42 ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDElN. 



in its growth. Such an assurance is necessary in investing money 

 over a long period of time. 



Another idea on which I think there is some confusion as I have: 

 listened to the testimony this morning and about which the Arnold 

 Arboretum may help you is this : The botanic garden should per- 

 haps be under this committee's jurisdiction with the Department of 

 Agriculture cooperating. The nurserymen are especially desirous 

 of the scientific information that such a place can acquire. 



For your information the Arnold Arboretum is under a 999-year 

 lease with the city of Boston. Such a lease, a long-term lease, is 

 necessary in entering on work of this kind, because 'trees that last 

 over a century must be insured of care, and I just wanted to inject the 

 feature of permanency into this work. 



I might just say in regard to the Camp Meigs site that until the 

 electrification of the railroads it would be found, in my judgment, 

 a very improper site for the growth of conifer, owing to the smoke 

 there. The Mount Hamilton site is a place of which we are very 

 much in favor. 



The Chairman. Is there any other person present who desires to 

 advocate the selection of any other site? Mr. Moore, you have had 

 letters from several people who thought they had better sites and 

 wanted a chance to be heard. Is there any person here who wants 

 to speak in behalf of any other site than the Mount Hamilton site ? 



(There was no response.) 



Mr. Moore. No, Mr. Chairman. There are some gentlemen here 

 who have asked to be heard : but so far as the commission is con- 

 cerned, there is nothing further. 



The Chairman. Is there any person here who desires to be heard 

 in favor of this bill '? 



Mr. Wood. Yes : I do, Mr. Chairman. 



The "Chairman. What is your full name? 



Mr. Wood. James M. Wood. 



The Chairman. Where is your residence? 



Mr. Wood. 1107 Seventeenth Street, 



The Chairman. What is your occupation? 



Mr. Wood. Attorney at law. representing the Xortheast Washing- 

 ton Citizens' Association in this matter. 



STATEMENT OF MR. JAMES M. WOOD, REPRESENTING THE 

 NORTHEAST WASHINGTON CITIZENS 1 ASSOCIATION. 



Mr. Wood. Mr. Chairman, in view of a hearing that took place 

 on Wednesday before the House Committee on the District of Co- 

 lumbia I desire to call the attention of this committee to one or two 

 matters that I think will be of interest. 



Congressman Zihlman, of Maryland, some six months ago intro- 

 duced a bill in Congress for the extension of Maryland Avenue from 

 Fifteenth and H Streets [indicating on a map the site of proposed 

 botanic garden] to the Anacostia River. On the 1st day of Decem- 

 ber of last year the Commissioners of the District of Columbia made 

 the following favorable report on that bill, stating that the extension 

 would be hijrhlv desirable: 



