ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GAKDEN. 49 



land Cemetery tract, the whole key to that situation. We hope you will 

 take such steps here as will enable us to say definitely to the House 

 committee, because the hearing was adjourned over until the action 

 of this committee was known, whether we shall stop at Twenty-fourth 

 Street or whether we shall go on to the river. The Engineer Com- 

 missioner of the District of Columbia stated positively as the policy 

 of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia that in the event 

 this Joint Committee on the Library did not see fit in its wisdom to 

 purchase this tract for a botanic garden and arboretum, then the 

 commissioners would insist upon the extension of Maryland Avenue 

 to the west, taking line of the Anacostia Park improvement, because 

 of the necessity of doing something to relieve the people from being 

 bound hand and foot forever by a construction proposed in the line 

 of Maryland Avenue. When the president of the Washington Eail- 

 way £ Electric Co. stated before the committee that the Potomac 

 Electric Power Co. had spent several thousand dollars in the drafting 

 of plans for buildings, etc., on that site you can get an idea as to 

 the alarm felt by the engineer commissioner. I think he is here and 

 can speak better for himself than I can. 



Mr. Pell. When does this company propose to do this building? 

 Are these plans a long distance ahead; when do they intend to start 

 work? 



Mr. Wood.. They are building there all the time now. They have 

 put tracks and all sorts of construction in there ; and I think it is their 

 intention to erect buildings there that will take care of all the power- 

 house project at Fourteenth and B, so that they can move 



Mr. Wilson. To control the whole railroad situation? 



Mr. Wood (continuing). Before that is condemned and taken by 

 the Government, as it is probable that the Government intends soon 

 to take the land between Pennsylvania Avenue and Maryland 

 Avenue and the Capitol grounds and Fifteenth Street ; that is, such 

 j)ortions as they do not already own. 



Mr. Johnson. How many square feet did you say had been dedi- 

 cated in the Mount Hamilton tract ? 



Mr. Wood. I think it is about 1,200,000 square feet. 



Mr. Johxson. If the Government should acquire the Mount Hamil- 

 ton tract for a botanic garden, would it have to pay for those 1,200,000 

 feet? 



Mr. Wood. Xo, sir ; I do not think so. 



Mr. Johnson. You give that as your opinion as an attorney? 



Mr. Wood. Yes, sir. I do not think they would ; the owners have 

 given up the property. 



Mr. Johnson. Who are the owners? 



Mr. Wood. The District of Columbia. 



Mr. Johnson. I think you said that you got the owners to sign a 

 paper dedicating it? 



Mr. Wood. 1 did; I know the names of several of the owners of 

 property in there, but I could not tell probably more than half a 

 dozen. I understand that Mr. Eustis owns this Mount Hamilton 

 tract — I can not say that I know of my own positive knowledge — 

 Mr. William H. Ernest owns probably half a square in there. 



Mr. Johnson. Did the two parties whom you have just mentioned 

 sign the paper to which you have referred ? 



186037— 20— pt 1 4 



