Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-06

l. Later he started an attack on the
congressional opponents Of the half-and-
| half plan.
Let me tell you gentlemen that the
| very agitation which has brought this
| committee together has been response
| BILE for the reduction Of values here by
! man army invaded these shores and
| bombarded this city. we would be bet
ter off when the army left than we are
| today"
Says People Want Contract.
| He told Senator Works that the peo-
pie want a guarantee Of federal con-
tribution, Mr.. Lancaster stated his own
| belief that a guarantee is unnecessary;
| but that there has been so black a rec
ord in the past that the people Of the
District will not be satisfied without a
| contract.
IF Congress sits down and listens
to Ben Johnson and Henry George and
Crisp Of Georgia and my old friend
Prouty from Des Moines. and If Con-
gress let's these men run 1t, then the
| District will not get a nickel"
| Representative Cooper expressed the
| belief that there is enough national
pride in the city of Washington to
keep congressional appropriations at a
high point.
Just before adjournment Senator
Chiffon gently chided Mr.. Lancaster
for making personal remarks about
Representative Johnson and others:
They are not here to defend them
selves said the senator, land when
they do say anything they say it open
ly, on the floor of the House"
Yes" said Col. Lancaster, they said
1T In the House, where I have no
chance to defend myself. I want to
say right here that think 1 am with
In rights
right here before you gentlemen. Any
man who is an enemy Of the District
OF Columbia is also an enemy of mine,
and I will meet him openly either in
the forum or the field
He then made an appeal to God to
prevent the next House of Representa-
t1ves from electing Representative John
son to the Craftsmanship of the District
committee, after which the joint Sc
lect committee adjourned.
Denies He Made the Charge.
W. j. Dante, trustee for the Hutchins
estate, who was given by Herbert J.
Browne as authority for the statement
that the board of assistant assessors
had become scared over the George re-
port and were arbitrarily boosting as
sessments, came to the committee hear
ing at the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion and denied absolutely that he had
ever made the charge.
Commissioner Newman read to him
what Mr.. Browne had said. which was,
in effect, that Mr.. Dante had told Mr.
Browne that he. Dante, had gone to the
District building to ask the board for
a lower assessment: that a member Of
the board had told him, Dante, that
there was so much agitation against
the low assessments that the request
couldn't be granted. and that he might
as well talk to a stone wall"
Mr.. Dante said to the committee: 81
think my good friend Browne Is mis-
ment because it is not true. I think he
refers to an occasion when I appeared
before the appeal board, and 1 said my
self to Mr.. Richards that 1t was no use
of askin for any reductions because
every one seemed afraid of the George
report. This jocular reference is pos
sibly what Mr.. Browne had in mind"
.. Accepts the Correction.
ct will accept the correction" said
Mr.. Browne. who then drew from Mr..
Dante an aaecdote Of an experience
he had with the appeal board at some
previous appearance.
II argued for a reduction" Mr.. Dante
explained, land l believed l had con-
WINGED the members of the board, but
l noticed that one man seemed to be
bossing the whole job. When 1 was
through talking this man checked off
something on a piece of paper and
said No, We won't give him any re-
duction.' I was much surprised, and
said: Gentlemen, believed 1 was deal
ing with the whole board. but l appear
to be dealing with but one man."
who was that man. a committee
member asked.
Mr.. Kalbfus."
He Is the assistant assessor who
4
Commissioner Newman. Shortly there
after the Commissioner resumed the
statement he had begun in the
morning.
Senator Works asked him what con-
sideration had been given during the
last assessment to the fact that the
United States pays half the expenses
of the District:
Absolutely Home" replied Commits
sioner Newman. I'VE simply wanted
any fiscal plan you may recommend
may be based on a solid and Just and
equitable assessment and tax"
Minimum Rate Of Assessment.
In reply to another question from the
committee the Commissioner said he
saw no reason for not assessing at
more than a two-thirds value: that the
law merely placed the minimum at
two-t thirds. and be intimated that it
would be highly uncomfortable for any
Commissioner who caused an assess
ment at greater than two-thirds valu-
alton with the present tax rate.
Further along in his statement Com
missioner Newman remarked that he
did not believe the committee would
give any consideration to reduction
Of the taxes of the District.
What makes you say that" asked
Senator Works. IF the law provides
that the United States shall pay half
the expenses of the District and the
people of the District shall pay half.
why should we tax the residents here
SO that they shall raise more than their
half?
The Commissioner. in his reply. stat
ed that he believed he knew the temper
of Congress SO well as to say that no
reduction of the District residents bur-
den of tax would be considered.