Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28
really worth s1e4,ooo.ooo; improve
ments. 10000
Greater Than Baltimore's Value.

really worth s164,ooo.oo0; improve
ments. $4s.00o,oo0.
Greater Than Baltimore's Value.
Mr.. Worthington pointed out that the
valuation placed thereon was greater
than the value Of all the land in the
business city Of Baltimore. He also
spoke Of Mr.. Brownies comment on the
proper valuation Of Friendship. the sew
enty-six-acre tract belonging to John
r. Mclean, on Wisconsin avenue oppo-
site Cleveland Park. Mr.. Browne con-
$4,000 an acre.
1.-The property Immediately opposite
is worth only 5000 an acre, and the
property to the north has been on the
market at $4,000 for 1--WE years." said
Mr.. Worthington.
A chart showing all the sales in the
business section of Washington for five
to the joint select committee. 1t was a
very large chart. about seven feet long
and four feet wide. and had the details
Of all sales marked upon 1t, with lot
number. assessment and all other in
formation pertinent to each case. The
totals on the chart showed that by TAX
ing all the actual sales for five years
the property sold for 100000 less
than the assessment placed upon ia
refutation of the allegation that the
business section ts underassessed.
Then, turning to the small-home
areas. where the George committee de-
clared the burdens Of overassessment
lay heavy. Mr.. Worthington took three
typical areas to show that the assess
ments were lower than the actual value
as shown by tho sales for 1910 to 1912.
Illustrations Used by Witness.
The sections. sales. assessments, etc.
used in this illustration by Mr.. Worth
ington were as follows:
In the northeast, blocks between 80
and 10th, E and L streets, lit pieces
sold for $4,000; basis OF assessment.
$3.50, 900.
In the southeast. blocks between 9Th
and 18th, and I streets, 1873 pieces
sold for s4ss.ooo: basis OF assessment.
In the southwest, blocks between
7th and 9Th, e and L streets. ifty-two
blocks sold for $1ss.ooo; basis of assess
ment, $4,000.
These are three areas from the
TONS" explained Mr.. Worthington. "and
prove that the property Is not overas-
sessed.
Assessments Do Not Change.
Mr.. Worthinston called attention to
the fact that here in Washington as
sessments have remained practically
the same during the panic years in the
country a. in the prosperous years, al
though whenever there were hard
times there was practically no sale for
real estate in Washington, and values
dropped far down.
But the assessments did not fall
off hn Aaid
Mr.. Worthington quoted figures to
show that property In the resident
sections between 14th and 18th streets
northwest and between 18th and 22d
Called tie f' "Ssst E resident AA sections as"
have not been underassessed for the
benent Of the rich owners and to the
detriment OF the small owners in other
s: "Ths S 81 dea coy, ~ proof" said Mr.
Worthington. rs always on those who
desire to destroy the existing order OF
things. Therefore the burden of proof
should be upon those who come here
asking that the half-and-half plan be
done away with"
He said that the opponents OF the
half-and-half must prove beyond a
doubt that tho system was doing harm
and that there was some better plan to
set up in place Of 1t.
Congressional Neglect Recalled.
THE District Of Columbia ran along
neglected by Congress from 1900 to
1871" he said. Congress then woke to
the fact that something must be done"
he said. Three separate joint commit
tees Of Congress worked over the prop
osition Of what to do with the District.
from 1871 to 1875" he pointed out. land
each one Of those committees. after a
great deal Of work, decided that the
only thing to do was to draw a fixed
the District residents and the federal
government were to pay of the ex-
penses Of the National Capital.
He who appears before this commit
back under the old order of things ex-
listing before 1878 should be very care
full Of his facts" said Mr.. Worthington.
He said that the Supreme Court Of the
United States. in speaking of the or
sanic act Of the District, passed in 1873.
District Of Columbia" and that mem
bers Of Congress should give careful
consideration to change OF the Dis
tricts constitution. Just as they would
to a change OF the Constitution of the
United States.
Mr. Worthington went at length into
the fact that the streets and avenues
Of the city Of Washington are owned
in fee simple by the United States,
quoting from the opinion of the Su-
preme Court in the Van Ness case. He
brought out the fact that in the case
of the streets outside of the city limits
the streets are taken over by the Dis
trict government, but that the tee
simple Ia not in the United States as is
the case within the old city limits.
Streets Absolute Property Of q. g.
IT do not care to lay too much stress
upon this argument that the streets Of
washin gton are the absolute property
/ of the United States. and that Congress
could close them II 1t wanted to and
erect buildings on them. for I cannot
conceive that any Congress would ever
close any Of our broad Streets" said
Mr.. Worthington.
He said that there were two classes of
opponents Of the half-and-half plan.
"Ons," he said. asserts that we do
not pay SUFFICIENT taxes hero. ana that
: II we were properly assessed there