The Washington times., 1912-12-27
JUDSON N T|LTS
WITH ATTORNEY At
INSURANCE INQUIRY
Commissioner Is Accused of
Seeking Publicity by
Investigation.
Examination Of Judson.
CONTINUED from First Page.)
ING the insurance prObe until the House
had stepped In.

~ S"e insurance prUoe until the House
had stepped in.
Examination Of Judson.
At the outset Of the cross.examina-
ton. Attorney Douglas played con.
unuaIly upon the fact that stellwasen
nad called the attention Of Commits.
sioner Judson to the alleged ovcr-valu-
alton Of the Southern Building. in the
report Of the superintendent Of insur-
ancc.
Was not Mr.. steliwasen solicitous
regarding the valuation OF the Union
Trust Building!" asked the attorney
Tor the insurance companies.
"tie never spoke to me about it,
answered Commissioner Judson.
Did he not complain that the ap-
praisal Of the Southern Building might
gut up the assessment on tho Union
Trust trust Building In that immediate vlcIn-
,,:i,, q sen'' }! think he made any such com.
Commissioner Judson said that It was
upon his own motion that he demanded
= reappraisal Of the Southern building,
e he regarded the $!.0)o.Ooo figure as too
nich. Mr. Dsuglas sought to have the
ca the assessors to put low valuation
Is Il your business to see that prop
ss'y S assessed as H. low as possible or
las. WV -'"s
Duty To Be Fair.
In this instance, where real estate
10 carried - the asset of q fire insur.
ance company It 10 my business to see
that It 10 assessed ~ fairly as possible -
responded the Commissioner.
The hearing developed that the around
uron which the Southern building stands
10 valued at &s5 per foot. Commenting
on this the Commissioner. said:
That US property muy appreciate or
depreciate. but I believe II Will drop.
l would not be surprised TO see this
estate Is going to drop before it goes
UP. Tha: may not be testimony 70,
IN, me real estate ring but believe /,
Mr.. Douglas disagreed radically will,
the belief Of the Commissioner tina
property In the neighborhood Of the
Southern building might depreclate. Ko
declared that the finest hotel in III.
United States 10 now being erected
other improvements were in progress
II think all these improvements wer,
discounted In the present price," said
C9ynmissioner. Judson.
CVoBbSO 8~ItCuCu again 10 StelIW0K-
ems interest in the appraisal OF the
Did mot steliwasen. request that you
nave . re:appraisal made of this South.
srn Buiiding?" he asked.
AppEaisement Criticised.
,"No. he left the remedy to me-" ans.
Nored- Colonel. Judson. He criticised
the sppraissment which had shown q
half millian increase in the building
within two days
There followed long interchange be.
tween attorney and Commissioner re-
gardinE the actual value Of the build.
ing, Mr.. Douglas holding out for high
Or figures than the Commissioner wal
Commissioner Judson said he hat
moved In board meeting that william
b. Hoover and Harold +. Doyle b,
named appraisers for the new appraise
He admitted that he had not left thu
selection to the Superintendent OF In
surance. Mr.. lnghan. for the Commis
sioner said: II did not think his selec
ssen for the former appraisal had beer
Douglas. in q series Of questions. at
tempted to force the admission from tn,
Commissioner that he had talked ovel
the value Of the Southern Building will
M: Hoover before suggesting the lat
Didn't you ask Hoover one morn!ni
At the breakfast table at the Brighton
what he thought this property wa!
WORTH" persisted the attorney.
Does Not Remember 1t.
IT don't remember any such conver
setion. I may have talked Of the mat
ter with Mr.. Hoover following my sug
Sestion that he be one of the new ap
praisers." Tho Commissioned denict
that he had 'insisted' that no othe
appraisers except Hoover and Doyl
should be named.
"How many times have you had con
versation with 4. J. StellwaGen regard
ing this insurance matter and Souther,
Building appraisement.' snapped Doug
lea
"a good many: probably | have hat
ten conversations with him." frankl,