Evening star., 1914-07-14
Government Protected.

NO one holds brief here for any cor
porate interest or any interest counter to
the welfare of our government. We are
moved in the thought that our plan is
expeditions, that it is simple, that it
means relief to the individuals who are
suffering. that it means the government
can acquire part of this land at once
at an equitable and proper price that has
been approved by the President of the
United States, ratified by the Congress,
and is the work of jury. before whom
evidence was adduced as to value. We
believe that to the remaining part
we safeguard against the attempt at
mission to acquisition within particular
figures, those figures being the reports
heretofore made: and with the notice
served today, ] am satisfied tnat no men,
ber of that commission will have the
hardihood to approach the figures of the
report made in the cases that were the
subject Of criticism
Then we provide for the completion of
the plan. the ending of the undertaking.
by making it possible for this Congress to
provide. after settlement with the individ
uals, for condemnation proceedings to ac-
quire the rest of the land. and then we
further safeguard it by attaching to those
condemnation proceedings the necessity
for the approval of the President of the
United States. and his disapproval end
ing it.
Il think by this means We have sur
rounded il with all the terms and condi-
tions that will make it an expeditions
and a the same time a cautious plan,
and have placed II where it will be
safeguarded by the honorable gentlemen
to whom il will be iptrusted. And even
should they be forgetful or should they
be careless Or should they be negligent,
we Will have that same heroic devotion
to public duty on the part of the Presi-
dent that the gentleman from Kentucky
ta1 lff to md
Will be exercised again-that is. his veto
to nullify an excessive award and thereby
prevent the United States government
paying cent more than it should.
Post Defends Resolution.
| In lengthy argument Representa-
tive Post defended his spD> resolution
AEi concluded his remar rks by saying
Nov. | wish to say this much fur
| ther, that !. do not believe that the
committee ought to vary from the prac-
tice which Congress has always follow
ed in the acquisition of property on
behalf of the United States govern
ment: that We ought to create this com
| mission which is provided for in House
| JOINT resolution 269. The difficulty
| with Mr.. Johnson's resolution is that
| II is not extensive enough; it does not
cover the project and does not cover
|
a commission and empowers that com
mission to purchase such property as
may be voluntarily offered to it. House
joint resolution 263 is complete
scheme. 1t covers the entire project
| II creates commission and 1t dele
gates to that commission the power t.
purchase such property as may be vol
unfairly offered to it, and if IT cannot
acquire all the property in that way II
endows the commission with power 10
condemn such property that II may net
be able to purchase.
Against Professional Jurymen.
! Said Representative Barton in de-
| fense of the Post resolution: Il do not
know the value of that property; the
| other members of this body am salts
! fied do not know the value of that
property. We must trust some one.
| Then the question is: Whom snail We
| trust? In our report we say:
| The chairman of the committee on
| public buildings and grounds of the
| Senate. the chairman of the committee
on public buildings and grounds OF the
| House and the superintendent OF the
Capitol grounds be. and they are here
by. appointed a commission for the
purpose of acquiring the SAID tract Or
parcels of land by either purchase or
! condemnation proceedings. making