Evening star., 1926-12-15
BILL TO PURCHASE
LAND IN TRIANGLE
|. PASSED BY SENATE
King and Norris Believe Move
Is UnWiSe, But Plan Car
rieS on First Vote.
COMMITTEE IN HOUSE
CONSIDERING MEASURE
Mellon Testifies at Hearing-Pro-
posal Merely Authorizes
Negotiations.

The Senate this afternoon passed
without record vote the bill offered
Dy Senator Smoot authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to purchase
all of the remaining private land in
the triangle between Pennsylvania
avenue and B street, the Treasury
and the Capitol, for the grouping of
new public buildings.
The bill still awaits action by the
House and is being considered now
by the House committee on public
buildings and grounds. This measure
does not actually make the appropria-
tion but gives the legislative author.
ity to begin negotiations for acquiring
the triangle.
During the hour of debate that pre-
ceded its passage in the Senate Sem
atorS King of Utah and Norris of
Nebraska expressed the doubt as to
the wisdom or necessity of buying the
whole triangle at this time, but Chair
man Smoot told the Senate that the
Government can acquire the re-
mainder of this needed area more
cheaply now than after the first two
OA NAAOO PhoAC uSLNS OCCl
started.
Just before the measure came to a
vote Senator King repeated that he
was against the bill at this time be-
cause he thought it was unwise TO
fix the limit of cost at $25, ,000, 900 def
initely in the bill. When the ayes and
nays were called, the bill was carried.
Hearings i'm House.
Passage of the bill followed debate
on the measure which resulted when
the Senate took it up under unani-
nous consent.
While this debate was in progress
the House public buildings commit
tee heard proponents of the Underhill
measure, which is Identical with the
Smoot bill. among whom was Secre-
tary OF the Treasury Mellon. The
committee Is expected to report the
bill favorably.
At the same time the House Dis
trict committee unanimously agreed
to- back the Underhfil bin. So
When the Smoot bill came up in
the Senate Senator Smoot told his
colleagues that he was seeking its
prompt consideration because eff this
is going to be passed, it ought to be
done at once so we can get to work
on the public buildings" that he said
are so urgently needed.
Senator King, Democrat of Utah,
while not objecting to the considera-
ton of the bill, called upon Senator
Smoot for further explanation of the
necessity for putting it through at
this time and as to the reasonableness
of the amount to be authorized, S25.-
600, 900.
Senator Norris, Republican of Ne
braska, argued that Congress should go
slow in acquiring all of the remaining
private land in the triangle, declar-
ing that he did not agree with the
view of Senator Smoot that since the
Government plans to take the tri-
angle at some time, it will cost more
to delay or to buy the land piece by
piece.
Answering the query of Senators
King and Norris, Chairman Smoot
told the Senate that, since some of
the new public buildings are to be
erected at once, after the first strue-
ture goes up it will have the effect of
increasing the value of the remaining
land.
Uses Economy Plea.
Senator Norris made it plain that
he is not opposed to the comprehen-
of Pennsylvania avenue, but that he
doubts the wisdom of buying all the
land at a time when the question of
economy is being stressed in the coun-
try.
Senator Smoot cited to Senator Nor
rfS recent illustration of the neces-
sity in the interest of economy of
buying the land at the earliest posi-.
BILE moment. He said information had
N he Ia%
story office building was being
planned for land the Government con-
templated acquiring, and the owners
were induced to delay their plans to
see what Congress would do. Senator
Smoot declared that if such a build
ing had gone up it would have meant
the Government would have to pay
for 1T in order to carry out it's pro-
gram for public buildings.
Senator Jones, Republican. of
declared he was glad
this bill was being pushed. pointing
out that u number of years ago he
advocated taking over the area
south of Pennsylvania avenue. He
said he may have urged the project
prematurely at that time, but that he
was pleased that it was nearing ac-
now.
Couzens Opposes Losing Taxes.
Sena<br King, in asking for further
light on the measure, said: "Of
course we are all interested in MAX
ng Washington a beautiful Capital,
ind in erecting suitable public build.
ngs. Sometimes we become hysteri.
al in good cause. don't say that
We are hysterical in the plan that
has been prepared for the public
building program in Washington. but
have sometimes felt that the real
.state owners of Washington were
more powerful than the Government
md that sometimes we have been
more solicitous for their interests
han we should be-"
Senator Couzens of Michigan sug.
,ested that 1t would be unwise for
he Government to take over a large
,lock of property and hold it idle for
number of years. The result would
'e to remove this property as a field
# taxation.
Senator Norris agreed with Senator
,ouzens. He said that he had heard
hat already a movement had been
tarted among residents of the Dis
rict to change the proportion of con-
ributions for the upkeep of the Dis
rict by the Federal Government by
he taxpayers of the District be-
ause it was proposed to have the
take over this large
lock of property.
~ am In accord with this plan for
fContinuad ON Paga . CyoI,,n,r