Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-10
WOULD ALSO BUY
NORTH OF AVENUE
Representative CIark's Bill
Not Confined to Purchase
on South Side.
IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED

Not only is all land south of Penn
sylvania avenue to the Mall to be
acquired by the government, accord
ing to the bill introduced yesterday in
the House by Chairman Clark of the
committee on public buildings and
grounds. but also a strip north Of
Pennsylvania avenue, exteading from
LIST street northwest TO IN street
northwest,
This land on the north side Of Penn
syivania ayenus isg 70 - tsea ~
public buildings and parks. It viii
remove .he small buildings that now
line the north side of the Avenue from
the Peace Monument to Az street.
and permit the extension of B street
northwest. so that it will cross Penn
sylvania avenue at AZ street. b
street now stops at Sd street. north
of Pennsylvania avenue and does not
resume its course until 9Th street,
south of Pennsylvania avenue
For Buildings and Parks.
The area of the proposed acquisi-
tion between 1st and Sd streets is
bounded on the north by the project
ed extension of B street, and on the
south by Pennsylvania avenue On the
two tracts thus formed it is proposed
to place public buildings. the nature
of which has not yet been decided.
The proposed extension of b street
would cut through reservation 10, the
tract lying north of Pennsylvania
avenue, between Sd and Az streets,
and the remainder of the land to be
acquired in that block will form three
park spaces when B street is ex-
Charles Moore, chairman of the Fine
Arts Commission, which outlined the
plans upon which the provisions of
the bill are based. today explained
reasons for the rather unusual method
of appropriation suggested. The bin
provides for the expenditure of not
more than 100000 annually, starting
in 1920. upon the acquisitions men
toned.
The total true value" of the prom
erty which the bill contemplates buy
ing, that is the assessed value plus
one-third. is s13,0o0.000. Therefore it
would take twenty-six years to ac-
quire the land, though Congress would
be free to expedite these purchases at
any time.
Would Avoid Price Raising.
The annual appropriation of a sum
to buy any land included in the total
pIoPoSCu purchase WOulQ leave the
government free to buy any parcel
as it comes on the market at a rea-
sonable price. BY this means it is
expected to avoid the raising of
prices by owners when money is ap-
propriated for the purchase Of spe-
cific area.
Under the general plan of the fine
arts commission all the land west of
the Capitol grounds, between B street
northwest and B street southwest.
would be acquired by the government,
as well as all land to the east of the
Capitol grounds between B street
northeast and B street southeast, a
part of which already is occupied by
the Library of Congress.
Included in the general plan of the
Fine Arts Commission also is all land
south Of the Capitol Grounds. bounded
by j and c streets south, and by 1st
street southwest and I'd street south
east. But purchase of this land is not
provided for in Representative Clark's
bill introduced yesterday because it is
hoped that the House will undertake the
purchase of land surrounding the House
Office building, as the Senate has done
in the case of lots adjacent to the Sem
q fe office h,yildipu