Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06
would have been occupied by gentlemen of
fortune and persons not in business.
Taxing Realty Sales.

| fortune and persons not in business.
Taxing Realty Sales.
| A movement has been started among the
| real estate brokers of Plttsburg to contest
the section of the state mercantile tax
| which applies to the real estate brokers
| and exacts per cent of their commissions
! under the guise Of a license. A test case
| will be made with one of the realty firms
| as basis for the action The exact stand
| taken by the attorney who will take up the
| case will be that 1t is an income tax and a.
| such Is clearly Illegal. as was decided by
| the United States Supreme Court some
! years ago.
| Many of the brokers have not paid their
assessments as yet and number have paid
the tax under protest. 1t will be the
| policy of the men who are striving to secure
concerted action In this line to carry the
matter to the Supreme Court if necessary
and formulate an order which will prevent
| the further collection of the tax until the
matter Is finally disposed of by the courts.
The action Of the appraiser in taking up
| the reports of the sales published and as
sessing the brokers has had marked effect
in causing the brokers to keep their business
secret. In this way an attempt is made 10
save the amount of assessment which the
appraiser may file against the firms and in
dividual brokers next year. -
To Purify the Air.
The last word on ventilation will probably
in houses. And yet, important ventila-
ton is for the house. 1t Is rather its rela-
ton to public buildings, to places of assem-
bly,, such churches schools. theaters and
other places of amusement, to factories and
and workshops-in fine. TO any place where
large numbers of people are crowded to-
gether-that Is considered, than its direct
relationship to the house. or the very i'm
portant part ventilation must have in the
dwelling; in no place Is pure air more urg-
emily needed than in the home.
The breathing of impure air is precisely
identical, SO far its effect Is concerned
upon the human body as the drinking of
impure water or the eating of impure food
Both air and water are foods. foods of such
abundance in supply and so readily obtain
ed that little thought is given to their sup
ply, and so readily obtained that little
thought is given to their getting. This is
especially true of air, which is the single
DEMONSTRATING element obtained without
cost or labor and a general Indifference
exists as to it's origin and quite profound
lack of knowledge as to its contents and
qualities.
A Filter Plant.
One of the newest Of the New York no.
tells recently installed an elaborate and in
tricate air-filtering plant, by which every
pound of air brought into the building was
thoroughly filtered and cleaned before
reaching the rooms. 1t was not new idea,
but it had not before been applied to a
building of this sort, and perhaps never be-
fore on so large scale. The results OBJ
tanned We're little short of startling. very
considerable quantity of dust dirt and
ashes being obtained each day.
In the present state of the ventilatfng art
1t Is hardly possible that air filters can
come into general use as regular articles of
household equipment, valuable and service
able such a device would be, but the
practical demonstration that the air of New
York-and In excellent locality, 1t should
be noted-is so foul as to yield appreciabe
and even considerable amounts of refuse IS
object lesson Of the utmost Importance.
Conditions Of the Rental Market.
1t may be said that the new renting sea-
ment of real estate brokers who are in a
position to know. This conclusion of theirs
is based upon actual Office experience, as
they have already leased number of
houses, well as fats, for the coming
year. 1t has been a usual experience this
year for people to see about the home for
the coming year before leaving the city
for the summer In such they have
been obliged in many instances to pay rent
six months in advance or something of
that sort, In order to secure their accom-
modations. beginning September l.
1t Is stated by owners of apartment
houses as well as by those who have them
for lease that the suites in the buildings
struction to be ready by the coming fall
are pretty well taken up. The conclusion
has been reached In view of these facts,
that the outlook for the coming year in
the rental market both for houses and
apartments Is assured. and that there Will
be no complaint on the part Of owners be-
cause Of lack of tenants.
It Is recognized of course that there are
some Of the buildings of large type that
will not be finished In time for the fall mar
ket and that the supply from that source
which, of course, will be large, will effect
the market of the following year. If this
forecast of the conditions Is correct one
builders and others can feel assured that
for the present at least there Is no need to
bother about the market being oyerstocked
with houses for the coming season at any
rate
Recovered From the Worlds Fair.
Real estate conditions in Chicago are i'm
proving. according to the conclusions
based on recent transactions in property
there. In the Hyde Park section 1t is stated
by Chicago realty authority investments
in realty prior to and during the worlds
fair were in many instances Improbable
Those who got in and got OUT made
money. but those who held on and We're not
in a position to tide themselves over lost
their property, or else have suffered an
enormous shrinkage in value. Since then
improvements has been general. The popu-
lation of the city has increased. all tenant |
able property Is occupied, and there is now
Q constant demand f0x property eos per