Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-20
Sudden Turn May Bring the
Matter to a Crisis To-
morrow Afternoon.
COMMITTEE IS TO GET
VIEWS OF THE PRESIDENT
Attorney General Explains Grounds
Upon Which Awards Were
Disapproved.

A sudden turn in the relief legislation
for the benefit of the owners of property
involved in the delayed Union station
plaza awards brings that matter TO
crisis tomorrow afternoon before the pub
lie buildings and grounds committee OF
the House.. Representative Post OF ONO,
author of one of the relief measures, an
nounced to the committee today he would
call upon the President tomorrow, ana
would report to the committee at O'CLOCK
In the afternoon
Acting Chairman Burnett said TO-DAY
that the matter had dragged along TOO
slowly already, and that tomorrow ehe
public buildings and grounds commlttee
should either decide to take entire 1urls-
diction or turn the matter over TO the ap-
preparation committee A coWpneaeo'
arose 1.-THE last moment today when 10
seph |, Weller informed the comm1ttee
that the resolution for relief. introduced
by Representative Post. is SO Worded that
ii fayors the Baltimore and ONO prop
erty which Representative Ben Johnson
~ kentucky Dicked out to show the
Pr.sident as being awarded excessive
damages
Would Reverse Resolution.
"Thfs resolution should be reversed,
he told the committee. Privately, per-
sons present before the committee TO-
day said that 72 per cent of the prop
erty favored in the Post resolution Is
the property against which the Presi-
dent acted in holding up the awards
These persons want the legislation
worded SO as to condemn the whole ten
squares and give the PreS1dent the
power to accept all, any or none
During the hearing today Representa-,
tive Burnett read a letter just received
by the chairman of the committee, Rep
resentative Frank Clark. from the At
torney General. That letter stated:
Department of Justice View.
The oficial action of the President
disappearing these awards took the
form of a declaration by him that the
public interest required that the real
estate should not be acquired by the
United States and directing that the
proceedings to condemn said lands be
dismissed.
motion has been made by the
United States to dismiss the plaza con-
demnation proceedings, which has met
with resistance from some OF the prop
erty owners and the matter has not yet
been determined by the court.
In my Judgment the resolution should
be amended SO that the power finally to
reject any award made In the condemna-
ton proceedings provided for shall be
placed in the hands of the President
Section OF the resolution directs the
President after confirmation of the ver-
dict of the jury, to cause the amount Of
the awards to be paid.
THE acts providing for condemnation
OF property for public purposes in the
District of Columbia for many years past
have placed in the hands Of the Presi-
dent or Of some other executive officer
the power to approve or disapprove the
awards. I see no reason why this power
should be withdrawn from the President
at this time
MAY Be Made Rider.
Chairman Burnett. in addressing the
committee and q considerable number of
property owners who had appeared in
the committee room this morning. said
that the matter was one in which the
committee had to confess unfamilarity.
and asked whether any attempt had
been made to add the resolution or the
effect OF 1t to the Sundry CIVIL Dill, which
will be reported to the House within a
few days. Representative Post said he
had not been able to consult Represent
ative Fitzgerald, chairman of the COM
nlittee. He also said that he had called
at the White House this morning and
had talked TO the Presidents secretary.
Mr.. Tumulty, but not with the President.
Mr.. Post said Mr.. Tumulty wants the
resolution amended SO as to include all
property, but that Mr. Tumulty was anx-
ious that MIR. Post see the President to-
morrow.
"The sole ground of the Presidents
objection to the payment of this
on account of the charge made that
the Baltimore and Ohio has been
awarded an excessive figure. The De-
partment of Justice has Informed the
President that the property cannot be
separated or segregated, but must be
taken as whole. The President did
not object on the ground that the TAX
ing of the land is not to the interest of
the United States.
Representative Post said he believes
the public buildings and grounds COM
mittee is the only committee with the
proper jurisdiction. but Representative
Austin said the matter could be placed
the sundry civil bill. subject, of
course. to a point of order. If it should
be placed on the bill in the Senate no
point of order from the House could
affect 1t. however.
Source of Opposition.
Representative Post gave one of the
examples of hardship and privation tn
an individual property owner:
Congress he said, should not stult
ify itself by not paying these people"
Who is opposed TO the payment
asked Representative Austin.
Representative Johnson replied Mr.
Pest referring to the chairman of the
District committee
II had not heard of any opposition. "
commented Representative Austin
Quick action on this is necessary" said
-Icting Chairman Burnett" either to tack
ii on the sundry civil bill or to take il
over as within the Jurisdiction of this
committee
He also declared that if Mr. Post
does not result in the forming of lesis
lation favorable to all the property hold
ers, any one who desired would be heart
on the subject tomorrow. As there i.
already dissatisfaction. as expressed
by Mr.. Weller. against the property in
cluded in the Post resolution. there i:
likely to be a hearing. unless the com
nittee decided to include all the plaza
property in the resolution which woult
be framed so to give the Presiden
the power to single out any parcels o.
land to award or to reject.