Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-27

1T was on this report that many
eminent congressman voted on mat
and we propose to show that much of
the information in it is unwarranted
and that it contains many errors.
after Mr.. Browne had gone into the
asked him for typical instances to
show that business property is under
assessed and small homes overassess-
ed. Mark you. he was sent there to get
the facts. and out of the thousands of
sales on record he selects these par
ticular cases and reports them
He referred to the approximately
forty instances in the Browne testi-
mony.
Browne Raises Objection.
Mr.. Browne jumped to his feet:
IF the committee please. that testi-
mony was given under oath, and I
would suggest that if it is to be con-
troverted. 1t must be done by persons
under oath"
II am merely stating what we expect
to prove" replied Mr.. Worthington.
rs he to be allowed to go on in that
arsumentative way" pursued Mr..
Browne.
II think those matters can be ar
ranged when we get to them," sug-
gested Chairman Chiffon.
Il expect to produce witnesses to
back up what I am now stating" Mr..
Worthington volunteered.
Then let him go on as far as he
likes" said Mr.. Browne, as he took his
seat again.
Purports to Show Errors.
The document brought to the COM
nittee by Thomas Bradley, and being
a counter check On the Browne III
stances OF underassessment, is extreme
ly technical. but its entire purport is
TO show that errors do exist in the
Browne figures. The statement claims
that in the case of one building, for
instance, the correct assessment fig
ures as finally made were not given;
that in another case reported SAFE
was not sale, but a mere trade, that
scented a forced purchase all out OF
proportion to the market. and that IN
one case assessment figures of $4,000
should be $4,000 higher.
Report Based on Selected Cases.
Mr.. Worthington declared that Her
bert j. Browne had presented to the
George committee "a few selected cases
taken to show that property here IS
underassessed." Mr.. Worthington said
that even in these few selected cases
it had been shown that number OF
mistakes had been made by Mr..
Browne.
A member of the committee asked
how many pieces of property are as
sessed in the District. The District as
SCISSOR. w P. Richards. who was in the
committee room, said that IN round
numbers there were 10000.
Mr.. Worthington was asked now
many cases were commented upon by
Mr. Browne in his report to the George
"Thirty-four." replied Mr.. worthing-
ton.
IT do not like to correct you." inter
jected Mr.. Browne, but there were
great many more than that"
Mr.. Worthington said that Mr..
Browne. either in his brief submitted
to the joint select committee or in his
testimony before the District commit
tee of the House. had indicated that
suburban areas in the District were
grossly undera ssessed, in some cases
at only one-fifth of the real value. He
said that Mr.. Browne had divided the
District into different areas, one show
ing a district of small homes, another
business section. third the suppos-
eddy best residence section and fourth
suburban areas.
What Mr.. Browne Contended.
Mr.. Browne undertook to show that
assessment of small homes was out Of
all proportion to the real value as COM
pared to assessments in the other sec
tions,' said Mr.. Worthington.
Mr.. Worthington called attention to
the fact that Mr.. George, who made the
report to the House, was very much
concerned in having q single tax sys-
TEN adopted here. the tax falling en-
tirely upon land. He said that pos
sibIy this fact had biased Mr. George In
his consideration of the facts.
Mr.. Worthington began to describe to
the committee the results of 100 actual
cash sales of real estate in the Dis
with the assessment. Senator Sauls-
bury interrupted at this point:
IT don't see how all this comes under
the jurisdiction of this committee" he
properly take up this line Of investiga-
ton
opportune Time for Inquiry.
Senator Chiffon backed up Senator
Salisbury in this attitude. Senator
Works and Representative Cooper. on
the other hand. took the attitude that
it was very important to have these
matters of assessment and taxation
gone into at this time.
Mr.. Worthington said that the argu-
ment had been made in the House that
If the property in the District of Co.
lumbia were properly assessed and a
reasonable rate of taxation established
there would be no reason for the gov
eminent to contribute a single dollar
for the support of the District. For
that reason. he said. the joint citizens'
committee deemed it of great import
ance to present the actual facts in the
case.
Senator Works pointed out that that
argument probably would be made
again in Congress, and that the joint
select committee should come before
Congress with Information to settle
the question.
Representative Cooper indicated that
he, too, thought this question should
be settled through an investigation of
the facts, and that he wanted all ques-
animation of witnesses.
Expect to Disprove Statement.
"One of the chief arguments made
against the District in Congress-" said
Mr.. Worthington, has been that many
spectators have gobbled up much Of
the area of the District and that as
sessments on this land have not been
properly made. We expect to show
that there is absolutely no truth in
that statement"
Senator Salisbury insisted that the
Joint select committee was not an ap-
pe1late court to pass on all reports
made to Congress-
IF that were the case. the work of
this committee would be endless" he said
At the suggestion of Senator Chiffon
no hoy int