Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-04
Would Breed Suspicion.

Mr.. Richards answers were in low
| voice and he declared he had been per
| fectly square in all his business.
Would you have pursued tho same
methods if you had been going before the
people to ask for their votes?" said Rep
resentative Reed.
Il think would" was the reply.
Did the former Commissioners ever
specializing in lands?' asked Representa-
tive George.
Eyes, in the fall of 1910" said Mr..
Richards. Commissioner Judson first
spoke about it, Commissioner Rudolph
afterward said something about 1t. Com
missioner Judson afterward talked to
some of the assessors separately
This was about the time the Goth street
property was bought.
lie said il came up in the hearing on
the Horstman charges. He said, also,
that Commissioner Judson had said
something about not allowing the matter
Of land speculation to go too far
Told Of Others Deals.
Mr.. Richards said he told Col Judson
just how far he had gone and how he
stood He saw Mr.. Kalbfus, too said
Mr.. Richards, land he probably pointed
out to him where Kalbfus had some
land
'kalbfus was speculator. too, and you
told Col. Judson what MIR. Kalbfus had
and said you didn't approve?" suggested
Mr.. George.
Col Judson did most of the talking"
said Mr.. Richards. He asked me what
kalbfus was doing in land speculation. l
told him of some Of the properties Mr..
kalbfus owns. Then l brought up my
own case. Col Judson said he saw no
improperly in what / had done. and
asked me to send Mr.. Kalbfus to him.
Mr.. Richards said Commissioner Ru-
dolph had told him there was nothing
wrong with the circumstances.
so it was all right for the board of
assessors to speculate in land in the Dis
trict of Columbia" said Mr.. George
He didn't use that expression" said
Mr.. Richards.
lation as far as you .went?"
Evidently So
Evidently 50, ! wonder if Mr. Ru-
dolph has the same sort of memory on
Mr.. Richards said he could not recollect
whether the matter came up before the
Commissioners as a board or not Mr..
George then went into some of the old
Horstmann charges and asked whether
the testimony there concerning some of
Mr.. kalbfus' deals did not raise a ques-
ton as to the propriety Of such transac-
TONS
Mr.. Richards said he would not under
take to say from memory what was said.
sioners was that they condemned the
practice of specializing in real estate.
Regarded as Warning.
He said the Commissioners had made a
report against it.
did You take it as a condemnation of
the thing you were doing?''
No"
AN approval?"
No"
WHAT
I took it as warming
$50. so it was bad thing. after all?''
Yes, as l remember 1t.
They gave warning? What was
Il don't remember the language
What was the purpose OF the warn
ing asked Mr.. George.
Mr.. Richards declined to trust his
memory.
But you are clear that you and your
associates were warned against specula-
ton"
Yes"
And it was a bad thing?'
Yes" YEARLY replied the witness.
Did you have any further converse
estate speculation" asked Mr.. George.
Il can't remember now.
Mr.. George asked If Mr.. Richards had
ever said to his associates: There is
and. therefore, you should not engage
in it"
No"
so they might think or assume that
you approved"
They might"
is this committee to assume there
was no condemnation Of land specula-
ton by you assessor to your asso-
ciates?"
Il left them free to do what they
thought proper"
NJ
would be unjust to call the assessors "a
board of real estate SPECTATORS
Il would think it unjust"
Not Constant" Borrower.
Representative Johnson. chairman of
the committee, took up the question
ing.
You have been constant borrower
of money here?"
No
Has there been time when you
have not been a borrower"
No
Mr.. Johnson wanted to know why he
had not wanted to borrow money to
carry one of the deals he had entered
into with the Goddard estate. The an
swer was he did not want to go to the
trouble
Mr.. Richards showed the committee
cHeck TOT $Z,Vo4.uo, winch was the
first payment made to Allen f. Walker
Co for the 10th street property. 1t
was dated September II. 1910.
Representative Johnson asked Mr..
| Richards if he could furnish a state
ment of his entire bank account since
1900.
George c. Humphrey, a builder. who
had built some houses on land in
which the assessors were interested.
gave some testimony regarding the cost
Of buildings. He also said he saw no
harm in the assessors dealing in real
estate.
Enhanced Sense of Value.
| He said they would have better sense
/ Of values thereby. He said he had no
opinion as to what effect on realty values
the specializing by assessors would have
/ Mr. Johnson brought out the fact that
Mr.. Richards had sold Mr. Humphrey
| land for ST.. 800. and had received deed
reciting so as a consideration.
| Mr. Johnson asked Mr.. Humphrey
| whether he was "in favor" with the Dis
/ trict of Columbia officials.
| Yes"
| Mr.. johnson asked him il he had any
controversies with property owners. and
i whether he had complied with all the law
/ i'll building certain garages
Eyes"
\ MIR johnson intimated that District
building records showing some of the in
/ side correspondence regarding Mr. Pun
1 phrey's building activities would be
brought into the hearing.
| Have you ever had the municipal arch
! itect to question your building planS?
! asked Representative Johnson
| NO. We often ask about plans before
we put them UP to the inspector" Mr.
X hos t.x.A 49,