davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-09-01
Great Office Building Taxes
Vitally Affect City,s Cro,Uth
Large Increases in Valuation Tend to
Confine or Blight Development,
General Surrey Sho,rs.

How far city's tax valuation of
buildings affects the stride in growth
which the city makes is suggested in
compilation of assessors reports
from seventeen leading cities made
by the taxation committee of the Ma
tional Association of Real Estate
Boards. II. j. Burton of Minneapolis
compiled the report.
. Returns from seventeen leading
cities, showing the percentages of
city growth in comparison with the
percentages of assessment valuations
placed on land improved by the erec-
ton of office buildings, indicate that
in the competition going on in growth
of American cities the valuation pol
icy in relation to improved central
urban land is recognizable factor.
Lands under heavy building invest
ment are necessarily frozen" the re-
port points out. Estimated return
from them cannot be much changed
for long period, once the buildings
have been erected. If large increases
in their valuation are put on the as
SCISSORS books there is a tendency to
CIltCh Improvement Oh unused SITES
and to confine or to blight growing
centers, the report states, on the
basis of correlations found between
assessors figures and census figures
in the seventeen cities. This blight
means loss of possible increase in
total taxable wealth. On the other
hand, conservative valuations, stabil-
lied at the existing values which
caused the improvements to be erect
ed, tend to encourage the risk of fur
ther adequate improvements, to in
crease the total taxable wealth, to
spread city centers and to stabilize
community costs of rents and re-
turns from private capital invest
ments in this special class of com
petitive semi-public utilities. This
means city growth. How far the cor
relation, modified, of course, by other
large factors of city growth. prevails
generally in large cities of the Unit-
ed States is now being investigated
by the associations committee.
The percentage of increase in pop
ulation, as compared with increase or
decrease in valuation of land oc-
cupied by office buildings for the ten
Evening star., 1923-09-01
Babson Sees Long Prosperity
after Present Readju justn,ent
No Immediate Boom in Sight, Says Stat
istician in Monthly Revie,U-Outlook
| Best in SOuth--Chief Business Factors

mand for iron and steel is slacken-
ing. Crude oil is piling up in Penn
sylvania, Oklahoma. Kansas and
Texas. People scramble to buy on
advancing markets. but refuse to buy
on declining markets. AS the result,
the decline in prices may now go as
much below normal as the previous
advance went above normal. This -
unfortunate. but being in accordance
with the law of action and reaction,
it is inevitable.
This further explains the current
decrease in retail buying and the
consequent falling off in the orders
of manufacturers and jobbers. When
ways decline to abnormally low fig
ures irrespective of merit or the cost
of production.
Predicts Long Prosperity.
However, these are optimistic
signs If studied with the, long pull in
view-although they naturally affect
the Babsonchart index, which Is to-
day 10 per cent below normal. Thel e
Is no doubt that business when i'll in
1920 and 1921 did not properly liqui-
date-it got out of bed too soon. We
must now rest again and be willing
to convalesce slowly.
Therefore, things are now travel
ing in the right direction-notwith
standing current peSSimiSm-and
when prosperity finally comes, it will
/ be much more healthy and last much
longer than it otherwise would.
tAlr. Babson. the widely known statistician
! and business expert. will continue his discus
sion of business and economic conditions in
next Saturdays Starr.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
BUSINESS QUIET
IN LUMBER TRADE
Builders Still Buying on Hand-to-
Mouth Basis, Dealers
Report.

