44 ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



president of the Washington Railway & Electric Co., at the request 

 of which company the hearing was granted, that this land known 

 as the Graceland Cemetery tract, the old abandoned Graceland 

 Cemetery tract, which consists of about 25 acres, bounded on the 

 west by Bladensburg Road and on the south by the Bennings Road 

 and on the east and north by the present boundary lines of the old 

 cemetery, that the title to the land had been taken by the Potomac 

 -Electric Power Co. in contemplation of the removal of the power 

 house, etc., from their site south of the Avenue; that they had pur- 

 chased this ground for the purpose of building their power house 

 and other structures, with a view of abandoning their site out here 1 

 [indicating present site at Fourteenth and B Streets NW.], and 

 Col. Kutz, who is here at the hearing, I believe, stated before the 

 full committee on Wednesday — day before yesterday — that it was 

 exceedingly desirable that action should be taken some way or other 

 in reference to this proposed botanic garden site and the extension 

 of Maryland Avenue, because in case the Potomac Electric Power 

 Co. made application to the board of commissioners for the erection 

 of buildings and power houses within the lines of the proposed ex- 

 tension of Maryland Avenue, that the commissioners were abso- 

 lutely without authority to deny such a permit or to prevent them 

 from making that construction. In other words, if they made appli- 

 cation for a permit to build a power house right in the line of Mary- 

 land Avenue, that the commissioners, if the permit applied for com- 

 plied with the building regulations, were without authority to deny 

 them the right to erect the structure. But Col. Kutz is here, I be- 

 lieve, and can speak for himself in reference to that matter. 



The hearings before the House committee was adjourned about half- 

 past 12 pending the outcome of the hearing before this committee. In 

 other words, it was decided at that hearing that if the Committee on 

 the Library decided to purchase this tract for a national botanic 

 garden and arboretum then the bill introduced by the Congressman 

 from Maryland should be amended so as to provide for the exten- 

 sion of Maryland Avenue from Fifteenth and H Streets NE. to 

 Twenty- fourth Street, which is the southern boundary line of the 

 proposed Mount Hamilton Park site; and it was also decided that 

 in the event this joint committee decided at the present time not to 

 purchase this site that then the board of commissioners would recom- 

 mend the extension of Maryland Avenue from Fifteenth and H 

 Streets XE.. in accordance with the terms of the bill as introduced, 

 with an amendment that the eastern terminus should be at the west- 

 ern taking line of the Anacostia Park improvement. 



The Chairman". Do you say that the Potomac Electric Power Co. 

 has already purchased the land the're? 



Mr. Wood. Purchased and own the old Graceland Cemetery tract. 



Mr. Wilson. Not in their own name; in the name of another com- 

 pany. 



Mr. Wood. They purchased the tract of land, but the title is held 

 in the name of Clarence F. Xorment ; he holds the deed in escrow. 

 I do now say that it develops that the Washington Railway & Elec- 

 tric Co.. which asked for the hearing, did not own a foot of ground 

 affected by the proposed extension. 



1 See map 38, end of vol. 2. 



