Evening star., 1915-11-09
SENATOR WORKS SEES
INJUSTICE TO CAPITAL
Taxes Are Raised Regardless Of
Amount Of Expenditures Legal
lied by Government.
ASSESSOR RICHARDS ON STAND
Declares His Three Aids Are Forced
to Work in Antiquated Fashion.
Wants More Men to Carry
on the Work.

The congressional investigation
into the Districts fiscal relations
with the United States today led
through the assessors 5 office, and
two members of the joint con-
gressional select committee ex-
pressed painly their opinions that
there is something wrong with
the assessment and taxation sit
uation.
Assessor William p. Richards, who
was on the stand before the committee
practically all of the morning session.
revealed to the committee that three
assistant assessors are working in an
|antiquated fashion at the task of sizing
up properties in the District of CO.
lumbia, a job which Mr.. Richards be-
lieves cannot properly and accurately
be done without at least eight more
men. Some of the committee today
learned for the first time that Mr.
Richards has been asking for more men
in his office ever since he became as
SCISSOR.
These points were brought out sharp
ly and developed into a feature OF the
hearing under Representative Coopers
questioning.
Sees Injustice to District.
Senator Works showed plainly on two
occasions during the session today that
he believed an injustice is done to the
District in that taxes are raised re-
gardless of the amount of expenditure
which Congress legalizes by approprI-
alton acts. The California Senator de-
clared that he believed it to be wrong
that the Districts assessment law and
tax rate combined should force FROM
the District taxpayers more money
tnan the District OF Columbia is re-
quired to pay under the half-and- hal
plan. He made this plain in statements
and questions. While Assessor hich-
ards continued technically on the wiz
ness stand Commissioner Brownlow
was asked few questions by Senator
Works along the same line.
Assessment High Here, He Says.
At the opening of the hearing today
Senator Works placed in the record a
letter which he had received from
James Holmes, president of the Holmes
Central Realty Corporation. The letter
follows:
Many both in and out of Congress
appear to be of the opinion that realty
in the District of Columbia is not pay
ing I reasonable amount of taxes.
From my experience this does not seem
warranted.
Il represent the Holmes Central
Realty Corporation, owner of the sub
division known as 10th Street High
lands, and have had experience along
similar lines in several states, includ-
ing Michigan. Virginia and Florida. |
have never known any place-even
where the assessment was supposed 10
he fI1l1 Inc
was as high in comparison with the ac-
tual selling price here.
I'VE bought this property six years
ago at from $4,000 to 200 per acre:
we dedicated one-third of it to the Dis
trict for streets and alleys, we have put
in nearly all the improvements without
expense to the District.
Increase of Over 1000 Per Cent.
The assessment on the land has been
increased during this time 500 per cent,
and on some of the property over 1000
per cent. although it is doubtful if the
selling value of such land in that time
has increased any. The additional tax
able value has been made possible
through our effort. and by our expendi-
ture of considerable money in making
public improvements.
I'VE also have added over $500, 900 in
attractive house property to the Dis
trict assessment.
When assessing our unsold land it
seems to me that reaSona bic method
would be to take as a basis the pur-
chase price. the improvements, together
without any increase in the value of
such original property.
The method adopted by our board of
a assessors is to assess all unsold prop
erty at two-thirds Of the gross price
any one similar lot may have been sold
for, without taking into consideration
the expense OF selling, cash discount
etc, or the fact that it may have taken
years of expensive efforts to sell that
lot and that it may be long time before
another lot is sold.
in the meantime We have to pay
taxes under assessment many times
higher than we could buy and improve
similar land for.
Gives an Illustration.
las an illustration, lots already dis
posed of on 10th street were sold at a
gross price of from 60 cents to 81 per
foot, according to the location and
subject to heavy selling expenses
cash discount. etc. All our remaining
lots on that street are now assessed at
60 cents making an assumed value OF
80 cents per foot. The last sale of such
land was made April %, 1872 al
though we have been using every ef-
fort since that to sell at less than the
assessed value without success.
When unsuccessfully attempting to
have our present assessment reduced.
| told the board of assessors that if
they could find customer l would sell
all our unsold lots at their assessment.
although they claimed that to be only
two-thirds of the selling value.
THAT we are not the only parties excess
cessiyely assessed under the ridiculous
methods of assessment before referred to
is shown by the fact that i was re-
Gently offered a large tract of subdivi-
sion in the District at 1917 cents
foot, and it is probably still for sale at
that price, although much of 1t 10 as
sessed at 25 cents as two-thirds OF its
value.
..The continued agitation In Cn1nSresa.