Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-05
Mckenzie Supplies Property List

..Gth street deal was not in any way out
Of the ordinary in having i transferred
- third person.
Mckenzie Supplies Property List
Mr. Walker was then excused, and AS
sistant Assessor Alexander Mckenzie took
the stand with a list of his District of
Columbia property.
Mr. Mckenzie reiterated that he be-
ieves the law makes it necessary TO as
sess property at two-thirds of it's actual
value. neither more nor less.
You think not less than two-thirds
means not more than two-thErds'?" ques-
toned Representative Johnson.
Il don't want to express any opinion
1 think the present law means" was the
reply.
Mr. Mckenzie said the law was de-
why do say deliberately? Wasn't
bil?'
Of Congress are deliberately made" he
replied.
And are all the decisions of the as
SCISSORS office as deliberately made" he
My own attempt has been to pass on
matters with elaboration SAID Mr.. Nc
kenzie
The Mckenzie statement showed four
pieces of real es ate in hts name. One
is a 1904 East Capitol street. in which
he lived eleven years: another at l446
Harvard street. which is his home now.
Property Described.
One is at 2s27 Massachusetts avenue.
The lot he bought rom D. waIford.
agent for B. H. Warner. Offering s1D
foot, which failed. He got 1t for 50 a
foot. He said he had held it. hoping It
would enhance in value Mr.. Mckenzie
read the contract. dated May 16. 1903.
The lot was y feet by 100 feet. 1t is
now assessed at S225 foot. and house
on Ii Is assessed at S33 900. Mr.. Nc
kenzie said his East Capitol street house
has been increased a few hundred dol
.ars.
1910. in 1909 it was assessed at the
same figure.
Mr.. George suggested:
That neighborhood Is growing. isn't
Yes. but think it Is depreciating.
There have been no sales along there.
My Judgment is that Columbia Heights
is depreciating."
wv 1uld you rather sell it at loss, or
would you rather admit you assessed it
too low?' said Representative Johnson,
speaking of the Harvard street property.
Makes Detailed Reply.
Mr.. Mckenzie made long reply which
did not satisfy the chairman. Mr. Nc
Kenzie continued answering Mr.. George
as to why he had bought a house on
Harvard street. 1t was detailed story
OF a real estate deal. beginning with the
initial thought, giving all the CONVERSE
ton and ali the visits to the property.
etc.
He paid about $4,000. he said. and
was assessed at s5,740.
THE assessors told me I had paid
entirely too much for this house. Il
was afterward offered q lot on the
north side of the street for IS cents q
foot and / had paid $1.10."
What do you think about dummies?'
asked Representative George.
sometimes convenient. sometimes
cautious, sometimes fraudulent" was
the reply.
Mr. Mckenzie said there are methods
In the District Of Columbia whereby a
dummy" can be used In thoroughly
crooked way.
"A real estate man can swing a
property SO that the owner gets $50, 900
and the buyer pays $4,000 and the
broker pockets the difference"
"A device for robbery" said Mr..
George.
Is Often Perfectly Proper.
Mr.. Mckenzie also said that many real
estate men use dummy pr perfectly
good and proper reasons.
Asked about the transfer Of the 10th
street property to dummy. although the
members Of the assessors board owned it
Mr. Mckenzie said:
There was absolutely nothing wrong
about it
He said there was q community Of In
terest there and that the dummy was for
member of the board Of assessors which
nxed the value of the land.
Who proposed that the assessment be
reduced?' asked Mr.. George
i don't know. 1t was assessed from
the latest known facts"
Would your field books show any rea-
son for reducing the assessment on your
own property
Il don't think So
lis there anything in the way Of sub
Etantial information as to why the an
SCISSORS reduced their own property"
I'VE know II was bought for SOC. that
there had been sales at 5Oc, and it Ia
assessed at &c. which Is thirds of its
value"
In the Deal to Make Money.
Mr. Mckenzie said he went into the
deal 10 make money.
Taking up the 2s27 Massachusetts, ave-
nue. house. Mr.. Johnson asked.
Who is b. IL Warner"
He was a real estate man. His busi-
ness has been taken over by SwartxeIl.
Rheem & Hensey.
Mr.. Johnson wanted to know WHY the
agent had selected Mr.. Mckenzie a. the
object OF his advice.
y don't know
You sold this property at a proat.
didn't your"
Yes: TO a Mr.. Ross"
MIR Mckenzie said he had once taken
a thousand-dollar share in a hotel COM
pany, which contemplated putting a
hotel at 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue In response to Mr.. JohnsOn's
questions, he said he had declined To
act as member Of the excise board in
passing on the question Of a liauor IL
cense Tor the hotel; that he later dis
posed or his stock and eventually sat
on the board Of excise which considered
the matter. He sold the stock to n r
warwick, saloonkeeper. He said also
that Mr.. Heurich. a brewer, was Interest
ed in the company.
Warwick he said had tried IN ra,.e
money for the hotel. but could not make
go OF it, and Warwick wanted In tnrn
the property into a saloon
Il could not get in on that. OF course ..
he added, so I turned over INV stoct
to Warwick and got my 81 GOO back
Hotel License in Question.
Chairman johnson asked him III the
hotel license had not been held I'm be-