Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-07
Probers of District System of
Taxation Take Issue With
Samuel 7. KaIbfus.
OPPOSITION ENCOUNTERED
TO PREPARED STATEMENT
Chairman johnson Declares News
papers Garble Accounts Of
the Hearings.

Fireworks Of q verbal kind Illuminated
the chambers Of the House District COM
mittee today when Representative Reed
OF New Hampshire interposed an objec-
ton to the prepared statement from which
Samuel T. Kalbfus Of the board Of as
sistant assessors was reading in connec-
tion with his testimony regarding his
real estate transactions. which are be-
ing investigated as part of the commit
tees purpose to probe the taxation sys-
tenn of the District of Columbia.
Before the air had cooled Representa-
tee. asked Mr.. Kalbfus whether he
thought any Washington newspaper
would publish anything detrimental to
the present assessment system, and
said that the newspaper accounts Of
the hearing were garbled.
Mr.. Johnson took Mr.. Kalbfus to task
by the manner of his interrogations
for having furnished newspapers with
copy OF his prepared statement and
portions Of which have been published,
although the committee has not ac-
cepted the statement as whole.
Mr.. Kalbfus made hot retort to Rep
resentative Reed, imputing that the for
mer mayor Of Manchester, n. H., Is ignor-
ant on business subjects.
Representative JOHNSON, WHlIe 0lScuSS-
ing the KalbfuS prepared statement,
called attention to the fact that news
papers In the District of Columbia are
generously patronized by real estate ad-
vertisers. and his intimation seems to be
that on matters Of assessment and taxa
tion the local newspapers are inclined to
lean toward the real estate business side
of the question in the news account.
Mr.. Kalbfus Prepares Statement.
The Kalbfus statement is a fifty-three-
page typewriter document containing
facts regarding Mr.. kalbfus' career in
the District of Columbia, his connection
with the Horstmann charges and all his
real estate deals. giving names, dates
loans, trustees ETC.; also some views re-
garding the right of an assistant as
SCISSOR to speculate in real estate and Mr..
Kalbfus' views on the manner In which
property Is assessed at twO-thirds OF Its
actual value.
Mr.. Kalbfus said that in preparing
this statement he had consulted the
real estate men. the bankers and others
eleven years and that the statement
had been prepared by him under the
advice Of counsel Mr.. Reed and others
on the committee held that in view of
the fact that Mr.. kalbfus had vislIed
bankers. real estate men. etc, the
statement is not his original testimony.
Mr.. Reed suggested that If the paper
be taken away from Mr.. kaiblus ne
would be utterly at sea. Much or the real
estate testimony already given has been
read from the statement at issue, and
part of it has furnished basis for the
cross-examination, and Mr.. kalbfus Of
fered the statement whole TO the
committee, but it was refused.
Kalbfus Explains Assessments.
Mr.. Kalbfus showed the assessments
on property sold by him to p. A. Drury
in 1908 to be 81 foot for lot 1872; 40
cents for lots SIG and S21. They arS
near the south end Of the Connecticut
avenue bridge The sale price was
about $3.50 a foot. Asked about 1t. Mr.
Kalbfus reiterated the testimony or
Yesterday that the assessment had
been made many months previous to
the SALE Representative Johnson asked
about benefits there. Mr.. kalbfus ex-
planned that some land in the neigh
borhood had been condemned at 70
Mr.. Kalbfus was asked about the date
of the assessment. He said 1t was De-
cember, 1911.
more than six months before the as
sessment had been finished?
"It would look so-without looking
it up"
80 InaI the pOdTu Oh dSSCoSoio iou
the means of changing the assessment
from 40 cents to two-thirds of $50
for which you sold it. which would
have been 81 a square foot"
"Yes, but l don't believe this board
or any board would stick to thirds
Of what was paid.
Mr.. Kalbfus said other land around
ft sold for less. and that assessments
were made with the other sales in
mind.
'This was Embarrassment wasn't
it?"
'Tt may appear so TO you. Mr..
George"
Mr.. George held that the assessment
should have been chalked up. Mr..
Kalbfus held that the price he got
was not the only element to consider
in arriving at the true value.
Representative George asked Mr..
Kalbfus whether p. A. Drury paid too
much or whether the assessment was
too low: also If the assessors had been
derelict. Mr.. Kalbfus declined to make
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