Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-28
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The Increase in the Valuation Of
Suburban Property.
URBAN LIMITS AND THE POPULATION,
Some Thoughts on the Present
Street Car Service.
CONTRASTS IN LOCALITIES.

seventy-nine per cent represents a lares
advance in the value Of property, and per
maps the owners Of real estate in the SUI.
ourbs will be inclined to look upon the VAL
uations OF the assessors which show this
increase as somewhat in excess OF a con-
sentative estimate. 1t IL natural that they
should. when they consider that their tax
bills will show the same ratio Of apprecia-
ton. However. leaving aside, II possible.
such consideration as tax Bills which N
better times the property owners win do
OF their own accord as a matter too small
to think about. this increase is an impres-
sive illustration OF the Importance OF the
suburbs Statistics Of growth Of the popu-
lation and OF the increase In the number
OF houses serve purpose and give infor-
nation which cannot be doubted. But. af-
ter all. the testimony OF the tax books 10
conclusive that property of this class has
emerged from the era OF uncertain and un.
stable values.
While the increase in values by the recent
assessment in the old city limits was only
about e per cent. and in Georgetown 81
per cent, In the county the increase IL rep
resented by the percentage Of a. An analy-
sis OF this valuation shows that the num-
Der OF taxpayers is larger and that the i'm
provements are much greater in numbers
and In value than was the case three years
ago. The growth OF The suburban popula-
ton has. to some extent. been regarded By
conservative men as largely the result Of
the EFFORTS OF property owners to boom their
property. This movement however, has
now come to be regarded as the legitimate
expansion Of the city population.
People to the Acre.
Based on the census returns Of 1880 an
estimate of the density Of population IA
large cities in this country shows that
Washington stands fourth In the list In re-
spect to the massing together OF people.
According to these figures, Pittsburg has
the greater density of population, and on
the estimate of the acreage included with
in its urban limits there were about
sixty-one persons to every acre New
York stands next with ffty-nine to the
acre. while Brooklyn has forty-eight. and
this city stands next on the list with about
thirty-one. II may be concluded from these
figures that the time has come In the his
tory OF the city when the need for more
room leads the population outside Of the
city limits.
1t is not claimed by any means, that
all the building sites in the city are occu-
pied, but II is stu true that the recent de-
velopment of the city shows that the set
Element of the suburbs has been along the
natural lines Of the city's growth II there
had ever been case known Of a city being
built in a uniform manner. each one waiting
Tor neighbor before going ahead and build
ing. IL might be reasonable to expect the
squares in the city which are still desti-
tute. in whole or in part. Of houses to be
built up before the land beyond the bounds
OF the city is invaded. However, that IL not
the way that cities are built.
The situation, as IL appears today. n
that much territory which lies. in some
cases. adjoining the I'D municipal lines.and
in other cases more remote, has become a.
much a part Of the city as II II was actual
ly Incorporated within the urban lin
its. These latter, at any rate, only exist
today because they have not in 30 many
books. The territory Of the city OF WASH
ington today is practically that of the Dis
trict of Columbia This fact IL recognised
In part by such legislation as that which
provides for the extension Of the streets OF
the city to the lines of the District. II 10
now proposed to build a series OF trunk
sewers so that the sewerage system can
be extended over the District as the need
arises. With a population of more than .
quarter OF a million now within the District
Of Columbia, and with the evidences OF
present and future growth plainly display
there should be a well-defined belief that
in the course OF the next decade or 30
there is to be a marvellous increase IN the
population Of the city, so that instead OF
point Of population. place much nearer
the top will be gained.
As to the Street Railways.
There are several measures now pending
in Congress which when enacted into laws
will have, IL is believed a favorable fnflu-
ence not only on real estate values. but on
the activity of the market. The most i'm
portant perhaps in this class are the varf.
Gus bills providing for the building OF new
street car lines or the extension OF existing
lines. AS may be inferred, the bills are
mainly intended to increase the present
facilities and not so much to improve them
Many think a well-digested measure that II
designed to give a more direct control OF
street car lines to the District Commits
sioners or the courts o. to any power able
to keep them under control would be q long
step in the right direction. The need for
something of this sort is so manifest that it
goes without saying. In this city the cor
porations that have been given valuable
franchises in using the streets Of the city
are practically Independent of control One
result is seen in the complaints that the car
service. with some exceptions is about az
had as ii can well be. However. sweeping
statement that would condemn the cars OF
all the street railroad lines in the city
would be unjust for the cable roads are
well equipped in this respect and other
roads have put In service some handsome
and comfortable cars.
Redeeming q Locality.
Sometimes IL is possible to redeem local.
fty that has run down at the heels but u
requires heroic measures A good sugges-
ton In this line is the purchase OF the en-
tire property in the affected region. II the
deterioration is only along a single block.
then the ground on each side OF the street
must be bought. The improvements stand
ing can be removed and the making over OF
the section will then depend on the will Of
the owner of the property. There are In
stances of property In an entire block that
is valued at less money than the property
on the adjoining block. The location 10
equally as good, and IL is evident that the
depreciation must be due to local causes
within the block or square. III the squares
are purchased outright then the cause can
be removed and the ground will be worth az
much as that in the adjoining squares.
In this way IL is possible with the use OF
some capital to make a handsome profit IL
Theory is a reasonable one, as IL is based on
the idea that the value Of property depends
largely on the character of the improve
ments When these are Inferior. while the
adjoining squares are handsomely built UP.
il is natural to expect that the property
valuations will be affected. 1t is not i'm
possible to find a block where property IL
valued at two three dollars a foot. and
adjoining IL a block where a much smaller
valuation prevails. BY clearing OF the low
priced block, il is thought that the ground
could be placed on the market at the same