Evening star., 1912-07-16
MAY0RDERCH
LEGISLATION on District Affairs
Booked for Future.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
New System of Assessment for Tax
alton Regarded as Likely.
ACCOUNT WITH THE TREASURY
Representative johnson Expected to
Show District Is in Debt to
United States.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
ACCOUNT WITH THE TREASURY

Before Congress adjourns it is quite
possible that the House District COM
mittee will have before 1t three reports
of particular interest to the District
Of Columbia, and two OF them will in
dicate that the committees mind is
made up to make sweeping changes in
matters pertaining to the local gov
ernment. The third report, concerning
the local gas situation, will undoubted-
ly call for the retaining Of a gas engi
neer to make an investigation Of the
Washington and Georgetown service
A fourth report of which scarcely
anything has been heard, probably will
be Forthcoming in the fall. after the
expert retained at the instance Of Rep
resentative Johnson. chairman Of the
House District committee, completes
his findings in the Treasury Depart
ment.
This expert is going over the books
which show the accounts between the
District of Columbia and the federal gov
ernment. No inkling Of what he is find
ing can be obtained. That the resulting
report will show that he believes the
District owes the government some
money is extremely probable, however.
Taxation and Assessment
Representative George, who has been
prosecuting the investigation into the
Districts taxation and assessment sys-
tenn, has concluded his hearings and is
collating his findings. The report which
he will present to the full committee will
be an exhaustive one. judging by the
amount of Information which is being
put into It, 1t will contain the plant Of
the little fellow and the explanation of
the speculator, the defense Of the man
who has lodged taxes and the reasons
Of the business man who deals in solid
affairs.
But of greater interest to the city
at large will be the results to come
from this report. Mr.. George refuses
to say In advance what his recon-
mendations will be- At the same time
It is known that one suggestion will
be for law changing the method Of
taxation on two-thirds the value of
property to taxation at full value:
MT George Was asked to indicate i,ane
other lines. All he would say in reply
was:
I'm the Investigation we have found
ministration and in the actual taxa
ton. We hope to remedy these"
1t will be recalled by those who fol-
lowed the hearings that considerable
are but three real estate assessors in
the District. A New York expert tes-
tilted that he would increase the num-
Der by twenty. and that annual as
to pursue.
Owing to the long pages OF testimony on
this point 1t is only fair to assume some
thing will be recommended to correspond
to the views Of those who offered testi-
mony. Considerable will be said about
inequalities of assessment In various parts
of the city. Property owners from the
southeast section were particularly active
in bringing facts along this line to the at
tention of the committee.
May Recommend an Expert
Representative Lobeck. who haS been
delving into the gas situation. is Of the
opinion that what the committee needs
most is some one who knows about gas.
and for that reason is ready to recon-
mend the employing of a gas expert.
Boiled down. all the testimony along the
line of q need for cheaper gas in this city
has not been convincing to the members
Of the subcommittee.
1T Is a matter Of personal opinion"
said Mr.. LObeck. today. You can ap-
pear before the committee and say. We
need seventy-fve-cent gas and the COM
self
How do you known I asked.
Because l think So, you will say.
THAT Is the way with most people.
What we need is a man who knows all
about gas and who will investigate the
situation. I think I'm ready to recon-
mend such an inquiry"
There Is another investigation going on
that will most assuredly result in
recommendation for an upset in the Dis
trict building and in the schools. 1t Is
being conducted by Representative Red
trict's methods Of the purchase of sup
plies, their storage, accounting and dis
tribution. Mr.. Redfeld has been quite
frank with those who have spoken to him
| about his inquiry. He says he has found
situations which are in great need of a
| change. The Districts contracts, made
out by the purchasing department in the
District building. did not please Mr.. Red
field, and a law to remedy these will un-
doubtedly be recommended.
The school storehoLse and the distri-
button of schoolhouse supplies certainly
did not please the member Of Congress,
who was frank in saying 1t was about as
| unbusinesslike situation as he had seen
for many day.
Conditions in Schools.
School repairs and the care Of furnaces
| has been point on which the investiga-
ton has halted for several days. and
while these things were being discussed
| 1t was easy to see that the old dissrun-
| tied feeling between the board of edu-
cation and the municipal architects Office
was still in thriving condition Snow
| den Ashford, municipal architect, has
been able to get in some good licks
against his time -honored enemies on the
| school side, and every now and then
| they would retaliate with stinger them
selves.
Capt Oyster. president of the board.
| is getting ready now to throw few
darts into the engineer department OF
the District, as he has asked for a hear
/ ing or tw5 to reply to some of the in
situations made against his admiEisfra-
ton. He viii be on the stand some day
| this week.
BARKING DOG GIVES WARNING.