thirty days to confirm the awards.
Thereupon the court did confirm the
awards four days before the expiration
of the thirty days within which ex-
ceptions could have been filed. This is
but another instance of en- effort to
hurry the payment Of the awards which
the President has held to be excessive.
At the time Mr.. Tawney, as chairm4n
of the Committee on Appropriations,
brought up this piece OF legislation as a
rider upon an appropriation bill the
original cost of the property, plus per
cent interest thereon, all things being
considered, was regarded as liberal
price for the property.