No new feature has made itself dis
cernible in the lumber market. De-
mand remains relatively quiet, hand
to-mouth buying still being the rule
and there being little disposition as
yet in any branch of the consuming
trade to buy ahead Of requirements.
Most current orders call for immedi-
ate shipment, and mills find these diff
ficult to make on account of stock
shortage, says the American Lumber
man, Chicago. All indications are
that lumber. and plenty of it, is need
ed by retailers and factory consum-
ers and that weakness of prices is
the main obstable to bigger business.
Softwood prices, however, have held
quite steady during the last fort
night, and are now undoubtedly at
their lowest level, though it may be
some time before any real upward
reaction takes place.
After the squirt in southern pine de-
mand late in July mill bookings have
again declined to approximately 20
per cent of normal. A much more
optimistic view is being taken of the
AGRICULTURAL SITUATION. ana lumOer-
men feel that despite the low prices
of grain products, farmers will have
fair amount of money after market
ing their crops and will spend a good
deal of it for construction and re-
pairs. This feeling accounts to a
large extent for the confidence ex-
hibited throughout the industry. Few
big mills are eager for business at
the present low price level, and book
only enough to keep going. prefer
ring to hold their surplus output for
stock.
Douglas fir mills last week reported
a decline in production. shipments
and orders, but the situation appears
sounder than recently. Export bust
ness is plentiful, and there are def
mite signs of both the California and
Atlantic seaboard markets reawaken-
ing from their dullness. The rail
market is also reported to be i'm
proving somewhat. while local de-
mand remains strong and industrial
requirements aggregate into fair
volume.
Hardwood producers report a vo-
lumeinous movement of their product
to consumers. While demand is still
largely hand to mouth. its volume is
considerable. The upward tendency
of prices is more pronounced oak
being the only item that has shown
no improvement during the last few
weeks.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
BY ROGER w. BABSON.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass, Sep
tember 1.-Business is beginning to
feel the shock of President Harding S
death which so stunned the Ameri-
can people. Although there is con-
ISOLATION in the fact that his success
sor, Calvin Coolidge, has had great
administrative experience, yet a
shifting from one President to an
other must break many connections
and change many plans. The first
people to feel the results of this
change are the retailers. Retail
sales fell off Immediately following
President Harding's death and have
not yet resumed. Hence, wholesale
buying is on only moderate scale.
Buyers are not inclined to purchase
beyond their immediate needs. The
people are also awaiting the size of
crops and the prices of agricultural
products.
Outlook Best in South.
The best immediate business oppor-
tunities are believed to be in the
south. Although current cotton re-
ports are somewhat disappointing
yet the good prices promised should
make the south prosperous during
the next twelve months. Given the
right kind of weather for the balance
OF the season and current prices, the
south will add greatly to it's wealth
and purchasing power. The north
west. however, is handicapped by the
European farmers who are raising
more grain every year. which nat
urally reduces our exports of cereals.
- shown a
terlal change recently, but corn
prices are SofteninS, although this
softening is only natural as the new
corn crop approaches maturity.
Calls REIMBURSEMENT Healthy.
Iron. steel, petroleum. copper. wool
ana certain other basic commodi-
ties are declining in price, but this
is not an unhealthy sign. The great
difference in the level of farm prod
ucts and manufactured goods must be
eliminated sooner or later. The price
of agricultural products must come
up and that of manufactured goods
must come down.
Therefore, the present readjust-
n1ent movement is healthy and good
for all of us in the long run This
reduction in the prices of raw ma
terials, an increase in the efficiency
of labor. and a reduction in overhead
ana selling expenses.
opposed to Wage Increases.
The unemployment which is threat
enlng certain industries, on account
or foreign competition, should make
labor more reasonable. on the other
hand, indications are that the wage
earners in those monopolies such as
transportation, coal, etc, are still
greatly tempted to make trouble
certain of the railroad unions are
about to make drastic demands for
wage increases, restoring wages to
what they were at the peak follow
Ing the war and prior to the cut July
J.. 1921. Considering that the dollar
or 1913 is now worth about 81 cents
compared with only 40 cents in Nav,
1920. and only about so cents in the
spring of 1921, these demands on the
part of labor for a restoration of
wartime wages seem very unjust
Lower Prices Possible.
Bank clearings have definitely
turned the corner and are declining.
mail order sales may have again an
parently reached a maximum; the de-
Evening star., 1923-09-01
HOME BUILDING
LEADS IN PERMITS
Construction Authorized in
District Past Week Aggre-
gates Value of $259,250.

