Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-12
THE SINGLE TAX BILL
A Hearing Given on 1t by the District Com
missioners This Afternoon

A Hearing Given on 1t by the District Com
missionsrs This Afternoon
The champions of single tax reform in the
District were present in force today at the
hearing given by the Commissioners upon
House bill 3l9 to exempt improvements 70 real
estate in the District of Columbia from taxa
ton.
Representative Tom johnson represented
the single tax men and was the first speaker.
He explained the bill under discussion at
length. He was the father of the bill.
He desired all present to under
position as far az the District was concerned.
The question Of taxing municipal improve
been the subject Of his earnest consideration
for five years.
WHAT THE ASSESSMENT RETURNS SHOWED.
The assessment returns showed that the value
Of improvements about equaled the value OF
the land. He had taken twelve city squares,
six north Of street and six south OF + street,
added the value of improvements and value OF
land together and found that 81 per cent OF the
assessment was levied on the improvements
and So on the land. This assessment on the
land was far two small.
On the other hand he had taken like num-
Der of squares in the residence portion OF the
city and found upon computation that the
of the true value, while but 81 per cent OF the
true value was assessed on the ground.
In studying this question as far as the Dis
trict was concerned he had selected half a
dozen prominent real estate men and they had
selected twenty-eight typical blocks from all
quarters Of the District upon which to base his
figures.
REAL AND ASSESSED VALUES
Upon these he found that the assessment
upon the ground was 50, $50, 900. The real es-
tate men placed the value of this ground at
Sl5,294 600, or % per cent OF the true value.
The present revenues from land In
the district is Sl,131.695, from i'm
provements, s1,03O,sS2 and from personally
$50 500, or a total of S2,342, 943. The official
assessment of % typical blocks amounted to
SO. $50 6O9 while the true value of the same
was SI5,294, 367. The assessed value, therefore.
he said, was 25 per cent OF true value. The
official assessed value OF all land in the District
is $40 451 OBS, while the true value OF the same
is 1905 9O4 l12.
II an assessment Of T6 cents on 300 was lev
led OH the true value Of land the revenues OF
the District would be raised S2,342,943, at 81
it would be raised 81, 059.04l and at $l.bO it
would be raised "a 500, 900.
would be that the househOlders would be re-
heved OF the burden of taxation.
Representative Warner and Messrs Paul T.
Bowen OF District Assembly 6, knights Of La
Dor. and Z. W. Oyster of the Federation OF La
Dor spoke in behalf of the bill.
MRS. BRIoas OBJECTION.
Mrs. E. E. Briggs participated In the debate.
She was the owner of a whole square of ground
in the northeastern section on which there was
but one house and she wanted to know what
benefit she would get by al increase in the
assessment of her land Such bill if
it became a law would put all the land into the
hands of the real estate agents. She main
tanned that her square is Improvement. Is
was a park and people built about it for that
reason.
DIR. Robert Reyburn spoke in favor Of the
bill and gave an example Of the good it
would do.
Dir. NJ. l. Weller opposed the bill
MIR. jackson II. halston, representing the
Single Tax Club, spoke in favor of the bill.
Hon. Jerry Simpson was present at the hear