Evening star., 1915-11-12

II anticipated that you would ask
that question" said Mr.. Clayton. Per
sonaliy, I believe that the place for
the women is the home. though If they
want to vote I don't know that ]
would oppose it,
The experience in California" said
Senator Works. shows that you are
wrong when you say that the place for
woman is limited to the home''
H. l.. Rust. real estate dealer, one
of the men included in the list of wit
nesses called for by Senator Works
was the next witness. He testified in
that he believed the half-and-half plan
was beneficial in every way" and
should be retained: that it was as
nearly equitable plan as could be
found and was definite
Are you satisfied with taxes in Wash
ington?" asked Senator Works
The assessment is somewhat high,
was the reply. The rate as fixed by
law is all right"
Fear to Abolish Plan.
Mr.. Rust testified that he thought
the people of the District generally
feared that If the half-andhaf plan
was abolished the government would
not put up its share of the annual ex-
penditures of the capital.
But you are rolling up a surplus. 1t
has been said here, under the half-and-
half plan" commented Representative
Gard
"A surplus might be made to accumu-
late" replied Mr.. Rust, but there are
abundant projects for which all this
money raised here by taxation can be
used"
What needs of the District are there
not now being cared for?" asked Rep
reSentative Gard.
Mr.. Rust said that there were many.
he mentioned the need of more parks,
particularly a park connecting Rock
creek Park and Potomac Park, parks
IN the northeastern section, a park in
the Dean place at Connecticut ave-
nue. and Florida avenue northwest. and
many small parks in the new subdi-
visions of the city. He also declared
number of new bridges We're badly
needed by the District. including one
to take the place of the present Calvert
street bridge across Rock creek.
Representative Cooper questioned Mr.
Rust about the law of 1898 providing
FOR the extension of the highway plan
IN the District. Mr.. Rust replied that
the law ought to be changed, for at
present it puts too heavy burden on
many owners of outlying property,
some of them small holders
would you favor suffrage for the
District asked Representative Gard.
NO" said Mr.. Rust, 81 would not"
he concluded his testimony with the
statement that there is a~general feel
ing abroad that if the half -and-ha
plan is done away with the taxes here
will be increased.
Speaks of Overassessment.
q. s. Rees, a real estate operator was
put on the stand. He testified that a
number Of business properties in which
he was interested, or had been inter-
ested, were overassessed.
"One property he said assessed at
$4,000 l bought for $4,000 and later
sold for $4,000. l am speaking of the
1ull vaiue of the assessment Another
property assessed at $4,000 was sold
at auction recently for s13.05O. These
properties are on the south side of
Pennsylvania avenue between 18th and
18th streets northwest"
He mentioned d number of other busi-
ness properties which he said he
thought were overassessed. He added
mat he thought from what he had
heard, that property throughout the
city was generally overassessed.
AS Mr.. ReeS was about to leave the
stand Mr.. Worthington asked him if
that property in the District is under
assessed. had not told Mr. Rees yes
terday that 10000 pieces of property in
Washington were overassessed?
YES replied Mr.. Rees. Mr.. Browne
and l had such a conversation, and he
told me that about 10000 pieces of
property were overassessed here
Didn't | tell you that the assess
ments fell too heavily on the improve
ments and for that reason the proper
Mr. Browne. And didn't l say that
the overassessments were for the most
part on small homes?'
MIR. Rees admitted that Mr.. Browne
had said the overassessment was due
to the high assessment on improve
ments, but he said that he did not re-
member Mr.. Brownies saying that the
overassessments were generally on small
homes.
Assessment "a Little Too High"
Col George TruesdelI, former Dis
trict Commissioner, was the next wit
ness, summoned by the citizens COM
mittee. He was interrogated by Mr..
Worthington. He told the committee
that he himself had engaged in real
estate operations of considerable ex-
tent in the District and that he was at
present a member of the committee on
appraisals of the Washington Loan and
Trust Company and in that position
had to pass upon the value of many
pieces of property located in all parts
of the city.
The present assessment of real es-
tate in Washington" said Col. Trues-
dell, "is little too high"
This was true. he said, because of a
depression in the real estate of Wash
ington in the last two or three years.
The reasons for this depression, he
said, were the war, overbuilding and
the agitation in Congress the last few
years against the half-and half plan.
Questioned by Mr.. Worthington, Col.
Truesdell told the committee that the
Board of Trade, called a body of
.-plutocratS" by an earlier witness, was
a very representative body of citizens
of the District, some 1900 in ISlmber,
including very many men of moderate
means. He said that the Board of