Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-08
Arlington Lands Given
For Farm Uses by Law
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
In Your issue of December 81 there
is an editorial entitled The Arlington
Frontage" In this editorial a mis-
statement is made regarding the acqui-
sition of the Arlington Farm by the
| United States Department Of Agricul-
ture. In your editorial you say, The
lands now used for experimental farm
purposes We're only loaned to the De
partment of Agriculture. with the def
mite understanding that they would be
restored TO park uses at the proper
time. The experimental work was be-
gun and conducted there definitely on
| the basis of temporary tenure" The
| facts are as follows:
Prior TO the year 1900 the tract now
known as the Arlington Farm was an
unsightly piece OF ground. covered
with bushes, weeds and mounds of
earth, the last being the graves of
many mules which died on the place
while it was in use by the War De
partment as a mule pen. The late
Congressman Rixey of AleXa ndria, Va.
on numerous occasions called attention
TO the unsightliness of the tract. He
finally drafted and put a bill through
! Congress transferring the property to
the Department of Agriculture. The
| law making the transfer is still in
| force and reads as follows:
Sec. As. (Act April is, 1900. CHI. 243,
| sec. II. Portion of Arlington estate
| transferred to Secretary of Agricul
ture: boundaries of land excepted.
Sec. /. That jurisdiction is hereby
| transferred and given to the Secretary
of Agriculture and his successors in
Office over so much of the Government
/ land in Alexandria County, Va, known
| as the Arlington estate. as lies east of
the public road leading from the Aque-
| duct Bridge to Alexandria, Va, other
wise called the Georgetown and Alex
andria road, and between said road
and the Potomac River, containing
about 400 acres, with the exception,
! however. of a strip of land as follows:
| Commencing at the point where the
| Georgetown and Alexandria road en-
| tiers the Arlington estate on the north
side, thence along said road 625 yards
thence in a line perpendicular to said
road to the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal. thence along said canal to the
ton over which is retained by the Sec
| rotary of War (31 Stat. 1881.
| Sec. 2. That the declared purpose
of this act is to set apart said tract of
land as a general experimental farm
| in its broadcast sense, where all that
pertains to agriculture in It's several
and different branches, including ami
| mai INDUSTRY ana horticulture, may be
| fostered and encouraged, and the prac-
tice and science of farming in the
| United States advanced, promoted and
practically illustrated. 81 Stat 1867.
Sec 8. That the Secretary of Agri-
culture will take immediate and abso-
lutte control Of said property described
in section l, and by clearing, under
draining, grassing, laying out proper
roads and driveways, constructing
proper bridges and buildings, and in
other ways as his judgment may die
tate. bring said property as rapidly as
possible into the proper condition to
answer the purposes for which it is
| set apart
| The Department of Agriculture did
not request the transfer or seek con-
| troll of the property, the whole matter
being handled by Congressman Rixey.
who was anxious to remove an eyesore
so near the Capitol and the Arlington
Cemetery. There was no question of
| park uses at the time, nor was there
any understanding as to the future of
the tract other than what is called for
in the law as set forth above. The
law, it will be noted, is specific and
definite and can only be abrogated by
an act of Congress.
| B. T. GALLOWAY.