Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-08
The Star and the Inquisition.

The Star and the Inquisition.
Objection has been raised by members
of the House District committee. now
sitting in inquisition upon the District
of Columbia. against the printing of parts
of statement prepared by Mr.. Kalbfus.
a member of the board of assessors in
anticipation of his appearance as a wit
ness before that body. When Mr.. Kalb-
fus offered this statement as a means of
effecting a clear understanding of his
position and his views ress~ding the two
thirds assessment syste>s and the in
structive force Of committee recommen-
dations as affecting administrative
actions. the committee refused to receive
II. The Star. meanwhile, had published
portions of this statement in strict COM
pliance with the conditions imposed upon
II when a copy of the statement was re-
ceived from Mr.. kalbfus through his
counsel. The Star believed that the pub
LEGATION of this statement was in the in
terest of a better understanding of the
legal basis for the two-thirds assessment
system, and still holds that its reproduce
ton was proper, even though the COM
mittee was not technically in possession
of the document which had been rendered
to it.
If this investig ton now being con-
Quoted by the House committee is re-
search for facts and is not prosecution
the committee should welcome every pos
sible item Of information. 1t would seem
TO have been the best course. to the end
of a clear understanding, for the commit
tee To receive, to read and thoughtfully
to consider so clearly stated. so concise
and yet so comprehensive q statement
rendered by a witness. Surely. a review
of facts meeting easily anticipated ques-
uons suggested by those aimed at pre-
ceding witnesses is more TO be desired by
truth-seeking body of investigators than
the answers returned 10 categorical and
inqufsitorial questions in the nature of a
cross-eNamination poured upon witnesses
who have not been previously subjected
to an examination-in-chief.
If this is a prosecution, where is the
indictment? If it is an investigation,
why is there an unwillingness to receive
the facts regardless of the source and
the manner of their presentation?
The assertion was made in the course
of yesterdays proceedings that the news
papers in this city are printing garbled
reports of the hearings and that this in
accuracy is inspired by the influence Of
real estate dealers and other interests"
concerned in preventing the disclosure of
the truth regarding local assessments and
taxation. This is an interesting but not
necessarily true statement of the case.
1t lacks seriously in certain aspects of
precision. In the first place, the reports
which are printed in the newspapers-The
Star will speak for itself and say that the
reports printed in The Star are true and
faithful summaries and undeniably &C
curate reflections of the testimony given
before the committee. This can be proved
by comparisons between these newspaper
REPORTS and the regularly published steno-
graphic reproductions of the testimony
issued from the government printing Of
flee. The Star has no fear of the results
of such comparison, nor does it hesi-
tate 10 declare it's confidence that an
unparalleled reading of its reports Of
the hearings will acquit it of any ten
dency whatever toward "garbling'' or
Intentional Misrepresentation, aside from
the slight and inadvertent errors due to
the necessary haste of composition and
preparation.
1t is true that The Star is hostile to the
avowed or at least apparent purpose of
the present investigators to discredt the
system of two-thirds assessments, and to
attack the present fiscal relations be-
tween the District and the federal gov
eminent. But this hostility is not in
spired by the influence of real estate
firms or banking institutions, exerted
through the medium Of the advertising
columns or otherwise. This papers hos
tility to the present tendency of the
House District committee manifested
solely through its editorials and in no de-
gree affecting its presentation of the news
is animated exclusively by it's concern
for the welfare of the entire District its
concern, indeed. for the small tenant, the
individual home owner, the taxpayer and
the rentpayer alike. 1t hopes for an
equalizing of the assessments, whether
through administrative or legislative
means ii matters little. But il hopes 10
see maintained the present two-thirds
basis of assessment so long as the fixed
lax rate stands. In short, The Star con-
tends and will continue to contend against
any ineQuitable raising OF the basis OF
assessment Unaccompanied by a reduc-
ton of the rate. for it knows that such
an increase would result in a large ad-
diuon to the per capita tax burden now
borne by the Districts people, directly or
indirectly, without a corresponding bene-
at In the form of public works or i'm
proved municipal administration. II that
be yielding to influence. the House
District committee may make the most
OF IL.