Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-18
HEAVY Loss
Commissioner Rudolph on Tri-
enniai Assessments in District
TESTIFIES AT CAPITOL
Appears Before Committee Engaged
on Local Investigation.
DEFENDS ASSESSORS TENURE
Says They Are Removed From In
duenca to Favor Large Own
ers in Their Figures. .'..

commissioner Rudolph declared TODAY
.hat the District of Columbia Is losing
me assessment on ss,0CO,OO0 worth of real
estate year. and Assessor Richard
ecnoed his statements and fiY,raa ~.
revenue lost by the triennial Assessment,
is $4,000 In two years: these .,ator,.n.s
being made before the House inve.,igo.
ing subcommittee which TODAY starred On
It's task Of inquiring into every nooL "a
y oi the assessors Office and the
methods of assessment and t.xa.,e
-. .ae Dis.rict. The investigation is under
'ne authority OF resolution which viii,
empower the subcommittee to call wit.
administer oaths and sit during
the sessions of the House. The nar,h..s
OF the subcommittee who mot ,naeal oers
representative johnson, Chairman ~ ehe
i ouSe committee on the District of r.
,umoia. and Representatives Gaor..
n nesger' oldheld, Redfield and o'shsu.
Although Representative johnson -.
enalrnan OF the subcommittee. the in s
w ~ was conducted TODAY nv pew
sen.atIve George, who is the tayat,on -.
pert pert OF Of the House. Of Represents dives and
connec9ior uone mucn preliminary work i'm
;n.n G, with the present investiea fion
INTO District matters It Is evident T.Np
some or his questions that he farors =
csange IN one or two important featmres
u .ne assessment methods here.
the .,,hr rudolph. under oath. told
~, me subcommittee that the assessor and
ms board have a life tenure of office and
tndl ne Delleved such a plan remove.
tnese oncers from all outside infinence
mas been said." he explained. that
prior to this life tenure of Office to,,,n, q,
the end of the four-year term RI. a .omaro
nents were made so as to curry favor
with real estate owners
ana dfd this favor affect the larp. ~
Small sman ta&payers?" asked Representative
The large taxpayers, 1 am told"
mere was this outside Influence thop
80 me popular mind?" pursued Repre-.
YES, replied the Commissioners .but
"o soch innuence operates today"
Loss on Triennial Assessments.
Representative George turned the in.
curry toward the subject Of triennia1 as.
said: uoiph
do not regard the triennia, assess.
ment as a good thing at all. It should
De annual. We will add $4,000, 600 q wear
an .n nn assessed valuation Of land under
al annual assessment. for the annual
improvements to property make the real
estate worth just SO much more
iHs would appear to affect the n,,-
PIE who own big properties in the center
OF the city," remarked Represente,swa
George, and Commissioner Rudolnh nod
oeo: representative George continued.
And you would favor a change In nm.
nuaI assessment as one of the naodad
things In the District of Columbia GOV
ernment?'' soV-
Yes. replied the Commissioner .Tbe
three Commissioners are a unit in this
anu the conclusion has not been arrived
at hastily. 1t would get more taxes and
would do away with many inequalities"
Tenure Of Assessors.
The life term of Office for the assessor
and his board was discussed by the Com
missioner and the members of the sub
committee at some length Commissioner
Rudolph steadfastly upheld this method
of retaining these District officers. and
said he was willing to take any chances
of INSTRUMENTATION that might arise, as
the law has laid down a course to follow
through the courts in case the assessor
and his board begin to run things in too
lhigh-handed a fashion. Commissioner
Rudolph said that any disadvantages that
might lie in the present tenure Of office
are Offset by having these important
officials free from outside influence.
Representative Dyer wanted to know
why it would not be a good thing to put
the Commissioners in possession of COM
plete power to discharge the assessor and
his board when it appeared necessary.