Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-05

committee meetings..
But there are times when the Senate
is not in session when the Dis'r.c
committee could be doing business
The constant roll calls put hml
on the physical endurance of senators,
said the Delaware senator
We'll" replied Senators WORKS, an
of the opinion that if Congress canno
attend to the business of the Distric
the residents here ought TO De srah.eS
a vote
Little Chance for D. C. Legislation
Commissioner Newman supplemented
this exchange of senatorial repartee by
snressi,p the opinion that District
LEGISLATION has but little chance. unless
u he an appropriation bill under con-
sideration.
He also explained, in answer 20
oueries from Senator Works. that the
Commissioners sign the assesshleh. 10
as the last formal act pelore any 90
sesSment is valid g..
.sVbat mower over the assessment. 10
change it for instance, do the Commls-
sionerS have?
Really they have none.
Under those circumstances 40 no,
see how the Commissioners can be heIa
responsible for any assessment
PERHAPS not when you come rsh'
down to it, but they have the moral III
fuence over their own appolhteeS on
the board of assistant assessors, "hlch
amounts to considerable and makes us
really responsible.
1t was explained to RepreseHlal Z
Rainey that the board of equahzatlori
and review which hears complaints
from the assessment is composed OF the
very men who make the assessments III
the first instance:
They are likely to be pre1udlceu IN
favor of their own work. are they
not?' he suggested
yes believe they are, said Mr.
Newman, Il find that when nave 70
sit on the board of Commissioners to
hear appeals from my own acts that l
am quite likely to cast a vote IN my
own favor.
Attention to Business Section.
In discussing the 1915 assessments
Mr.. Newman said that the board OF as
SCISSORS had been instructed by the DIS
trict Commissioners to give special at
tention to the business section hrst,
which, he said. was believed TO need at
tention most of all, then the highly val
ued residence section and the subur ban
section, supposedly largely in the hands
of real estate spectators.
For this reason, he said, the assessors
had not given much attention TO the
sect on of small residences, where dis
crepanc;es in assessment and actual
value of the land have been criticised.
But since the 1915 assessment was
SCISSORS have been working tooth and
nail upon the section of small home
owners, and they will be ready to make
readjustments which are JuStlhed at
the next assessment, in 1918, unless We
should get legislation providing for an
earlier assessment.
Mr.. Newman discussed the criticism
made by Her bert J. Browne of the as
sessment of Potomac Park made by the
assessor Mr. Browne had contended
that the government property in Po-
tomac Park was assessed far too high
and had pointed to the fact that Ana
lostan Island, which lies between Po-
tomac Park and the Virginia shore.
was assessed al a very much less fig
ure per acre.
Assessment Based on Sale.
Mr.. Newman said that the assessment
had been based on a sale of the island
during the year to Joseph Letter, then
president of the Washington Gas Light
Company.
THE island was bought primarily to
protect the gas companys interests, and
with the idea in mind that it might be
site for a new gas works. said Mr..
Newman.
And yet. Analostan Island is on a
line between the Lincoln memorial and
Arlington, on d line with the proposed
Memorial bridge" said Representative
Cooper. There seems to be some justi-
HCdtlOn OI tnS CIlllClSUl lHdl CiliZeHS Vi
the District have no civic pride in the
matter of Identification of the city"
He said that he thought tall smoke
stacks on Analostan Island would be a
great Disagreement for the capital
You have there a case of the con-
fiict between the United States govern
ment and the right of the citizen of
the District to do with his property
what he desires" said Mr.. Newman.
Isn't it a spectacle interrupted
Senator Works, ito see this great coun-
try dickering with the residents of the
District as to how much of the ex-
penses of the capital it shall pay?"
Il agree with you, senator, replied
Mr.. Newman, and later l am coming
to that point.
Mr.. Newman said that all difficulty
could have been olivia tied if the trainers
of the Constitution had only inserted a
provision that in the federal District
the United States government should
retain title in perpetuity to all the land
in the District, which it could lease to
persons desiring to live in the Capital
city.
Cites Australia's Capital.
You wouldn't be here today investi-
eating this question il such a course
had been followed" Mr.. Newman told
the committee. He called attention to
the fact that the new capital of Aus
traIia was owned entirely by the gov
eminent ana the property leaseu 10
residents. He said that the Australian
commissioners appointed to frame a
plan for esta blishing a new Australian
capital had visited Washington be-
fore making their recommendations:
that they had highly complimented the
capital of the United States. but that
they had wisely determined the gov
ernmsnt should own all the land OF
their capital.
AS an instance of the fact that the
Commissioners have no control over
what residents of the District do with
their property here. beyond the building
regulations, Mr.. Newman called attea-
ton to a protest that had been made to
the Commissioners by residents of 18th
street opposing the erection OF a hotel
at 18th and / streets northwest.
What right have the Commissioners
to say what resident of the District
shall do with his property" said Mr..
Newman.
Senator Works said that a bill had
been introduced in Congress to give
the Commissioners the power to say
what kind of buildings should b.
erected in certain sections of the city
He added that he thought 1t would
have made a good law and proved con
stituttonal under tho police power,
which Congress has over the District.
Il don't know about all these beau
taful IDEAS" said Senator Chiffon. com
mening upon Mr.. Newman's suggestion
we'll to retain title to all the land IL
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