Evening star., 1915-11-11

recent yssrs an increase In the values
there had been decreases in values
within the city. and that he believed
that in many instances such interior
pror critics were overassessed today.
He was asked about the results Of
sales of lots In the Massachusetts, Ave
nue. Heights subdivision. and showed
thai, irrespective Of the prices put
lots had sold much lower than the
basis Of the assessments upon them.
In one case he quoted lot was sold
at 80 cents a foot, when 1t had been
assessed on a basis Of so cents a foot: !:
in another case the lot sold for 40
cents a foot. the assessment basis be-
ing As cents: in third case a lot sold
for 331a cents a foot with the assess
ment basis at As cents.
A S. Worthington asked Mr. DoyIe
the value of the Letter property on
Dupont circle, to which Mr.. Doyle had
testified before the George committee
Before the George committee Mr. Doyle
said that he thought the property
worth about SIS foot. but there were
certain factors involved in the whole
tract that he would have to look into
before giving a figure for the whole
He said today that his opinion Was the
same, though he had never looked up
the matter further and was unable to
say offhand what the property an a
| whole was worth. Mr.. Browne showed
from the 1912 assessment that the
Letter property was assessed about
$3.50 foot.
Sales "Few and Far Between"
Mr.. Doyle was asked If there had
been any sales of property COM
parable to the Letter property in that
neighborhood in recent years He re-
piled that sales Of such property were
few and far between. that there was
practically no demand for them in
these times. He said, however, that the
property at the southeast corner of
had been sold for $26 a foot. including
the house that was on 1t. 1t was
brought out that the ground assessment
of this property was s1o.5o a foot.
Mr. Bradley gave to the committee a
list of the cases brought by him to re-
flute the George report. in which he had
examined the records of the title COM
panies. 1t was decided by the commit
tee. however. that the records Them
selves should be called for, and the
Mr.. Worthington then put Mr.. Browne
himself on the stand, although Mr..
Browne said he thought such pro-
cedure little irregular" He question
pations he had been engaged in, both
here and abroad. Mr.. Browne testified
that he had been newspaper man until
1900, and that since that time he had
written for magazines, studied. attend
ed to minor matters Of business and
had kept in touch with public affairs.
When did you become interested In
the single tax question:" asked MT:
"In 1851" was the reply. Mr.. Browne
said that he had come to Washington
in 1882 first, and that he became the
president of the first single tax asso-
citation started here. He testified that
the shooting up Of Brownsville. Tex.
in which it was charged that colored
troops were involved.
ployed by the George committee at the
rate of SIS a day from April to Sep
tember of 1912. He told the committee
that he examined the records of the Co
Estate Title Company to get at the true
values of properties as shown by sales.
Asked to Explain His Method.
How did you select the various cases
which you used in your report to the
George committee? asked Mr.. Worth
ington;; sa;aot.a +xn,o,, c...s. v.s ~. re-
'why did they all show underassess-
ment?" asked Mr. Worthington.
ST don't know, except that 1t hap
pened So" said Mr.. Browne. He said
that he had gone to the title companies
and obtained their figures before look
ing up the assessments OF the proper
ties involved.
well, there were thousands Of sales
on the companies books" said MT:
yo1 maRs your Selection of = easss
There was no principle involved.
said Mr.. Browne. He said the committee
was in hurry. that he was being
s9 NV NJ
George and Representative johnson.
and that he picked out thirty-five cases,
since the committee did not want or
have time to show the facts in the
But how did you pick those thirty
five cases. Mr.. Browne?" persisted Mr..
Worthington.
Picks Cases From Records.
Mr.. Browne indicated that he went
through the records to pick out cases
he considered typical.
Did you go to any Of the parties in
the deals?" asked Mr.. Worthington.
NO"
Did you inquire whether the deal
was trade or an actual sale?'
You just looked at the books and
took what they gave you without in
vestigating as to the truth
Mr.. Worthington reverted to the much
discussed valuation of 100000 an acre
for John r. McLean's property at
Friendship. Mr.. Browne hastened to
say that the figure of $4,000 an acre
had never been in the testimony before
the George committee: that he had
mentioned the figure as hearsay, and
that it was not sworn to in the COM
mittee hearings. Under questions by
Mr.. Worthington Mr.. Browne said he
had not made any investigation Of
sales in the suburban area, and conse-
quently could not answer that he had
ever heard of any sale within a mile of
the Mclean property that would come
anywhere near a rate of $4,000 an
acre.
+ How did you make up your estimate
of the value of real estate in the Dis
trict of Columbia as being $744,000,-
00o?" asked Mr.. Worthington.
Reads Part of George Report.
Mr.. Brownies reply was to read part
of the George report.
Mr. Chairman, has that question
been answered." asked Representative
Cooper after Mr.. Browne had read
few paragraphs. Mr.. Browne then said
that all the reasons for the figures, the
names of witnesses and other data nee
essary to find out how and why these
figures had been presented to Congress
are to be found in the report on tne
George assessment and taxation bill.
THE George report shot at the heaft