Evening star., 1915-11-13

there is danger of corruption-where
corruption is one of the regular ex-
penses, paid for by the taxpayers

there is danger of corruption-where
corruption is one of the regular ex-
penses, paid for by the taxpayers"
| Col. Truesdell Recalled.
| Col. Truesde1I was recalled to the
stand and, at the request of Mr.. Worth
Iington, said he had served as a District
Commissioner from 1894 to 1897. He
was asked by Mr.. Worthington wheth-
er, during his service as Commissioner,
the organic act had been attacked In
regard to the half-and-haf provisions
of taxation. The answer was to the con.
trary Col. Truesdell said he did not
recall any attempt to repeal the mar,
and-half provisions. This was presumed
| to be in reply to Justice Siddons' state
ment early in the day that the half
and-half provision had been 2 constant
source of irritation and veXatlon.
julius Peyser on the Stand.
Julius Peyser, who said he represent
| ed bank with II 900 small depositors,
and that he could speak for the masses,
declared to the committee that most OF
the middle class and poor people of the
| city with whom he had come into con-
tact believe that Congress or the fed.
eral government should take control OF
| the District of Columbia.
I'VE ought to have corporation
here" he said, known as the city of
Washington. and also some form or
local government. The heads of the
| local government ought to be elected
by the people of the District There is
no criticism of the present heads Of the
District. however
Mr.. Peyser denied that the bar as
| sociaton had had the right. under it's
| bylaws to be represented before the
| committee of Congress. and he also
stated that the gentlemen who are
| representing the joint citizens com
| mittee before the congressional COM
| of Washington.
81 do not believe" Mr.. Peyser said,
that the large business or mansion
property in the District is properly as
sessed. The burden of taxation falls
| on the small property owner here. The
foreclosure of mortgages on small
| houses in Washington is remarkable
| in number, as one may see by reading
the newspaper advertisements
Criticises the Assessors Office.
II believe the assessors office is con-
Quoted in a most unbusinesslike way.
! The assessor is very much like the
character in the comic opera Wang.
who was the police department. the
fire department and many other activi-
ties
room when the committee was inform
ed of the manifold activities of the as
SCISSORS office. 1t was related by Com
missioner Brownlow and others that
the assessor must pass on billboard
licenses, shooting gallery licenses. must
examine applicants for permits to run
automobiles and do many other things,
all of which, Mr.. Persey pointed out.
proved that the assessor could not DO
his work of assessing property in a
proper manner for want of time.
Mr.. Peyser advocated suffrage in the
District, and declared that the resi-
dents of the city ought to be given the
right to say who should rule over them.
E. F. Colladay Gives Views.
E. F.. Colladay, president of the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations. was
the next witness, and at the conclu-
sion of his remarks Senator Works de-
clared himself to be much in sympathy
with the idea, also advanced by Mr..
Colladay, that there should be some
form of suffrage in the District.
at is un-Amercan," Senator Works
said ito be governed as you are governed
here, without voice in your own affairs.
"My view of the question before the
committee Mr.. Colladay said lis that
it would be well to have the half-and-half
system fully restored and literally adimn-
istered. The half -and-half system of tax
alton has not been carried out here for
several years. The law has not been lived
up to. / think we ought to have a tax
appeal board because / do not think the
assessors should review their own work.
| think, also we ought to be permitted
to vote for presidential electors, repre-
sentatives in Congress and one or two
senators. / do not think we should elect
the District Commissioners If we have
the same representation nationally that
sta ates h3V representation
in Congress that the states have, ] think
we ought to be satisfied. SO far as the
commission form of government for the
District is concerned. l think, as Col.
Truesdell has said, that that is almost
perfect"
Senator Works wanted to know what
political organizations there are in Wash
ington and Mr.. Colladay informed him
that there are organizations here-clubs,
he called them-which are supposed to
exist for the purpose of controlling the
appointment of national committeeman,
but which he presumed were really for
the purpose of influencing patronage
From all I can hear" Senator Works
said, "in some ways there are as much
politics in the District of Columbia as
elsewhere in the United States.''
Query by Mr.. Cooper.
Representative Cooper asked:
"Why should you be allowed sena-
tors or representatives here? You are
not a state. We don't allow those
privileges to territories. Hawaii and
the Philippines and Alaska. with
greater populations and with larger
territory, are not allowed senators or
representatives"
Senator Works and Senator Chiffon
both interjected remarks to show that
they have no objection to lobbying,
in the better sense of the word. They
proper for men interested in legisla-
tion to lay their views before members
of Congress.
Mr.. Colladay said he was glad to hear
it, as the Federation of Citizens As
sociations has quite a number of mat
ters which it desires to bring to the
attention of senators and representa-
tives in Congress this winter.
| AS the result of number of attempts
| by Mr.. Browne and c. c. Lancaster to
! ask witnesses before the committee va
rious questions, the committee voted
| that in future questions which those
| not members of the committee desire
| to ask will be asked for them by mem
| bers of the committee. if the latter
deem it proper to ask the questions
desired.
Responsible for Progress Here.
Assessor Richards was given an oppor-
tunity to go on the stand and defend GER
tain assessments made in Chevy Chase
which Mr.. Colladay had criticised, and
after he had finished, at the request of
Mr.. Worthington, for the citizens COM
mittee, Col. NJ. NJ. Parker took the stand.
| Col. Parker declared himself to be very