Evening star., 1932-04-23
PARK BOARD GETS
REPORT D|SPUT|NG
EXCESSIVE PRICES
Statement Answers Collins
Charge Commission Pays
To Much for Land.
FIGURES ON PURCHASES
PRESENTED BY CHISHOLM
Three Plans for Construction of
New War and Navy Buildings
Offered at Meeting.

Figures diSputing statements by Rep
resentative Collins (Democrat) of Mis-
sissippi, who charged the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission is
holding up zeal estate values in Wash
ington through paying allegedly exces-
Sive prices for land for parks and
Fairgrounds, were laid before the COM
mission when it began its April seS-
sions yesterday.
This report. giving in detail prices
paid by the commission for land over a
period of several years and tending to
combat the position of the Mississippi
Representative, who brought forward
his argument Thursday during House
consideration of the District supply
measure. was read with interest by the
members.
A financial statement on land pur-
chases, compiled by the commission S
staff, was laid before the group by its
engineer, Capt E. N. Chisholm, jr who
declined to make it public at this time,
pending further discussion. He made
it clear the commission has no desire
to place itself in the light of cr1ticlzing
Representative Collins.
Collins Wants Purchases Delayed.
An amendment by Representative
Collins, incorporated in the District
supply measure by the House, has the
effect, officials said today, of throttling
future land purchases under the Cap
per-Cramton act in Maryland and Vlr-
ginia, as well as the District.
In offering his amendment on the
floor of the House Representative Col
Inns asserted:
The National Capital Park and
plonnirp COF0 SClnn iS hllVlnU land
all over the District and contiguous to
the District to an extent that should
not now be permitted. And at high
prices
If Congress wishes to carry out the
monumental program of the National
Capital Park and Planning CommiS-
Sion we should at least use some judg-
ment and delay purchases Of land, espe-
cially when every one tells us that
delay will reduce the prices Of the
property needed"
In the course of his remarks the
Mississippi Representative asserted he
was advised that this commission Is
keeping up the prices of real estate
that the commission thinks 1t needs
because the persons who own the land
adjacent to these new highways know
their land will be bought. And they
hllOW uOllSy Will NC oNoAAoOAC AOA 40
purchase, so they demand from two to
four times as much for it as we ought
to pay, and they get it."
Chisholm Plans Conferences.
Capt. Chisholm said he would confer
with members of the commission and
with Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, its
vice chairman and executive officer,
with reference to making the fiscal
report public.
The commission approved all action
hitherto taken by its director Of plan
ming, Charles w Eliot, I'd, in dealing
with proposals for new subdivisions, as
sent over by the District Building to
the commission, with the accompany
ing plats. The commission provided
that where a disagreement should arise
| the matter should be referred to the
commission.
Three alternative plans for conStruc-
ton of the new War and Navy Depart
ment buildings in the So-called North
west Triangle. bounded by New York
and Constitution avenues and Seven
teenth street, were presented to the
commission by its consulting architect,
William T. Partridge. Without taking
definite action on these plans, the COM
mission directed Mr.. Eliot to take them
before the American Institute OF Archl-
tects group, meeting next week here,
and discuss the whole situation.
Suggest Naval Museum on Mall.
The commission suggested that the
proposed naval mesum building be To-
| Gated OH the Mall, in general relation
to other museum structures, westward
of the new Union Square that will abut
the Capitol development on the west.
The commission set this afternoon
aside to listen to plans for developing
the nearby Maryland valleys as park
lands under the Capper-Cramton act.
Irving C. Root, engineer. and j. Bond
Smith, attorney, on behalf of the Mary
land-National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, arranged to give the
national group an intimate picture of
developments, present and proposed, in
| the valleys north of the District.