On page 7 of the bill insert after the word "act" in line 22 the following: "excepting for so much of School street as lies north of Irving street." Also strike out the words "Congress shall have passed and the President approved," in line 23 on said page and insert in lieu thereof the following: "after the passage of." Action toward opening School street should, if taken at all, be done at once, as it is probable that the lots now vacant will soon be built upon. Very respectfully, Hon. J. W. BABCOCK, HENRY B. F. MACFARLAND, President Board of Commissioners District of Columbia. Chairman Committee on the District of Columbia, House of Representatives. Commissioners' report on H. R. 14517: WASHINGTON, D. C., February 2, 1906. DEAR SIR: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia have the honor to submit the following on H. R. 12074, Fifty-ninth Congress, first session, "To extend School street to Columbia road and connect School street thus extended with Fourteenth street, and to establish a park at Fourteenth street and Columbia road," which you referred to them for examination and report. Two plats are inclosed-one showing on a large scale the streets proposed to be extended and opened, in red, and the park proposed to be created, in green; and the other on a small scale showing the territory lying between Soldiers' Home and the Zoological Park, and showing also, in red, the location of the proposed streets and park, and, in blue, the present public parks and reservations in the territory between North Capitol street and Rock Creek Park, north of R street north. The bill is somewhat unusual in form, as it combines the street extensions with a park proposition; but in its general features, which provide for condemnation, it follows the usual form of street-extension measures. It provides for the extension of School street southwardly from its present terminus, with a width of 50 feet, to Columbia road, and the opening of a street running eastwardly from School street extended to Fourteenth street, forming a boundary of the proposed park which would, if the bill passed, be bounded by School street extended, the new east-and-west street, Fourteenth street, and Columbia road. The proposed park is more than half a mile distant from any present established park. It is located approximately in the middle of the built-up property above the crest of the hill, and is about the same size as Farragut and McPherson squares, though not of the same dimensions, being longer but not so wide. It is, in addition, a fine natural site for a park, as it is already adorned by about thirty magnificent oak trees. Efforts have been made for several years to secure a park at this location, but the park then proposed involved an expenditure nearly double that which would be required to secure the property now proposed for park purposes. The total estimated cost of the condemnations proposed by the bill for the streets and park is $150,000, $10,000 of which is for frame residences in the line of the proposed extension of School street. Of this total sum, $62,000 is estimated for the extension of School street and the proposed street extending eastward to Fourteenth street. The remaining $88,000 is the estimated cost of acquiring the land for the park, which land is at present unimproved. The extension of the street and the establishment of the park are both very much desired by the residents of this section of the District, particularly the establishment of the park. While in the city of Washington there are numerous small parks and circles existing at the intersection of streets, in this section of the District, which is outside of the old city limits proper, it has been solidly built up so that no parks exist here. Parks are believed to be necessary for the purpose of public health as well as pleasure. The Commissioners, while very much in favor of both the park and the streets, believe that they should be provided for in separate measures. The parks in the city of Washington are the property of the United States and were acquired at the expense of the United States. While the Commissioners have always recommended that the cost of extending streets should be borne equally by the United States and the District of Columbia, as other municipal improvements, Congress has by legislation required the entire cost to be paid from District revenues, though the laws provide that sometimes all and sometimes a portion of this cost shall be assessed on property benefited. With parks, however, the Commissioners believe that, as in city limits these small parks belong to the United States, so should they in the outlying districts. While the Commissioners are in favor of a park at this location, they believe that one which would be of more general benefit should be acquired on the east side of Sixteenth street between Florida avenue and Euclid street. This park, however, would cover a much larger area than the proposed park, and the question of this small park should not interfere with the larger measure. The park proposed in this bill is more in line with the existing parks and reservations lying within the city limits. The bill proposes to assess a portion of the cost of extending the streets on adjacent property benefited by the extension of the streets or the establishment of the park, but makes no provision for assessing any portion of the cost of the park. The Commissioners believe that the entire cost of extending the streets should be assessed on property benefited and that fully one-half of the cost of establishing the park should be also assessed on property in the vicinity which would be benefited by the establishment of the park. The Commissioners believe, as stated above, that separate measures should be enacted for the opening of the streets and the establishment of the park, though they believe that these measures should be dependent on one another as far as the establishment of the park and the opening of the street running east from the proposed extension of School street are concerned, as if the park is not established this street would not be necessary. The extension of School street southward to Irving street at least, and even to Columbia road, could stand on its own merits, as this extension is necessary even without the establishment of the park. The Commissioners suggest, therefore, separate bills, and, further, that the bill when drafted for the acquisition of the park should provide that the park should be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior as, if the suggestion of the Commissioners is adopted, the property would be the property of the United States and not of the District of Columbia. The Commissioners would invite attention to the necessity for early action in the matter as this section is being rapidly built up, and houses will probably be built on the site of the park and in the line of the proposed street extensions unless action toward acquiring the land is taken at an early date. Very respectfully, Hon. J. W. BABCOCK, HENRY B. F. MACFARLAND, President Board of Commissioners District of Columbia. Chairman Committee on the District of Columbia, House of Representatives. No. 6734. DAM ACROSS MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN MORRISON COUNTY, MINN. JANUARY 25, 1907.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. STEVENS, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 24272.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 24272) permitting the building of a dam across the Mississippi River at or near Pike Rapids, in Morrison County, Minn., having considered the same, report thereon with amendment, and as so amended recommend that it pass. The bill as amended has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the indorsements attached and which are made a part of this report. Amend the bill as follows: Strike out all of section 1 after the word "Minnesota" in line 1, page 2, and insert the following: in accordance with the provisions of the act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of dams across navigable waters," approved June twenty-first, nineteen hundred and six. Strike out all of section 2. Renumber section 3 to section 2 and strike out all after the word "reserved" in line 19, page 3. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. The accompanying bill, H. R. 24272, Fifty-ninth Congress, second session, to authorize the construction of a dam across the Mississippi River at or near Pike Rapids, should in my opinion be amended as indicated in red thereon. If thus amended, I know of no objection to its favorable consideration by Congress, so far as the interests of navigation are concerned. A. MACKENZIE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. [Third indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, inviting attention to the foregoing report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, and to amendments indicated in red on accompanying copy of bill. WM. H. TAFT, BRIDGE ACROSS MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN MORRISON COUNTY, MINN. JANUARY 25, 1907.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mr. STEVENS, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 24283.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 24283) permitting the building of a railway bridge across the Mississippi River, in Morrison County and State of Minnesota, having considered the same, report thereon with amendment, and as so amended recommend that it pass. The bill as amended has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the indorsements attached and which are made a part of this report. Amend the bill as follows: Strike out all of section 1 after the word "Minnesota," in line 13, on page 1, and insert the following: in accordance with the provisions of the act entitled "An act to regulate the construction of bridges over navigable waters," approved March twenty-third, nineteen hundred and six. Strike out all of sections 2, 3, and 4, and renumber sections 5 and 6, making them sections 2 and 3. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. If amended as indicated thereon, the accompanying bill, H. R. 24283, Fifty-ninth Congress, second session, to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River, will, in my opinion, make sufficient provision for the protection of navigation interests; and, so far as those interests are concerned, I know of no objection to favorable consideration by Congress. A. MACKENZIE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. |