Home building permits predomi-
mated in the list Of construction work
authorized by the District during the
week. The authorizations aggregated
in estimated value of construction $685.
$50. The list follows:
). Duncan, to build, 1919 Sherir
road northeast; $4,000.
Pioneer Hall Association. to build,
AS 55th street northeast; 1000.
Albert A. Straus. to build, 227 Min
nesota avenue northeast: $4,000.
ID. j. Dunigan, to build eleven
homes, 53O3-5321 eth street and 649
1ngraham street; $50, 900
Maddux, Marshall & Co, to build.
301S Albemarls street; $1,000.
F. Franzoni. to repair, 519 Massa-
chuSettS avenue; $4,000.
Carl Brogman. to build. 1119-1123
Orren street northeast; $4,000.
Middaugh & Shannon. to build, 300
Cleveland avenue; S24 $500.
Middaugh & Shannon, to build, 1902
Cleveland avenue; s23.500.
Middaugh & shannon, to build, 3104
Cleveland avenue; $15,250
Middaugh & Shannon. to erect ga
rage, 3102-3104 Cleveland avenue
$4,000
H. r. Howenstein. to build. 123-126
4th street northeast: $4,000.
r. II. Sanford, to build, 3014301S
33d place; $4,000.
II. V. Schreiber. to build, 1907 Hunt
ington street; $4,000.
Wardman Construction Company to
build, 1912 3Sth street; $4,000.
S. H. Lowther, TO build on 37th be-
tween Mckinley and Morrison streets
$4,000.
A r Townshend, to build, 1907 37th
street; $4,000.
Mount Olivet cemetery, to make re-
pairs; $4,000.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
RESPONSIBLE BIDDER
. DEFINED BY COURT
Right of Capricious Judgment in
Letting Contracts
Denied.

The term lowest responsible bid
der" which long has been a perplexity
in its actual application to conditions
surrounding the making of awards,
has been analyzed officially to the de-
gree of forming the subject of a de-
cision by the Pennsylvania supreme
court.
AS interviewed by the court, this
term does not mean the lowest bidder
in dollars; nor does it mean the
board may capriciously select a
higher bidder regardless of RESPONSE
bility or cost"
Continuing to outline the dictates
of the term. the court says:
What the law requires is the exer-
else of an intelligent judgment. They
should investigate the bidders to
learn resources, facilities, judgm ant
and efficiency as builders. This was
not done. The court below censures
the board for omitting this important
step, but it holds, inasmuch as they
had ample knowledge of the success
full bidder and the merit of it's work,
the contract could be awarded. This
might do in, private affairs. but will
not pass when public funds are at
stake; the directors were not bound
in law to give the contract to the
lowest bidder, who might be ire
sponsible. They were bound to in
vestigate, and if a bidder measured
up to the laws requirement as a re-
sponsible party, the board could not
capriciously award the contract to
Evening star., 1923-09-01
REALTY BOARD MEMBERS
LIMIT BAN Is LIFTED
Kansas City Acts on Restricting
Measure in Accordance With
National Body View.

In Difference to a recent resolution
of the board of directors of the Ma
tional Association Of Real Estate
Boards condemning the placing of
arbitrary limitations upon member
ship in it's constituent boards. the
Kansas City Real Estate Board is en-
gagged in removing its numerical
bounds AS the membership Iimita-
ton of the Kansas City Board has
been enlarged from time to time 1t
has never in practice been restrictive.
Disdpproval of a numerical limita-
tion policy for local boards by the
national association is based on the
belief that since there can be only
.one member board in any city the
shutting off of any persons of char
acter, proved ability. and moral re-
sponsibility from the benefits of mem
bership in A constituent board would
be incompatible with the best inter
ests of the real estate profession.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
PLEA TO REALTORS
URGES ACTIVITY
National President Tells
Board Members of 0ppor-
tunities for Achievement.

