Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-23
COMMITTEE OF HOUSE
TOCONDUCT INQUIRY
Revival of Policy Advocated in Con-
gress Twenty Years Ago.
Report Made on Subject May "a,
1892, Accepted as Basis of Pres
ent Probe Of Local
Conditions.

COuQlI1OuS.
An investigation OF the financial system
of the District OF Columbia, Of the
methods of assessment and taxation and
of every other phase of existing economic
conditions. is planned by Representative
Henry George. jr., of New York, son of
the famous political economist and single
tax advocate, who died a few years ago.
Mr.. George will be made chairman of Il
special committee of the House District
committee. of which he is member. The
inquiry will be begun in the near future
and will probably continue not only
throughout the present special SESSION.
but well into the regular session which
will convene next December.
There is an interesting story connected
with this proposed inquiry. Twenty years
ago the late Tom l.. Johnson of Ohio,
who died recently. was chairman OF d
special committee of the District commit
tee which made an investigation of the
Assessment of taxes in the District OF
Columbia" Mr.. Johnson was an intimate
personal friend Of the senior Henry
George and a convert to the latters
theories of taxation and government. The
were Representatives Washington and
WadswOrth.
Report Was Without Results.
These three men went into the assess
ment proposition, studied the situation
carefully, and May "A, 1892. made a re-
port. And that was the end of the in
qury so far as results were concerned.
The conclusions reached by the special
committee was considered to be too
radical and too revolutionary. few copies
were printed and no chance was ever
given for its consideration in the House.
Now. twenty years later. this reports
single copy Of which has been found-is
in the possession of Henry George. Jr..
who proposes to take up Tom Johnson's
work where the latter left off. Just
couple OF av1eeks~ ego AIR. George went to
Brooklyn, N. Y, to attend the funeral Of
his fathers friend. Tom johnson was
buried only short distance from the
grave Of Henry George. And it was while
two men he most admired, that Henry
George. jr., resolved to do all he could.
while a member Of hte House of Repre-
sentatives. to carry out i'm practical
way the theories of his father. to com
plete the task in the District left unfin-
ished by Johnson and to endeavor To
make economic conditions in the District
of Columbia so excellent that they might
serve as an example to the rest OF the
world.
Mr.. George admits that he is Optimis-
tic and that he has undertaken a big
task But SO far the initial Step-the
inquiry itself-is concerned. he has re
ceived nothing but encouragement from
the democratic leaders of the HOUSE.
Many of them are convinced that the
Districts taxation and assessment sys-
tenn is wrong and needs overhauling.
Regarded as Prophetic.
1t seems to Henry George. jr.. that the
Of Tnb hi
of 1892 were almost prophetic. From the
yellowed document he cites the following:
Already the effect of the growth and
improvement fitch federal District has
been, by increase of land values. TO give
| hundreds of millions TO fortunate few.
| but to increase the cost OF living to such
a degree as to make it "A serious question
| with many of the officers and employees
| Of the national government who are
called on to live here. And if this tend
| ency continues not only will the salaries
| paid to employees of the United States
| soon become entirely inadequate to the
| scale of living for which they We're in
| tended, but the capital of the American
republic must ere long present such a
| contrast between luxurious ideness and
pOverty-stricken workers as can be
| ceeded i'm no capital Of professedlv aris-
| tocratic countries.
If this statement was true when Tom
Johnson penned it. as Mr.. George is
convinced it was. then. he urges, ii Is
a thousandfold more true today. He
points to the fact that government
salaries are in the main Inadequate, and
that the best proof Of this lies in the
| fact that employees in the classified
service. with the assistance Of the
buciness interests Of Washington. are
| to secure increases along the line.
Approves the Criticism.
He also thinks that the criticisms of
the assessment and taxation system
which the Johnson select commit tee
registered twenty years ago apply with
even greater force at the present time
In other words, as previously stated.
Mr. George will take up the Johnson
investigation, which was barren Of re-
suits, bring it up to date, amplify it, and
endeavor to secure action by Congress
on recommendations which the special
committee which he Is to head Will
make on the subject
| The following extract from the Tom
Johnson report Is or interest as showing
his ideas on the taxation problem:
| ANALYSIS shows that the rental value
| of land does not arise from any eXpend-
iture of labor or investment Of capital by
the owner of the land. The value which
the owner Of land may create by the ex-
| penditure of labor and capital is a value
which attaches to buildings and improve
ments. The value which attaches To the
land itself comes from the growth OF tho
whole community. 1t is this growth and
Improvement Of the community itself
which has given to land in certain parts
| of the federal District a value amounting
| to over So, ,OOO.0O an acre. II the owners
of this land had left their land idle. il
| they had been absenteeS or idiots. this
value would have attached to the land to
the same extent and in the same manner.
Basis Of Valuation.
! ut comes from the growth Of popula-
ton and general Improvement, and 10
primarily due to the fact that this par
ticular place has been selected as the
site Of the national capital. Thus every
one who adds even temporarily to the
population and business of Washington
does something to add to the value OF
the land, something to increase fund
which may be taken to defray all the
expenses OF government, without levying
any tax on legitimate property or inn