ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 45. 



The people situated and resident in all this territory are very 

 anxious for the extension and opening of Maryland Avenue. "We 

 would do nothing, absolutely nothing, to interfere with this pro- 

 posed park and we are perfectly willing that it should be extended 

 to this point 1 — to Twenty-fourth Street — but, of course, Twenty- 

 fourth Street is not a public street. Twenty-eighth Street is. But 

 the feeling of the board of commissioners, as outlined by Engineer 

 Commissioner Kutz before the Committee on the District of Co- 

 lumbia in the House, was that it is highly desirable that action be 

 taken at once by Congress in order to prevent the absolute blockade 

 of the extension of Maryland Avenue from Fifteenth Street east- 

 ward. 



As you gentlemen are aware, and well aware without my telling 

 you. the entire area of the District of Columbia as it exists to-day 

 was taken from the State of Maryland, and there is no monument to 

 the State of Maryland : there is no monument to perpetuate the name 

 of the State of Maryland except Maryland Avenue, and Maryland 

 Avenue, as you well know, begins at the Potomac River on the west 

 and extends in a northeasterly direction to this point 1 [indicating on 

 a map of the District of Columbia], where it is stopped by certain 

 construction by a depot known as "White House Station, by tracks, 

 and other structures that have been put in the lines of Maryland. 

 Avenue. 



"We trust and very sincerety hope that the committee will decide 

 this question as to site as soon as possible. "With a view of getting 

 the matter in some sort of shape to be acted upon, a bill has been 

 prepared which I will submit to the committee ; a bill for the acquisi- 

 tion of a site ; and the only amendment, the only change in that pro- 

 posed bill is to substitute the word " three " for the word " two." 

 There is an area of something like 400 acres embraced in this terri- 

 tory which is assessed at $211,000 ; and there is no doubt but what it 

 could be acquired for that sum. It is nearly all farm land; there 

 is no development there to speak of and only a few houses. It could 

 be purchased at a very advantageous price, I think, at the present 

 time. 



The Chairman. What is the significance of changing the word 

 " two " to " three " ; what do you mean? 



Mr. W 7 ood. In that bill it is provided that an appropriation of so 

 much should be made ; it should have read " $340,000 for the acquisi- 

 tion of this site"; it reads in there "$200,000," and it should read 

 " $340,000." 



The Chairman. These are drafts of a proposed bill. Have they 

 been introduced in either branch of Congress? 



Mr. W 7 ood. No, sir; they have not; and I just suggest them to you. 



The Chairman. "Without objection one will be printed in the 

 record. 



(The draft of the proposed bill referred to is as follows:) 



A bill to provide a national botanic garden and arboretum on the Mount Hamilton site 

 in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled. That to provide a national botanic garden 

 and arboretum on the Mount Hamilton site situated between the Bladensburg 



1 See map 38, end of vol. ■>. 