Calling on member boards to begin
now to make plans for the years ac-
complishments. L. f. Eppich, presi-
dent of the National Association of
Real Estate Boards. has sent out
national message telling the mem
bers that the coming year offers a
new opportunity for achievement
In these first fall days" the mes
sage said. there is opening for real
estate boards throughout the Ma
tional Association new year of
work. Groups which have relaxed
their activities during the summer
altogether for a few weeks, are now
resuming their regular schedules.
New Opportunities in View.
And with the coming of this new
year there opens for every board in
our international membership a new
opportunity for achievement. Now Is
the time to put into shape plans for
the years accomplishment. The tide
of general activity has passed it's
seasonal ebb and is running in again
toward new flood. In this flood tide
big things can be launched, and
launched well.
"Thc hole treme ndous potentiality
which me are just beginning to see
within the national association for
the development of real estate in a
new professional era comes wholly
from the union in the association of
the pOtentialities within each of its
member boards. The national body is
a great clearing house for our pro-
fessional activities, but it is only
in each local board as a unit that
these activities can find life.
"These are some of the ways in
which boards of our association are
finding high usefulness to their in
dividual members. to their communi-
ties. and to that spirit of professional
responsibility of which they are the
expression They are building in
their meetings strong bond of pro-
fessional fellowship. They are up
| holding one standard of professional
conduct. They are making plain to
the general public what the asso-
citation stands for in matters of pro-
fessional ethics.
Solution of Disputes.
"ArbitratiOn committees are bring
ing about solution of intra-profes-
sional disputes. Membership COM
mittees are building up strength.
Rules committees are bringing in the
forms of organization best fitted for
smooth board functioning. Legisla-
ton committees are working toward
the enactment of ordinances and state
laws of Importance to the great in
terests which our profession repre-
Sents. and are a stay against the
enactment of vicious legislation.
"Apnraisal committees are furnish
ing the machinery for securing ac-
curate professional Judgments Null
tiple listing bureaus are utilizing
the power of cooperation in the sale
process. Committees are engaged
in a multitude of civic services in
the planning and development of
their communities.
whatever the plans which your
board may have or may be working
out for the new business year the
national association stands ready to
help in any way it can. Through 1t
members may draw on a general fund
of board experience. We have good
work behind us, but there is good
work to be done ahead. l urge on
every member real estate board the
fullest possible realization for the
coming year of the notable functions
for which it was created"
Evening star., 1923-09-01
CAMPAIGN
PLANNED IN MICHIGAN

i Concentration of the interest of
every real estate board in the state
for a sixty-day period on the one
matter of appraisals is the plan for
the fullest possible development of
expert real estate valuation through
out the state which men interested
in. this phase of board service
throughout the National Association
of Real Estate Boards will watch as
1T works out in Michigan.
An appraisal campaign to which
every board in the state will be ask ed
to devote It's meetings for the months
of September and October is planned
by the Michigan Real Estate Asso-
citation. Various scientific systems of
valuing unimproved land together
with methods of valuing improve
ments will be discussed and the en-
tire program of each local board
meeting will feature the study of as
certaining accurate judgments of
property values.
The appraisal campaign is timed
TO coincide with the holding of the
state associations annual meeting in
Grand Rapids September 1927.
Evening star., 1923-09-01

In Atlanta property is assessed by
the city both land and building as
one.
Evening star., 1923-09-01

year period, 1910-1920, for the seven.
teen cities already reported are as
follows.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
BASIS FOR FARM LAND
VALUATION SOUGHT

Getting at standards of value in
farm land appraisal that will take
out some of the disparities in the
handling of farm land valuations all
over the United States Is the object
of work now going on through the
cooperation of federal authorities
with the National Association of Real
Estate Boards. Very complete ques-
tionnaires on farm land appraisals
are now being sent out. The question
naires aim to bring together a body
of facts on which standards of farm
land valuation can be built The
field of farm land appraisal, the ma
tional association recognizes, is one
in which practically no systematizing
has as yet been done.
The movement for developing more
accurate bases for farm land valu-
alton, expected to be a step of i'm
portance in putting the handling of
farm properties on basis COM
mensurate with the methods already
in practice in the handling of urban
real estate, is going on under the
auspices of the farm lands division
of the association.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
REAL ESTATE SALES
FOR WEEK REPORTED
Shannon & Luchs Dispose of Homes
in Various Sections of
the City.

