Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-05
SUBJECTED TO QUIZ
0NBUS|NESSDEA
Alexander Mckenzie, Former
Assessor, Details Transacs
tons in Real Estate.
TESTIMONY GIVEN TODAY
BEFORE HOUSE PR0BERs
Allan E. Walker, a Witness Ex.
plains to Committee the Practice
OF Realty Brokers.

Vi neatly Brokers.
'eN"huer Mckenzie, assistant assessor
oi ,he District. who was before m.
rouse District OF Columbia COMMITTEES TO
oas, went into the remotest details OF his
ai estate deals here in Washington. and
aiso INTO MS connection with N hotel COM
panS "hich eventually turned into a ss
o" company while he owned stock An
anu "hiie he was member of the
poard. Representative johnson.
| enaii man OF the committee endeavored
aiiy 10 get Mr.. Mckenzie to make a
ui eoe answer OF yes" or mo" to a aues-
.ioh, ana Mr. Mckenzie bluntly declined
10 do so' saying that the direct answer
mouid convey the wrong information
Anan =. Walker. real estate broker
was witness today, and explained i'm
oetaii the practice of real estate men
mere who find 1t necessary or convenient
TO use a dummy" in transferring real
estate.
Not Interested in Loan Office.
Representative Johnson asked Assessor
hlchards IL he is Interested in any loan
Office.
Mr.. Richards said he had been vice
president Of the Columbia Building and
Loan Company for three wears. owning
| few hundred dollars worth of stock
ASKED as to the character of the bust
ness, etc, Mr.. Richards said the proprr
nes were scattered all over the ty. ard
that no special class of persops war.,
| solicited for business.
| M Z. Hazen, surveyor Of the Dfstrfct
OF Columb a, is president Of the company.
| Mr.. Richards said
Mr: Hazen, surveyor OF the Dis
Irict or Columbia. and YOU assessor. ar.
| president and vice president of This
| company, remarked Representativ.
1 johnson.
ar. hicnards was questioned closely n
20 whetner any employees Of the District
or Columbia or any officials ara stocS
| holders. Mr.. Richards said he believed
not Mr.. Johnson asked as to the in
% per cent"
Are there any methods by which
cnarses are added, SO that the interest i
run up to higher figure?'' asked Renre-
| sentative Johnson
| There are the ordinary cbar.as g..
| getting q Ioan" ~
MI johnson asked for a comnlete LIST
OF ohcers and stockholders and every
thai tha &c .ne company makes In addition to
| the per cent interest to everybody who
oorroWs money of the concern
ALLAH =. walkers Testimony.
Allan f. Walker, real estate broker, was
sworn He said he handled the property
at 10Th and Belmont streets which has
| been at issue in the hearing He told
about the transaction:
The Goddard estate was represented by
Mr.. Corcoran Hill. The property SOLD for
! Sd 400; The sale was sett ed by my Of
! flee. We received checks of 81 o21 Ot from,
l NJ md MsLy
OF S2,Oo4oS from Mr.. Richards These
| BUYERS did not seek the property
;, MI Nicholson, of the office of Will
| liam Corcoran Hill, came to me with q
proposition. As recall it, / took ii over
ana succeeded in getting these gent 'emen
interested and they took Ii over exactly
| Tor what IL stood me-"
he said 1t made no impression on him
TO sell unimproved property to the as
SCISSORS of the District of Columbia He
further said that Mr.. Nicholson had NOT
| come to him with the distinct PROPOSE
ton to sell to the assessor
Representative Georce pressed him for
! many details concerning the approach To
the sale. which Mr.. Walker said had
left his memory long since
when took it over | looked around
for a sale.
And you saw the assessors Officer"
Nothing of the sort.
Whom did YOU seek?"
II can't say Mr.. George know
r..
kalbfus. for | had done business with
him before At least l knew him very
we'll
Mr.. George asked Mr Walker If he Ia.i
ever sold before since property com
Ing through the office OF William Cor
coran Hill.
Yes: fifty or sixty
Were any of them for the assessors.''
"If they Were they were with Nj
Kalbfus, and he has statement from
me showing the whole business
Holdings Subject to Assessment.
Representative Johnson asked Nr
Walker If he knew that William Corco-
ran Hill or his wife is large owner OF
real estate which must be assessed"
Il don't know accurately"
You don't know that Mrs. Hill owns
40 acres in one tract.
Il know she is Interested to some
extent.
Mr.. Johnson asked whether the Cor
coran estate is represented hy the of
fee OF William Corcoran Hill
II think not"
this 10th street property" asked Rep
resentat tive Johnson.
No sir.
that MIR. halbfus rad deat th ough VIII
liam Corcorsn Hill in real estate tran
sactions on'one or two occasions.
Il always considered Mr.. halbfus had
good Judgment on real estate matters"
Mr. Walker said, and have always re-
spected his views, and have sought
them myself"
The Riggs National Bank was mem
toned in the testimony.
1.-The Riggs Bank would naturally be
the place to go.'' said Mr.. Walker.
..Mr Glovers bank would be the nat
uraI place for the assessors to go?" in
oured Representative George.
II didn't say that" "a d Mr.. Waller,
but il is the natural place for any ne
to go to do business on northwest real
estate Mr.. @ over is exceptionally well
informed You get a quick answer there
Mr. George asked why Charles NJ.
Davis, a clerk in the assessors Office.
had been made the dummy" i'm the
transaction, seeing that the property
was sought by Mr.. Richards as a site
for a home.
Mr.. Walker made a detailed answer.
saying that otherwise eight names would
be necessary If the dummy had not
been employed. and that perhaps a lot
of trouble would have ensued.
Probably His Suggestion.
eI was probably asked about the short
cuts. and / probably suggested Mr..
Davis"
do you know hfmr'
slightly"
"This matter OF TRANSFERRING property
to some one You don't know-S4olain it