Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-04
ARE LOWEST FIGURES AGAIN "ON HIS JOB"
Prices of Avenue Property as House Minority Leader Re-.
Viewed by Commissioners. sumes His Tactics.
OPINIONS OF RESIDENTS DALZELL MAKES PROTEST
Estimate b Real Estate Dealers Drastic Rule Adopted Expedite
Other Business Men. Puolc Business
PLACE TOTAL AT s12Oo0O00 SATISFACTION
Dlatory
When the District Bill Is
Separate Lines. Again
OPINIONS OF RESIDENTS
Estimate by Real Estate Dealers and
Other Business Men.
PLACE TOTAL AT $12,0O0,000
Method by Which the District Of
ficials Reached Conclusions-Pur-
sued Separate Lines.

The Commissioners are unanimous in
their belief that the Pennsylvania ave-
nue. property which it is proposed shall
be purchased by the government for
the extension of the Mall. upon which
to erect a number of federal govern
ment buildings, cannot be bought for a
cent less than S19,3OO,OOO, the amount
estimated by them in report to Vice
President Fairbanks yesterday.
AS was stated in The Star yesterday.
this report was made in response to
resolution adopted by the Senate nearly
two months ago. According to the
Commissioners their estimate is eN-
tremely low and the greatest care and
thoroughness were exercised in arriving
at the estimated values
The surveyor of the District, who has
technical knowledge regarding the
value of property in connection with
SCISSORS of the District did the figuring
for the Commissioners but despite their
thorOughneSS, and the COmm1SSi SionerS
firm belief that the estimate Is low.
business and real estate men who have
been questioned think differently. Some
of the latter have claimed that $4,000
900 would not have been too low for
the property.
Plan of Procedure.
The subordinates of the Commissioners.
in arriving at their conclusions, worked
SCISSORS. According to the Commissioners,
the surveyor personally visited three hun
dred places accompanied by one of the
assistant inspectors of the building de-
partment and fixed the true value of the
place in theoretical way. He first talked
with the owner as prospective buyer
and then fixed the value of the land anG
building by the cubic foot method-sc
many cubic feet at so much a cubic foot
The surveyor alSo considered the figures
etc, printed by The Star regarding the
properties in question.
The board of assistant assessors worked
differently. There are three members OF
this board, and they first found out how
many Of the properties had the "for sale
sign on them, and then questioned tht
owners about the selling price, not a:
assessors, it is said, but as prospective
buyers. While thus engaged the board
discovered that there is an old law which
gives the assessor authority to summon
property owners at any and all times ant
to question him about the price of hi!
property. More than 200 persons were
summoned and questioned by the three
assistant assessors In the latter's Office ir
the District building. Then the members
of the board began rapid fire of ques-
tions about the price of the properties.
Questions From Two Viewpoints.
Commissioner West says they asked
questions from the viewpoint of pro-
spective buyers. and Commissioner Mac
farland is of the opinion they asked ques
tions from the viewpoint Of assessors
At any rate their total estimate was more
than 81 100000 higher than the estimate
made by the surveyor. After putting
their heads together and going over the
figures again the surveyor and the board
of assessors arrived at the total which
the Commissioners accepted and for
warded to Vice President Fairbanks
The Commissioners were asked today
if this estimate will be considered as the
assessed valuation of the property in
question when the next assessment of the
property in the city is made. Commits.
siOner Maclarland who is Of the opinion
that the assessors questioned the property
owners las assessors" and not as ''pur.
chasers," says If such be the case and
in view of the fact that the figures were
given by the owners to the assessors. the
latter will be at liberty to use the same
on the next assessment books.
Senator Gallinger's Views.
Senator Gallinger. chairman of the com
mittee on the District of Columbia. who
is heartily in favor of the proposition tc
purchase the property south of Pennsyl
vania avenue for the erection of future
public buildings, told a representative OF
The Star today that he thought the esti.
mate of the District Commissioners tha,
this land would cost the government ir
the neighborhood of $19,3OOOOO. will be
found to be too low when it comes to the
actual acquisition. He said he believed
it will cost more nearly S2o 100000 Sena
tor Gallinger bases this opinion on hi:
intimate knowledge of conditions in the
District. gained from long experience a:
it's congressional mayor
notwithstanding the fact that the Com
missioners have reported an estimate thai
is nearly twice as much as the approprla
ton carried in the Hepburn bill, and thai
in his opinion the land will cost mucl
more even than this. Senator Gallingel
thinks the Senate will pass the HeyburI
bill at this session.
"Of course. property owners are going
to ask much as they can for theil
property" he said when the govern.
ment wants to buy. They will want g
good deal move than is estimated fol
their good wiz and as matter OF
fact they ought to get a good price fol
it. But it nevertheless is true that the
government SnOulQ acquire ana clean III
the property south of the avenue from
the Capitol to the Treasury. Conditions
there are d uISgrace to the city. Con
gress at every session appropriateS mil
lions of dollars for the navy and pensions
Why should it not appropriate for this
purpose? l do not think 1t would ever b,
regretted"
Mr.. GaIlinger went on to say he be-
leved this land will some day be bought
by the government. and the sooner it is
done the better. as demands for higI
prices will increase. doubtless every year
He also said ne believed the north sid.
of the avenue should be cleared I'D from
the Capitol to John Marshall place, al
least in order that there might be q
proper approach to the Capitol
Bryan in Kansas Today.
HUTCHINSON, Kan, April 1.-Willja,r