Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-18

deterioration 1t was valued at $,IU.OV1
q deterioration Of $l5O.OOO in eleven years.
That is Il per cent in eleven years In
the Cleveland. Ohio. table furnished by
Mr.. Browne there Is an allowance OF IA
per cent In eleven years on frst-class
steel office buildings.
"Mr. Browne says that with the 'Cleve-
land tables which are in the appendix
any one can easily figure out his proper
assessment Relying on these tables he
had to fix the value of Wizards Hotel at
$1.5OO.OOO or his theory was exploded and
the assessors right No wonder the COM
mittee took Mr.. Brownies lowest cost OF
Wizards Hotel at 81 .5OO.OOO instead OF
Mr.. Stellwagen's evidence of $1.2O,WO.
Small Homes.
On the subject Of small homes the COM
mittee says:
1.-The report after referring to several
witnesses by name says:
Their testimony is unanimous and
convincing that the small homes of the
District are overassessed.'
This Is the gravamen of the examina-
ton by the congressional committee. 1t
will now be shown that the testimony
any such facts The congressional COM
mittee maps the District into ten arbi-
trarily selected sections. AS to one of
these the report says:
Section 1 on the District map, COM
prising the small-home area, embraces
Southwest. Southeast and Northeast
Washington, and nearly all of that resi-
dence section of the northwest lying east
OF 14th street between the business area
and Florida avenue. Nine-tenths of it's
10000 houses are worth less than $4,000
EACH
AS to portion of this section, South
east and Northeast Washington. there is
adduced the testimony Of Mr.. Donohoe.
an East Capitol real estate agent,
Messrs. Weller and Repetti retired East
Capitol real estate agents and large own
ers of real estate in East Capitol section.
Mr.. f. w. Oyster and Mr. Gompers, the
last two claiming to represent large or
PLANTATIONS of men.
MIR. Weller says: Twenty-Five thou
sand little homes in East Washington
and 10000 houses in the city of Washing
tom"
The assessors office reports the follow
ing for the District:
Number of separate parcels Of land,
about 10000; number of improved prem
Uses of all kinds. about Is 600; number of
residences, about 1000"
This last includes all buildings of resi-
Dental nature houses apartment build
fngs. hotels. This would leave only 15,-
OO residences for all the rest of the Dis
trict other than the committee section l..
even without allowing any large buildings
in that section. Concerning these "small
uOHicS MeSSTS. DOnOnOe ana WoIlor
agree that in the East Capitol section
about three-fourths are rented.
Extracts From Testimony.
Extensive extracts are given from the
tests OF many witnesses on the subject
OF the taxation of small houses, with
the following comment:
THE committee and Mr.. Browne state
IN
southwest. southeast. northeast and in
the northwest, between North Capitol.
14th street northwest and Florida ave-
nue., section 1. Mr.. Weller states there
are $4,000 in East Washington. Mr.
Donohoe says that 20 to ~ per cent are
rented Mr.. Weller says that 30 per cent
are occupied by owners There would
be rented about 10000 in one case and
about $4,000 in the other case.
MIR. Donohoe can represent 1900
houses. Messrs. GOmpers. Weller and
Repetti represent less than $50 houses.
But put 1t at 800 for a safe figure. That
is. these witnesses, who testify as to I'M
warranted increase of assessment upon
small homes represent only per cent
in the one case and 10 per cent in the
other. But put it at 10 per cent. So
that representatives of only 10 per cent
of the small homes are the ones re-
quired by the committee to come and tes-
tify as to the small homes and to prove
assessors
against the small homes
Mr.. Donohoe, who says he can repre-
sent 1.JOO houses specifically refers to
only twenty three. and Of these nine are
in pairs Or blocks
The Painted Porch Case.
Special attention is given to the case of
"the man who painted his porch" noted
in the following extract from the George
report:
THE committee calls attention to the
very different. but no less remarkable
case Of Mr.. William J. Carey, machin-
list In the government navy yard, the as
sessment on whose small home was in
creased $500 over the previous assessment.
placing a gross valuation on his property
of 81 ,94S above the two-thirds of it's real
value. Mr.. Carey, in simple but graphic
words, describes his own plight as a la
boring man endeavoring to rear his fam
lily In comfort. and the worse plight of
his neighbOrs, less well situated than him.
self. but equally oppressed by the in
creased assessments. One of these was a
widow and one cripple.
while one case, continues the Board of
Trade committee. "even If unjust. could
hardly be regarded even as type. Yet
as the committee makes much of this in
stance. it will be examined.
1.-The record shows that Mr. William J
Cary resides at 124 9th street southeast
square S7S, sublOt 13S. and owns the
property, having purchased it in 1906
for 81, 400. The previous tax was $21 ~ or
valuation of $2112. The present tax is
$2922 on valuation of $2.922. an increase
Of $50. The land is valued the same
$612. The assessment on the house has
been increased from $1,000 to $1,000
which, at a two-thirds valuation would
make it's true value $3.50. or a total
value Of $2,922 on the property for which
he says he paid s., 400 in cash in 1900. OF
an excess of $522.
Now, it is to be borne in mind that
there is no evidence that the assessors
knew what Mr.. Carey paid for the house
In 1900 They had to use the best sources
of information in their reach 1t is a
two-story brick with six rooms and a
bath, no cellar.
THE records of the District of Column
bia show that the house was built on a
permit. issued January 8, 1897. 1t Is COM
posed of a front portion 16x3O and a
rear portion 1o14x12, total Of CSC square
feet. or a floor space for the two stories
of ,332 square feet.
Mr.. Lawson Purdy. the New York ex-
pert, examined by the committee. filed
an exhibit entitled: Factors of Value of
New Buildings. This exhibit contains a
table of values. in which one item is:
Two-family brick residence, two-story
(per square feet floor space), S2-$3.' APP
plying these figures to the Carey house. IL
should have cost to build between 50 Gfl
and S3,9O6. or a mean of $3.50. an excuse
beyond the value set by the assessors of
s414. $l.746, or $1.OSO, as the case NAV be.
Even with the minimum, there is a diff
ference of $414 over the assessed valua-
ton, or nearly Ii per cent, which amply
allows for deterioration in such "A house