Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-28

elimination in favor of the land speou-
! lator as against the home sWner and
home seeker is simply outrageous.
The law is both positive and clear,
| ture the unjust discrimination in favor
OF land-grabbing syndicates, specula-
| tors and monopolists. Had the asses
sors obeyed the law In making the as
| sessment of real estate for the next
three years, improvements would have
been assessed at about s125.000,o00 and
land at about $s75,00o.o00. This would
have produced, at $3.50 on the 500,
S7,500.000. or about double the amount
desired to be raised from that class of
property" said Mr.. Browne.
Mr.. Oysters Conclusions.
The conclusions as to the character
of District assessments reached by Mr.
Oyster In 1905 have been arrived at by
every fair-minded investigator before
and since. Mr.. Oyster figured that one
third of the true value Of privately
owned and taxable District lands in
1906 was S1S7,500,0O0; indicating full
value Of $685.. 100000, which on a two
thirds basis should have been assessed
at s375,0O0,O00.
Seven years later Mr.. E. w. Oyster.
then and now assistant assessor, par
ticipates in the triennial assessment of
1914-15, which produces on two-thirds
basis an assessment of land values of
$20S,os5.s15. indicating a full value of
$312.127,977. drop from Mr.. Oysters
1906 two-thirds estimate of s166,914,-
SIS. and a drop from his 1906 full val
uation of s25o.S72,o23.
And yet the District had had seven
and population between 1906 and 1913,
and prodigious land boom that
reached its elimination in 1912. the
year of the George report. which. prac-
of discrimination, conservatively found
taxable, full land values in the District
to be $500, 5O0,S65, sum less than Mr..
Oysters estimate of 1906 by $5S,O00.00O.
For True Consideration Bill.
Mr.. Oyster, who was in the committee
room. sought to interrupt Mr.. Browne.
but he was told by Senator Chiffon, chair
man Of the committee. that he would be
given full opportunity to make reply later.
Mr.. Browne made the comment that
before I get through there will be num-
Der of gentlemen who would like to be
heard by this committee"
He discussed the true consideration
bill which was before the Sixty second
Congress. insisting that its enactment
would be Of great public benefit. He
said that the only persons benefited
by the failure of this bill to become a
Washington. The real estate men here,
he said. insisted that the bill should
not go to the House for action.
Collision Is Charged.
He charged that frequently in the
District there was collision between
real estate brokers and the brokers
became interested in property offered
to them to sell as agents. and that the
fact that they were not compelled to
show in the deeds of transfer true con-
sideration made this possible. He said
that he would bring court records to
prove this allegation.
Mr.. Browne then turned his guns on
the District assessor. who, he charged,
was negligent in his duty because he
did not go to the two title companies
in the District. which, he said, handle
95 per cent Of the transfers in real
estate, to get at the facts of the true
paid for real estate. He
charged that the assessor rel ed uorn
the figures given him by the real estate
brokers themselves. and sometimes by
Quotes Real Estate Advertisements.
Mr.. Browne said that the Henry George
OF Trade and by The Star, which, he said.
had devoted many columns to it's at
tack.
But the report still stands" he said.
He said that The Star never Intentional
ly misstates anything, but that it con-
siders the destirlies Of the District bound
up in the maintenance OF the half-and-
half plan
He quoted from advertisements sent
Washington was becoming one of the
wealthiest cities in the world, and read
from the Manufacturers Record OF
Baltimore a statement that real estate
000,000 in Washington.
These figures are 100000. 900 above
the s744,oo0,ooo Of the George report"
he said.
Single Tax Is Favored.
Mr.. Browne contended there was
small inducement for the Improvement
OF real estate in Washington and that
1t paid better to hold land unimproved.
THAT IL the reason SO much Of the
land in the capital is as naked today
as when Columbus discovered America"
he said. Mr.. Browne then made an ar
gument in favor Of the single tax, plac-
ing the tax upon land values as distinct
from improvements.
Senator Works asked Mr.. Browne If
the present land values in the District
were due to action by Congress and
improvements made by the citizens, or
to speculation.
Mr.. Browne replied that while GER
tain sections Of the city still show
speculative values, speculative values
had fallen OF much in recent years.
Calls Rents Exceedingly High.
II. raid that rants wera exceedinplv
high in Washington. as compared to
other cities, In reply to a question by
Senator Works.
Rents are higher here than in Balti-
more" Mr.. Browne said, and also
ground values are higher.
1T is all due to the half-and-half
subsidy, which has made 1t easy for
speculative holders to allow the in
crement on their property to act as
income. Look at all the little taxpay-
srs erected on lots in this city. little
one-story affairs, simply to get an in
come to pay taxes, while the owner
waits for \ high price, an unearned in
crement.
There is no way. perhaps. to get at
the unearned increment outside OF
forcible seizure; but the land tax must
be high enough to drive out the specu-
lative holder" He read published
letter from q mayor Of Vancouver in
praise of q single tax experiment that
city has conducted.
Dodging Taxes Vested Right.
you cannot srappls with this problem
here." continued Mr.. Browne, without