The Washington herald., 1915-12-12

notably wider thap 10 other c3tis8 IN
| wise plans Of the founders Of IN 4autel
simply made; them more 1eautfG 1itf
their wide parlrfngG Their sephaIted
smoothness anticipated thS evfomebjls
and the fightness OF trsfBc IN Z nen.
commercial city would under economics
management reduce the cost Of up-kseg
| well below that charge upon CONNER
cial city Of equal size, and Warrington
VIII avoid the costs running into mi1lSonl
OF street widening with which. mahy
other cities are confronted.
Conaensstiea Preceeaings PrsDssiy
Conducted.
With rare exceptions condsmnstion
proceedings. especially In the larger
sites. have been surrounded with svsPy
| legal safeguard and precaution which
| can be devised. The condemnation
| commissioners are selected by the
Supreme Court Of the District: thsir
course is under its strict scrutiny and
| their findings are subject to review.
! The commissioners take unlimited
testimony. have the services OF coup-
| sci and experts. are themselves real
| estate experts, and as q rule are men
of high character and standing. The
Federal government and the District
are, In my judgment. well served. Let
me quote from two instructions given
by the court to commissioners of con-
demnation.
In No. so2. August S. 1903. wash
ingtoD Terminal Condemnations, the
court instructed as follows:
TN determining the value Of the
several parcels of land mentioned in
this petition the appraisers are in
structed that they must exclude from
a. i'm he fon fHaf hA
tion of the Union Station and freight
terminals by Act Of Congress Of Feb
ruary 2s. 1908. has created an added
demand for land within said area; for
the purpose OF avoiding condemnation
proceedings is not = criterion OF
value"
In the condemnation OF Squares 60,
site for the House Office building. Act
of March >. 1903. the court instructed:
I'll The several parcels are to be
appraised at their fair market value
with reference to the most advanta-
geous uses to which they can be put
by private persons or corporations:
and by market value is meant what
the property would sell for in cash or
on terms equivalent to cash when Of
fered for sale by one who desires but
is not obliged to sell to one who de-
sires but 10 not obliged to buy: what
might be offered by one who desired
to buy on time for purely speculative
purposes. or the additional value, II
any. the property may have acquired
by its selection by the government for
the site, should not be considered as .
basis fer or in any way influencing
the appraisement Compensa-
tion cannot be allowed for loss Of fu-
ture profits, or for injury to business.
or for loss in value of fixtures arising
from a removal thereof" etc.
Once Building Sites and Their Tax
Assessment.
In the condemnation Of Square $40
for the site of the House Office build
ing and Square 6Ss for the Senate Of
flee building the following totals are
discovered:
Square $50 Act March J. 1908.
Assessment Ise-5
Area feet, IH,S7s; average per foot.
81; total land. sl43.sS: improvements.
T27.200 Total, S270. Sa5 Condemnation
award, Nt.,34 Percentage assessment to
award. 3s%.
Square ss6. Act April Is. 1901
Area feet. 22eSI: average per foot.
81: total land, s1ai51o improvements.
s1l2. 100 Total. s2s7.7N. Condennatio
award, Eis.csi Percentage assessment TO
award. ?5%
In each square the improvements were
assessed at mot less than two-thirds
value" AS a matter of fact they were
generally old houses and assessed at
practically full value. Therefore, the
under-assessment was on the land values
Allowing. however. that the houses were
actually assessed at two-thirds value and
that the appraisers arrived at the same
basis for the valuation on the improve
ments raised to 1907, the land assessment
sinks to cs% Of the condemnation value
But the remarkable uniformity in per
centages in each case Is a plain indica-
tion of the ability OF the Assessor to
discover true values il he should desire
to. The subsequent assessments OF land
values In the vicinity of these two highly
improved squares showed the Assessor
reluctantly paying inefficient attention to
the natural increase of values due to
the presence of two beautiful public
buildings and their seasonal activities.
Assessment MnnipuIations south Of
the Avenue.
On February g. 1905. a resolution was
passed by the Senate calling on the Dis
trict Commissioners to ascertain the low
est purchase price of the twenty-sevxn
squares and reservations south OF Penn
syhdnid avenue. D1StriCt surveyor w.
p. Richards furnished the information
Shortly thereafter he became Assessor,
which position he still holds. The esti-
mates of District Surveyor Richards and
the assessment of District Assessor Rich
ards present some interesting compari-
sons. The following is from the hearings
before subcommittee Of the House on
the District Of Columbia, May g. 1872,
Taxation Of Real Estate in the District
of Columbia:
Surveyor Richards' Estimate.
Land. Improve Total.
ments.
ID. squares
bet. 18th and
18th sts..... ssIO5s.'oo ss4s.s0 s2.sos $50
ca. Il squares
bet. Sd and
Nth sts..... s,a1s.s5o 4sl.55o 1850. 500
90. squares
ne Arrest
Capitol. soo.Sso s6,s4o 1.7os.7
Total....... sll.l7s $50 ssOes. .24o 81, ,g7s O7O
Assessment 18Os-8.
Land D. 8 squares bet. 14th and
18th Sts.. $1.11s.s10: improvements,
$447,100; Total, $1.565.s10
Land. (2). II squares bet. Sd Aand
14th SITS. $4.1s3.s56: improvements, ST.
S2s.666; total, S6,022,s56.
Land. (9. S squares nearest Capt.
toi, s5ss.s14: improvements. s5s3.70O;