Sales for the past week were re-
ported by Shannon & Luchs as fol-
lows: In Burleith the following buy
ers are listed: Rachel F. Staples
36l1 S street; August III. Moran, 1927
street; Mamie 3. Pratt, 1923 6
street; G. +. F. Lundell, 1914 T
street; w. ]. Meyer, 1921 S street;
Wesley Cole, 3613 S street.
The large English town home at
230S California street northwest was
sold to John V. A. MacMurrav of the
State Department
one of the new Shannon & Luchs
seven-room bungalows at 1927 JEFF
1erson street was bought by Daniel
p. Vermillion.
Mrs Mary A. Sanborn is the new
owner of 309 Rock Creek Church road
northwest
No. 720 C street northeast was sold
to William c. Sproesser as his home.
Mrs. Mary l.. Barron bought 52O7
14th street northwest. semi-de-
tached brick home. Another of these
homes, 5205, was bought by Joseph H
Eanlein.
Florence NJ. Hawkins became the
owner of 1340 Ingraham street, a new
detached eight-room house.
11S Jefferson street northwest, built
by Walter A. Dunigan, was sold to
Frank NJ. Collins as his future home
1880 Kennedy street northwest, a
six-room bungalow was bought by
Mrs. Mary Dyer
DR.. Richard A. Ford. recently major
In the Medical Corps of the United
States Army, purchased 5213 14th
street, a new brick home
123 r street northeast was sold to
L. NJ. Vermillion.
Earl A. Reid purchased 1917 Lin
coin road northeast for his home.
1410 Irving street northeast, a semi
bungalow of nine rooms, was bought
by Frederick w. Kraus.
No 5215 14th street Kas bought by
II. c. Gretz and No. 5yI1 14th street
by Harry Lakeman. Both homes are
of semi-detached brick. just com
pleted.
Evening star., 1923-09-01
SPEAKERS BUREAU AID.

Help of the speakers. bureau main
tanned by the National Association of
Real Estate Boards is available to all
member boards in connection with
their program building for the season
of re Iewed activity opening every
where with the first weeks of fall.
The bereau has suggestive lists of
well as lists of speakers available
in each territory who can deal with
real estate topics authoritatively.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-02

shoot there are difficult to obtain and the Nepal authorities now-a- days only arrange their famous shoots for themselves or royalties. Both King George and the Prince of Wales enjoyed a splendid sport in the Nepal forests during their tours in India. Some 500 elephants. I re- member, were engaged in beating and ringing up the tigers in the princess shoot. The only lion shoot ing in India is found in the forests of Cir in Kathiawar on the Bombay side, but leopards are found all over India. and bears are fairly common on all the Himalayan slopes. Pig sticking or boar hunting, in many mems minds the finest sport in In- dia, is excellent in parts of Bengal, the United Provinces and Bombay.
 Life has not been without it's ex- elements in the east, apart from journalistic episodes. I think have had at times all the levers which attack the ordinary sojourner in 1n- dia. I have been to more than one big game shoot and in addition to assisting in killing several tigers l have had wounded leopard jump on to my elephants head, and have then gone through the uncomfort-~ able experience of an elephant bolt ing through the jungle and having my clothes torn to ribbons in conse- quence.
 when it was attacked by swarm of wild bees which was disturbed in the jungle, and again there was wild race, luckily on this occasion. across an open plain. But this time the elephant was urged to rapid ac- tion by it's mahout (driver), for more than one man in Indian has been .l l,oi,- sting is poisonous in the extreme and their viciousness and persistence in pursuit are extraordinary.
 I have also been knocked down by an elephant, which suddenly went mad with fright when an endeavor was made to place huge dead python 20 feet in length on it's back. The Earthquake And The Bed
 On another occasion I had to shoot on foot a wounded charging leopard at about eight yards with shotgun. I have narrowly escaped being bitten by a cobra. which made its way into my bathroom, and have had a mad dog under my bed in camp in the dead of night. I managed to shoot the brute. but not till it had bitten two ponies, two camels and three dogs, all of which went mad or had to be destroyed. Once while pig sticking, a boar charged my horse, knocked it over, jumped on me as l lay on the ground, ripped open my coat and left me unscathed.
 I can also remember in Simla an earthquake so severe that floor col lapsed and a colonefs wife descend ed bed and all on to a Frenchman, who was also in bed on the lower floor. Curious to relate the latter was in no way injured, but he was so astonished and impressed by the episode that he immediately got out his camera and took photograph of the scene. His punishment for this act was thought by some people to be unduly severe, for his conduct was judged to be ungentlemanly, and he was in consequence asked to leave the hnfel