Evening star., 1915-02-07
ASSA|LS METHODS
OF D. c. ASSESSOR
Representative Page Says
Personal Property Is Ap-
praised From Sidewalk.
CHARGES ARE PLACED
BEFORE COMMISSIONERS
William P. Richards Refuses to
Comment Upon Speech At
tacking His Office.

A severe crftfcism OF the methods
followed in the District building for
the assessment Of personal property
was made on the floor Of the House
yesterday afternoon by Representative
Page Of North Carolina, chairman of
the subcommittee in charge Of the Dis
trict appropriation bill. Representative
Page charged that unbusinesslike
methods are followed by the assessor,
and told the House that personal prop
erty is assessed by an official who
walks on the sidewalk by the
house" The charges had already been
laid before the Commissioners, and q
report on the matter has been made
by Assessor William P. Richards, it
was learned last night.
Assessors Statement.
Assessor William P. Richards was
asked If he desired to make any COM
ment on the Page statement. He said:
Representative Page called me up
and had a conversation on this subject,
and told me he was going to say some
thing about it on the floor of the
House. Then he reported the matter
to the Commissioners. They have the
case before them, and ] will not say
anything further about 1t to any one"
twenty minutes, using part of the gen.
eral debate time on the sundry civil
bill. He introduced in his speech a
notice he had received from the clerk
of the board of assessors saying he
was delinquent in his personal taxes,
and that 20 per cent penalty had
been added. He said it was the first
notice he had ever received in ten years
on the subject of personal taxes.
Not Entering Complaint.
Il an, entering no personal complaint
about the amount of the assessment
that I am called upon to pay" he said.
but | do feel that 1 have a grievance
in that the first notice that I have re-
ceived relative to my Indebtedness to
the District of Columbia upon my per-
sonal property carries with 1t pen
atty of 20 per cent of the amount as
sessed. My curiosity was aroused
somewhat, and I Immediately called up
the assessor and asked him for an ex-
PLANTATION as to why I was taxed with
penalty upon the very first notice
I had had that there was anything due
the District of Columbia from me for
| personal taxes. [ said. Have l filed
with you any inventory of personal
property He said, 'Proba bly, not My
| rive at the amount of the personal
property, to wit, s2,400?' He answered
upon the best information he could OBJ
| tain. was still insistent and a little
curious I said, How did you get the
information, and from whom did you
get 1t? You certainly did noy inquire
| of me, nor did ! give it He hesitated
| to answer that question.
Guess at Amounts.
fred another at him, in which I
| wanted to know how they determined
| the amount of personal property OF
| citizens in the District. I was not only
amazed, but I was shocked, as many
| of YOU will be, when I tell you hts re-
ply-that his employees in the Office
! walked the pavement in frortsof my
| dwelling and the dwelling of other peo-
pie who live in the District of Columbia
| and guess at the amount of personal
property.
! What would they do In the case OF
an apartment house," asked Eepresen
| tative Mondell of Wyoming.
| IT suppose he would go in and lool
| at the number of letter boxes in the
| "and guess at the personal property o.
each one of the occupants. In explain
ing his methods, he mentioned 1921
| Massachusetts avenue. l do not know
| who lives there. He said: MY asses
| sor or my employe from this office goe.
| by on the sidewalk and views thi:
house on the outside and makes an as
4 sessment on the personal property
| therein
T, How does he know whether tn.
/ house. is abandoned or closed. ant
| whether it is not practically stripped
of the furniture or full of the riches
(Continued on Fourth Page.l