Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-30
Men and Women, Sufferers
by Delay, Outline Case
to the President.
SETTLEMENT IS SOUGHT
OF SATISFIED CLAIMS
F. S. Carmody and Committee of
Property Owners Visits the
White House.

Pleading with the President to lend his
help to get early action in Congress for
settlement of the plaza claims, six men
and six women. sufferers because of the
delay. and forming committee repre-
senting several hundred others unable to
be present, outlined their case to the
chief executive when he received them
in the executive offices at l o'clock this
afternoon.
They received words of encouragement
from the lips of President Wilson. but
he warned them not to build false
hopes. He told them that 1t was with
some reluctance that he was forced to
disallow all of the claims simply be-
cause some Of them were exceedingly
high. He explained that he was familiar
with the case in every .etail, and that
he was willing and anxious to do any
thing in his power to assist in set
Element of the worthy claims.
He explained further that it would
be futile to build any big hopes at this
time because he could not promise them
anything from Congress. Congress is
crowded with work. he continued, and
while he pointed out to the committee
that he would do all he could, he would
not like to make any promises.
Petition Is Presented.
AS the committee filed into the room
they were introduced by F. S. Car
mody. chairman of the committee.
A copy of the petition adopted at a
mass meeting of the property owners two
weeks ago was presented to the Presi-
dent. and then Mr.. Carmody read state
ment outlining the case. When he con-
Guided he asked the President If he cared
to hear from some Of the woman sufferers
of the hardships that had been imposed
upon them by the disallowance of the
claims President Wilson explained that
he already had heard of many of the
cases. and was familiar with the hardship
that was being thrown on many OF the
property owners.
When Mr.. Carmody completed his
statement and the President excused
himself from listening to the additional
tales of hardship, several of the women
stepped forward and presented the Presi-
dent with folded slips Of paper. and
pleaded, almost with tears In their eyes,
for him to read them. He promised that
he would read every line. 1t was ex-
planned after the audience with the
President that they were outlines Of
their individual cases Of suffering.
Explains Suffering Of Owners.
ION behalf Of the long suffering owners
Of the property known as the Plaza, for
the extension Of the Capitol grounds"
Mr.. Carmody told the President, Il beg
leave, in a few words. to call your at
tention to their condition. Some eleven
years ago Congress passed an act locat-
ing the new Union station on Massachu-
sets avenue.
The same act provided for grade
changes from one foot to thirty-three
feet, resulting in the total destruction
OF a number Of houses and partial
damage to others This act provided
that this damage would be Offset by ben
efits accruing to the real estate by the
establishment Of the station at this point.
This was injury No. 1. We are in
formed that the constitution of num-
er of states would prohibit this as
sessment of benefits. The passage OF
this act resulted in the destruction OF
the sidewalks and curbing, owing to
the change of grade. The District re-
placed these sidewalks and curbtng and
then proceeded to assess the cost on
the owners, who had been deprived. In
many cases. Of all income rom tnelr
property by the destruction Of the i'm
provements.
NO city in the world would have COM
PEELED the owners to replace sidewalks
and curb that were perfectly good and
serviceable and which had been de-
stroyed under similar conditions.
"In the legal proceedings instituted
for damages resulting to the prop
erty, caused by the change of grade.
the government put witnesses on the
the Union station here had more than
trebled the value of the property: upon
the strength of this testimony In a
number of cases where improvements
were totally destroyed not one cent was
allowed to the owners.
I'm the condemnation proceedings that
followed. the government put on a new
set of witnesses, who testified to a much
lower valuation, which was particularly
unfair and unjust to the owners.
Cloud Upon Land Titles.
1.-The act Of Congress providing for the
condemnation of this property provided
for the taking over of thirteen squares.
but only appropriated $4,000 a year to
pay for the land, particularly unfair,
unjust BIZ, because it placed cloud upon
the title Of every piece of land within
the zone.
Tn the proceedings that followed we
were only allowed the actual market val
ue of the land, without one cent allow
ance for interest, taxes. attorneys and
witnesses fees which the courts Of other
states have allowed in addition to the
value OF the property. We firmly believe
and are advised that II other court con-
domination proceedings were instituted for
IhlS lana an allOWdIlC0 1oi dSIOIAcJo eIiO
witnesses fees and court costs, etc.
would be made.
"To three-fourths OF these owners this
award means the savings Of lifetime.
Delay in many cases will result in their
total loss Nearly all Of US. Mr.. Presi-
, dent. are in the evening of life, night is
coming fast, and 1t would hardly be pos
sible in this existence to again accumu-
| late a like saving.
Permit me to leave our subject a mo-
| ment. Five years ago. coming down tc
my home in Maryland on train from
| New York, g. young Princeton graduate