Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-07

himself.
INV With tho s:sistanes Of others. Il IL
whom he had dealt with ana to whom
ne had appealed in getting up his
Mr.. Johnson asked him particularly
why he had given the newspapers
copies Of his statement.
|, TO get myself placed before the pub
| nc In the right way"
Did you fear an az parte state
,r %No: I simply wanted to have them
Didn't you want to have the CROSS
e1 e. publishedr
The papers here tak. IT, s.rbss n and
then publish It," said Representative
Mr.. johnson said the papers here
were filled with real estate advertising
you don't suppose the newspapers
| mere want to publish anything detri-
| here"
Mr. Reed objected to Mr.. Kalbfus'
prepared statement He and Mr.. Kalb-
fus had q hot wcrdy set-to.
Says Facts Can Be Verified.
ANY ono who knows anything about
| business" said Kalbfus. Knows these
| facts can be verified from the record
You don't seem to understand it."
There was q general lambasting ofs the
| witness because Of his typewriter state
| ment Mr.. Reed suggested that II the
papers were to be taken from Mr.. Kalb-
| fus. tho witness would not be able to
answer.
mo man can go back eleven years and
furnish these details without looking
them up
Representative Johnson took up the
| from Mrs. Mary Buckley.
Mr. Kalbfus acted. he said. as an
accommodation holder or straw man.
SO the property could be transferred
eventually to some one else. This
brought up a memory OF long hours OF
discussion on the same subject during
| the Horstmann hearings The name of
| Alma Rink. stenographer at one time
She was the ostensible lender of money
| in one Of the transactions.
NJ J. Keane took the stand and SAID
he paid his aunt Mrs. Buckley. ?!,b0o
for the property aS at s.G he
at $500 an acre for eleven and one-half
acres.
Mr.. Keane said he wanted to get the
property so he could protect his aunt
"from real estate sharks" He ex-
planned that he had asked Mr.. Kalbfus
to act as the STRAW man. for q famliy
reason. involving creditors.
Kalbfus Turns Questioner.
Mr.. Kalbfus, in tho course Of his writ
ten statement asks the District COM
mittee to point out the law or reason
whereby an assessor or assistant asses
sor is to be forbidden from buying prop
erty In his homo town.
Arguing on that score. Mr.. Kalbfus
says:
Il know that recently the fact that
an assessor has dealt in real estate has
been made the subject Of comment and
criticism. Prior to the hearing held by
the Commissioners in 1911 there never
was a suggestion that there was any
| improperly in an assessor or assistant
assessor buying real estate either Tor
| home or for speculation. It was never
heretofore suggested that by becoming
an employe Of the District government
| q man surrendered the ordinary rights OF
an American citizen.
81 have never been connected with
any position that gave me the slightest
authority over OF influence in matters
respecting public improvements. the
extension. grading or paving OF streets
or the putting in Of sewer or water
fetal position or connection that would
enable me to in any way promote the
enhancement Of property in which I
have ever had an interest.
Necessarily, IL an assessor has any
interest In property in the District: the
office in which he is employed will have
| the assessing of that property for the
purposes Of taxation This Is true
| whether the property be real or per-
sonai. ! have given you in each in
| stance the assessment made on prop
| erty owned by me, or in which I had
any interest. and say that those as
| sessments will compare favorably with
assessments made on like property held
by others. -
Submits q Proposition.
May not submit to this committee
that 1t would be absurd for one In my
position. even If so minded, to depress
assessments on land held by him as q
speculation or investment? Rather
would he be tempted to raise the as
| sessment The IN per cent paid annual
| while the benefit to be obtained by q
high assessment might amount to q
great deal Frequently purchasers
| look to the assessment roll to get an
| idea of the value of property which
they intend to purchase. From such
rolls they would get an idea of low
value from q low assessment and an
idea of q high value from q high as
SOSSACuS &NO udu uc01luS III I6Al
estate for the purpose Of making q
profit out of 1t would use common
sense II he endeavored to unjustly and
improperly lower the assessed valua-
ton on that property.
1.-THE assessors Of the District Of CO.
lumbia for a long period of years have
| been men who invested in real estate. and
there was never. prior to the agitation
| over the Horstmann charges in 1911. any
| question respecting their right SO to do
or the propriety Of their action in SO do
| ing. All OF this was brought out in the
Commissioners hearing to which I have
referred. Within my memory the follow
| ing gentlemen have been assessors or
members Of the board Of assessors: ].
Harrison Johnson. who had been in the
real estate business for twenty-five years.
and who. while he was q member Of the
board OF assessors. from August 10, 1884,
| to November 30. 1899. was an active real
| estate operator: Samuel T. G.. Marseii.
who was a member Of the board Of "a.
| SCISSORS from August 16, 1894, to June "a.
1904, was large property holder, and
| frequently bought and sold real estate.
]. A. Bates. who was chairman Of the
| board Of assessors and while holding that
position was the head Of J. A. Bate q.
CO., well known and active real >s