The Washington herald., 1911-10-14
CHAMBER INTERESTS
REAL ESTATE MEN
Commerce Body Considering
Questions of Property,
BUILDING RULES TAKEN UP
Bay Window, Vault Tax, and Darr's
Appeal Board from Assessors Are
An of Vital Interest to Building
Trades and Real Estate Fratern-
ity-Water Rate Increased.

The activities of the Chamber Of Com
merce this winter will contain much Of
Interest to the building trades and real
estate fraternity. Every meeting calls
forth some action OF particular interest,
apparently. This was true of the last
meeting, Tuesday night, when two ad-
ditional actions Of especial interest to
the building trades and real estate field
were called out
The Chamber now has before it four
important questions affecting real es-
tate values and building operations in
the District of Columbia. They are ID
Ihe question Of the arbitrary changes in
the building regulations by the Commits
sioners without notice: C2) The Judson
proposal to levy tax on vaults under
the sidewalks; 90 The proposal of Waddy
- wood, the local architect. that the
building regulations be amended so as to
prohiblt the contruction of projecting
hay windows, and, a. the resolution OF
'harles W. Darr calling upon the law
ana legislation committee to draft a law
TOT presentation at the next session of
'ongress, providing for board of equali-
Eatlon and review TO pass on appeals
from the decisions OF the board of Dis
trict assessors. Mr.. Darr's resolution
VIII not be acted upon until the next
meeting Of the Chamber.
In addition 20 these questions, the
Chamber will lead the fight against the
arbitrary raising ot the water taxes. u
question in which builders and real estate
men are directly interested.
In Committees Hands.
The first question enumerated is in the
hands Of the committee on building in
dustries, Of which Ernest II. Daniel is
chairman. The committee met last sum-
mer and called fer the opinions of rep
resentativcs of the building trades, Of
property owners. and OF citizens associ- |
atIons. It decided TO forgo the formal !
ity OF a public hearing before the Com
nlSsi"ners and to take advantage of the !
authority vested in it by the board of !
directors 1t VIII draft a law taking !
away from the Commissioners their |
power to change the building regulations |
without notice and requiring that a |
thirtY-day notice by publication in the |
local newspapers be given OF any pro-
posed changes
The second question has reached a stage
where only one course Is open to the
committee on building Industries, to !
which it was referred, namely. the op-
posing of it before Congress- This task
probably will present greater difficulties
,han the building regulations question, as
many advocates of under pavement vault
taxation probably will be found in Con-
SreSs. The sense Of the entire Chamber
has not been called for on this question.
but the board Of directors are believed
to be largely opposed TO such a system
1f taxation. 1t is conceded, however, that
in a city where holders OF residential
property are largely men ana women on
small income and where there are no
manufactures to take over n snare or
he burden of taxation, there rs much to
De said on both sides of the question.
Ray Windows Up.
The window regulation question
vas first broaChed in the Chamber at the
meeting Tuesday night. J. H. Magruder
offered a resolution protesting against
he proposed prohibition The resolution
vas referred 10 the building industries
committee.
While the proposed prohibition has not
aken any alarming form as yet. taken
n connection with Commissioner Jud-
on's desire t. tax under-pavement ,
aultS. the agitation at this time is con-
idered ominous. Waddy B. Wood, of a '
'ell-knOwn firm Of local architects. wrote :
commissioner Judson suggesting that bay
'indows be prohibited by the building
equations. Mai. Judson replied asking ,
hat the matter he debated at the next
leetinE of the American Institute of
rchitects. A few days later the ques- I
on was brought up by the architects,
nd a committee. composed of Waddy J
. Wood. Snowden Ashford. the muni-
pal architect, and Albert L. Harris,
as appointed to investigate the propo-
tion and report at the next meeting
1t is taken as a foregOnc conclusion '
nat the report will not be favorable to
ay windows. 1t IS not feared, by those
no oppose the agitation, that Mai Jud-l
on and the other Commissioners will at
,mpt to prohibit bay windows entirely 5
Ut that tax for all such projections
eyond the building line will be levied. c
stensibly to suppress as MANY as nos /
BILE of such projections on tho ground .
nat they mar the architectural beauty \
the city.
DHrr Resolution Next. a
The question urecipitated by Mr., Darr,s f.
promises great possibilities for Il
ide-spread interest and discussion when
is brought up at the next monthly tt
leeting Of the Chamber. In this oueE-
on, too, the real estate fraternity is
terested probably more directly than A
any other now before the Chamber, r
hat the Darr resolution will get favor
Die action as Ear as the next meeting m
the Chamber is concerned is taken for T
-anted. There is always large enough h
,rcentage OF tax payers dissatisfied ,
ith their assessments to further any
citation Of this nature. Moreover, in Al
'ashington, the charge has been re- A
'ated with great persistence and fire.
lency that certain glarlng inequalities fe
the assessment rates have never been P
GIFTED. These charges emasate not only
ON private property owners, but from p
al estate operators as we'll They
arge overassessment as well as under Ii
Jsessment. pl
But the loudest cry is heard. not so
uch against separate assessments as NJ
yainst the methods employed, by which
e same men as levied the first assess q
ent hears and decides any appeals
ON It's own Judgment and previous de-
sion. Mr. Darr's plan, while 1t may
eet with opposition as to details, will, 4.
Is believed find many supporters. A.
District Probers watchfuI. Al
II is a question, however, II Mr.. Darr Ie
IS not been anticipated by the sub J.
mmittee of tbs House District Com
lttee, which Is investigating the Dis J..
ct The committee is TO pay particu- .;
r attention to the tax assessments and O.,
manner OF their levying, and 1t is
nsidered extremely doubtful II the COM au
ttee in its report does not recommend
me method Of furnishing a different ed
ard Of appeals.
However, this may be. the discussion on
the question n the Chamber is sure y
bring out some interesting points to co
operty owners and real estate dealers, Sc
d IT has been suggested that, in view fal
the several questions affecting thel
Al estate fraternity now under con- wi
leraticn by the Chamber, a larger rep .;
sentation Of real estate men would not -
out Of place.
Mcintyre WIN Filled. to.