Evening star., 1925-11-16
UnderhiIl to Offer Bill to Clear
Mall of All Private
Buildings.
PRESIDENTS SUPPORT
FOR MEASURE DOUBTED
House Member Lays Proposal Be
fore Coolidge-$15,O00,0O
Held Needed in Plan.
By j. RUSSELL YOUNG.

Purchase by the Federal Cover
rnent OF all the privately owned prop
erty south of Pennsylvania avenuc
between the Capitol and Fourteenti
street northwest Will be recommends
and provided for In bill which ReI
resentative Cnderhill OF MaSsachr
setts discussed with President Cool
fdse today and which he said he i!
tends to introduce at the COMM
session OF Congress.
Representative Cnderhill, who Is
member OF the House District con-
mittee. explained that his measura
will authorize an expenditure of abou
sl0.000,000 for acquisition OF this laud
and will direct the immediate COZ
demnatton and razing Of building
included in this territory. 1t is hi
ambition TO clear the section in que
ton and turn the property into III,
present Mall. and have II availa blt
Tor the erection of future Federal de
partment buildings
This Improvement plan include
also the purchase and condemnation
Of the privately owned land necessar-r
for continuing B street northwest u
make II continuous as a direct al
terry TO the Lincoln Memorial. bu
this is provided for in the bin author
izing the construction Of the Arlins
ton Memorial Bridge and the improve
ment of the necessary approaches
Representative Underhill said Tho
President was deeply interested f.
the subject but gave him little er
couragement in the matter of SUI
porting the measure at this .irle. J
calls for the expenditure of too grea
a sum at one time TO At in well witt
the Executives fixed policy OF econ
omy. However. Mr.. Cnderhiu is rot
going to let this fact discourage hin.
lie said he would go ahead with IN
plan and push it vigorously
Sees Prospects Fair.
Representative Cnderhin said H.
would introduce his bill through tn
District committee, and that at tho
present time, despite the cry for gov
ernnental economy. he is inclined T.
feel that this legislation has fairi,
good prospects for enactment. He
said that he may have the support OF
members of the Senate District com
mfttee and Of Senator Smoot OF tha
Public Buildings Commission. He said
that the Fine Arts Commission has
made known its approval of the propc
sition.
IL VIII be proposed in the 1nderhill
bill 70 place the authority for acquir-
Ing these properties in the present
National Capital Park Commission
Tho bill Will include provision for the
purchase of Il squares and Is sep
srate lots, and will take over { res
erYauons now the property Of the
Federal Government.
Cites Future Value
In the opinion OF Representative
Cnderhill, the privately owned land
in question could at this time be pur-
chased for less than the $4,000, 900
stipulated by him. He said he pointed
this fact out during his audience with
President Coolidge today and also
argued that this land will continually-
grow more valuable. and the longer
the Government puts off its purchas
the more II viii be required to pay.
He stated that no one who has any
idea of the future physical treatmer;
of the Capital City could argue againS,
the purchase of this property, the only
opposition that could be voiced would
be In respect to economy.