Evening star., 1931-06-27

Chairman Will Wood of the House
Appropriations Committee revived the
earlier heated discussion over the
merits of the two sites by declaring
openly against appropriation of funds
for the more costly area to the west
Of the White Lot.
Asked for Figures.
Representative Ross Collins of Mis-
eissipi, a member of the House fund
body, then added a similar protest and
called upon District Tax Assessor
William P. Richards Ito collect data as
to the current assessed values of the
two proposed sites.
These survey figures have not been
made public as yet, but similar un-
official study of data on the record
books at the District Building and at
the Treasury shows there is wide diff
ference as to the estimated values of
the land in the two sites, with the
northwest area tie more costly. Th2
extent of the final size of either site,
however, still is indn6r!te
Including both ire land authorized
to be purchased under the Keyes-
Elliott act, in both the northwest and
the southwest sections, and additional
land which some interested in the
Federal building program calculate
must be added to the sites to provide
adequate space, the comparative valu-
alton figures, based on assessments,
are, approximately:
Northwest site: S8,964, ,335.
Southwest site: $3.378, SOB.
This figure for the Northwest site,
however, cannot be called definite, since
it includes areas under discussion for
future expansion ss we'll as areas au-
thorized for purchase. 1t includes the
area between Constitution and New
York avenues, Eighteenth and Twenty
third streets, selected by the Public
Buildings Commission for the War-Navy
site. 1t includes also the two squares
between New York avenue and E street,
Nineteenth and Twenty-frst streets,
which members of the commission have
said was under consideration for future
acquisition. 1t includes also the addi-
tional squares between New York ave-
nue. and E street, Twenty-first and
Twenty-third streets, which reports say
have been under consideration also as
possibly needed for the development.
Exclusion from both proposed sites
those squares which are contemplated
by some as necessary to the building
projects, but which have not been in
cluded in areas authorized for pur-
chase by Congress, makes considerable
difference in the disparity between the
two cost totals for the two sites, but
there still remains wide margin, the
survey of valuation discloses.
Valued at S5,332,3S6.
The northwest area which Congress
has authorized the Federal Govern
ment to acquire in preparation for ex-
pansion of the development program
of the National Capital has a total
current assessed value of S5,332.386,
including valuations on land already
purchased by the Government.
When the total assessment valuation
of the two additional squares which
Public Building Commission members
say are being considered as necessary
for future expansion of the War-Navy
Buildings are included in the estimate
the area between New York avenue and
E street, Nineteenth and Twenty-firSt
streetS-the total estimated value is run
up to $6214,030.
The southwest site, authorized al
ready by Congress for Government pur-
chase, has a total current assessed
value of $2,850,6 the survey shows.
In the compilation of figures on the
southwest site, all squares which Con-
gress in the KeyeS- Elliott act au-
thorized for purchase were tabulated
and this included number of squares
more than the Treasury Department
planners suggested as the site of the
War-Navy Building there, so that the
$2.850 642 total is considerably larger
than the assessed value of the site
CONTINUED on Third Page.)