The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-11

parties to any of the transactions in
yolyed as to whether the facts were as
indicated on the records of the title
insurance company-whether they were
representative or forced sales. whether
they were trades or actual sales, or
whether the figures YOU took were correct
or not?"
No, l Just took the record.
The same line of questioning was
pursued in undermining the figures
quoted by the George report as indicat-
ing a high valuation of business property
on the basis of leases recorded with the
District recorder of deeds. Col Worth
ington sought to ascertain how II
happened that in running through the
records Of thousand of leases and select
ing haphazard from these lew H.
stances. Mr. Browne had hit only upon
such instances as seemed to substantiate
his congratulations. Mr.. Browne coulo
throw no light upon this peculiar cir
cumstance either.
When Col worthington asked Mr..
Browne the valuation placed upon Dis
trict realty in the George report-S1A,
600 oOo-Mr. Browne. declared that he
could answer that best by reading from
the report After he had read for about
five minutes, he paused to take preatn'
Representative Cooper intertected:
Mr.. Chairman, has that question
been answered YETI"
81 don't know" returned senator
Works, acting chairman. dejectedly'
Before he stopped, Mr.. Browne read a
large part of the George report, Oh
which the following is a passage.
The total taxable realty values OF
the District of Columbia, fixed by your
committee at S744,000.000. fall wen
within the sum indicated by the torth-
coming census bulletin. which places
the entire realty values of the Dis
trict at $1,000, 900, ooo."
HAS that bulletin been forthcom-
ing?" asked Col Worthington.
mot that 1 know Of" replied MI.
Browne. Col. worthington indicated
that he was in possession or the
bulletin referred to. but that 1t cons
tanned no such figures. He insisted
upon knowing what was Brownies au-
thority for having the statement
above quoted inserted in the report
Browne declared that he had oaseo
the statement upon an advertising cir
cular issued by a real estate iirm
promoting a big subdivision, and that
suhseouently the editor of the Manu-
facturer's Record had informed him
that an official (unnamed) OF the
Census Bureau had told him OF such
a bulletin which was coming out In
the near future.
Facts" Given TO Country.
And on that information the state
ment was put into the report ano
given to the country" suggested Col
Worthington sarcastically.
Yes sir" admitted Mr.. Browne.
Mr.. Browne declared that the
statement contained in the report to the
effect that Friendship" the suburban
home of John r. Mclean. was assessed
at $500 an acre. though worth S2S,ooc
sn acre. was not sworn testimony, as
the report indicated, but was merely
memorandum prepared by Mr.. Browne
for the committee as possible subject
of investigation Nevertheless, the re-
port introduces this memorandum" as
follows:
"A striking instance of the underas-
sessment of large holdings is described
by Mr.. Herbert ]. Browne, of the testi-
mony opp. 1880" Mr.. Browne admit
ted yesterday. that no such testimony
exists, and he could not understand how
the memorandum had found its way into
the report
Nevertheless, this was harped upon