Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-25
CUT ASSESSMENTS
ON own PROPERTY
Richards Defends Action of
District Assessor in Fix.
ing Valuations.
INCREASES WERE MADE
ON ADJOINING HOL DlNGS
Other Ventures Of District Official
Are Scrutinized by the House
Committee.

Committee.
Real estate In the neighborhood OF 10th
street and Kalorama road, bought by
Assessor William P. Richards and As
sistant Assessors Nc. .,enzie and Kalbfus
was reduced In assessment at the last
triennlal valuation. while property I'm the
same square owned by others was either
raised or retained at the valuation OF the
assessment Of 1903. according to testi-
mony produced by the House District
committee which is investigating Dis
trict Of Columbia affairs.
AT the hearing today. Assessor Rich
ards was sole witness. and went
through a thorough investigation OF GER
tain real estate deals he had made.
Transaction Is Scrut.nized.
Most Of the questioning toward tho
latter half OF the session OF the COM
mittee WIS directed toward getting at
the details OF a real estate transaction
in which Mr.. Richards, MIR. Kalbfus and
Mr.. Mckenzie are now interested. and
which included the late Frank Nye.
formerly an assistant assessor.
Representative George of New York
drew from Mr.. Richards the testimony re-
garding the assessmen of l3US and again
Of 1911 on the property owned by the
three officials. Testimony also was pro-
duced showing assessments or SURROUND.
ing property. When ii was shown that
the assessors property had not been
raised in valuation M. Richards de-
clared openly that there Is abso utely
nothing wrong with the aSsessment, ana
that the property he and his associates
nod xu-oc a
The matter will be taken up further to-
morrow when the committee meets again.
Thinks Change Impossible.
Representative Galloway OF Arkansas
asked Mr. Richards IL the assessors in
,ended continuing the present triennial
assessment at 66 2-3 per cent OF the
real value. Mr.. Richards answered that
IL would be impossible to change the
assessment already started. II will hold
until 19141915 and will be completed
completed the Commissioners will be
asked to consider change. He said
The field work on half the city 10 COM
pleted on twO-thirds valuation
Representa- i've Galloway suggested
there would be no great labor to raise
two-thirds valuation to a 100 per
cent valuation as a mere matter Of
ar. thmetic Mr.. Richards said the
VI mole DOCKS WOulO nave TO De cnaDBe0.
Representative Wal .ers of Pennsyl-
vania suggested that a computing ma
chine cOu.d make the change easily.
Re preventative George suggested the
proposed raise could be made as a mat
.er of revision. as the revision period
allowed by custom or law would nat
urally follow the making of the as
sessment now in process.
Mr.. Richards sa he had spoken to
Commissioner. Newman yesterday after
the hearing about the advisa oility OF
making a 100 per cent assessment. Mr..
Richards a.so said the previous Commits
sioners had been ;aked to about the val
uation. He said that the former Commits
s-oners had instructed the assessors not
to fail below the TO 2-3 per cent"
Not Exa, rly Equivalent.
Representative johnson asked him If he
thought mot less than" was e4uIva.ent
to not more than.
Il can't say they are equivalent said
Mr.. Richards.
But you nave been operating as IL
they were synonymous" SAID ne. resen "a
TN johnson.
Repre- entaifye Reed asked If a return
on property is ecei,ed from owners not
testified to before justice of tine peace.
MIR. Jol nson said:
Il will say Mr.. Reed, If you haven't
read the act. that that is one strange
hing about the rider that was rushed
through Congress. Personal p. operty is
required to be sworn to. In the case OF
real estate, IL the essor can find rors
all right. l thought IL might be well to
call the attention OF the committee to that
instance Of favoritism, discriminating
against personal property i'm favor of real
estate
Mr. Johnson said the report of the
building inspector showed more buildings
than the assessors figures.
so some of them hide and escape taxa
ahor Of ha RON toe
Representative George asked about I'm.
provements in the southwest and north
east.
IAN investigation showed" ne said.
"there were increases in sections where
there was not one new piece OF wood In
the square involved"
No Instructions Given
Mr.. Richards replied that he had given
no instructions In regard to IL.
1.-The law requires personal view.
doesn't ;t?''
yes. to review $1,000 buildings at the
rate of four squares day
Mr.. Richards gave an example OF the
fmpossibility of assessments being prop
erIv made with the force on hand and
acting i'm accordance with existing law.
Mr. George TOOK up the testimony of
last year regarding the improvements In
certain sections where assessments were
raised on buildings which had not been
improved a particle. Mr. Richards ex-
pla med that the assessors had held the
nronerry in question had originally been
assessed too low. Mr.. Richards said he
was irving now to get information. per-
sonally on these raised assessments on
the smaller homes.
.sYou were surprised at the raise in as
sessments on these little homes where
there was no change except in deteriora-
tion?" said Mr. George.
After some colloquy on this subtecf MT.
Richards said he had given no instruc-
tions To the assessors regarding the as
sessments on these sma buildings but
was making personal investigations. Rep
johnson brought out tesu-
mony regarding the need for real
being recited IN real estate
deeds, Mr. Johnson said:
Need for Real Consideration"
"you know that most sales are made
10 dummy and the dummy turns IL
over to the purchaser. and the real VAL
nation is never known
A. richards said there is need for "a
col consideration. Mr.. Johnson said
ha intended to reintroduce his bill to re-
nnire the real consideration De named
~ deeds. and said the dummy trans
aa,,cns were for fraudulent purposes.
Psnresentative Reed asked IL II would
at he . good idea to base sworn returns
an real estate, so that the owners would
he on oath as to the value.
"It would be a good idea." said the
assessor.