Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-17
Would Transfer Work to
Assessors Office for
Greater Efficiency.
WILL SEEK REPEAL
OF rs PER CENT RULE
Great Increase in Land Values
Since Last Assessment Will
Be Cited in Plea.

The task of procuring desirable SITES
for new public schools and other nu-
nicipal projects made exceedingly dlr-
ficult this year by the clause written
into the District appropriation bill
with the stipulation that appropria-
tions for land may not be eXpenced
| when the price exceeds by 20 per cent
the assessed valuation probably Will
be shifted from the engineering de-
partment of the District government
to the tax assessors office.
This became known today, and at
the same time 1t was announced that
an effort will be made at the next ses-
sion Of Congress to have this 25 per
cent limitation lifted.
Engineer Commissioner j. Franklin
Bell is behind both proposals. He
wants to transfer the land acqu1si-
ton activities to some official In the
office of Tax Assessor William P. Rich
ards as soon as Maj William Henry
Holcombe, assistant engineer commls-
sioner leaves for his new post in New
Orleans, the latter part of the month.
Awaits Return of Rudolph.
Mai. Holcombe has acted as liaison
officer between the District and school
authorities in selecting school sites
and other land acquired for municipal
purposes during his three-year detail
with the District government, and
Commissioner Bell feels that his sue.
cessor. lacking knowledge OF the geo.
graphical arrangement of the city, its
property values. etc, VIII De unaoie
to step in where Maj Holcombe leaves
off and perform this difficult work
efficiently and judiciously
The logical place for such work,
Commissioner Bell believes. Is in the
tax assessors Office, where the EN-
ployes are not only familiar with the
CITY and property values but the as
sessments as we'll. While Mr.. Rich
ard s force is now undermanned. Col.
Bell thinks it will be possible for MIN.
! to detail one of his subordinates to
devote a part of his time searching
! for available sites. The proposition,
however, will be discussed with Mr..
Richards and the two other Commits
sioners before any further move Is
made to carry out the change. AS tne
tax assessors Office comes under the
jurisdiction of Commissioner Rudolph.
who is now away on Vacatlon, Col.
Bell is especially desirous of getting
his opinion on the plan. Commls-
sioner Rudolph Is expected to return
August "a.
None of Sites Purchased
While the opinion of Controller
General McCarl holding that all funds
of whatever nature appropriated Tor
school sites is subject to the % per
cent limitation has added further diff
ficulty 10 the work of acquiring land
for such purposes, Commissioner Bell
said he does not believe that the fVe-
year building program will be hamper
ed seriously before Congress recon-
venes. when an effort will be made
TO have the restriction removed.
Appropriations totaling $103,500 are
authorized in the current fiscal act
for the acquisition of nine school and
playground sits, and because of the
25 per cent limitation District officials
have been unable to procure any land
whatever as yet for these purposes
Only one piece of property affected
by the restriction has been purchased
for municipal use since the act be-
came effective July Ia site near the
intersection Of Wisconsin avenue and
River road, on which q new police
station will be erected. Col. Bell be-
| leves that the owner of this land
sold at a sacrifice because of his public.
Spiritedness.
Nine Sites Authorized.
The nine sites authorized by Con
gress this year follow:
In the vicinity of Alaska avenue and
Holly street for 16-room school build.
ing.
In the vicinity of the Wheatley
School for q playground.
In the vicinity of the Dunbar High
School for a drill ground, playground
and athletic field.
In Brightwood for a new junior high
school.
! Near Fourteenth and Ogden streets
/ for a 16room school building.
In the vicinity of Sixteenth and
Webster streets for a 16room school
building.
| In the vicinity of the Morgan School
! for playground.
| In the Brookland- Woodbridge section
for a junior high school.
| In Potomac Heights for an eight
room building to replace the one-room
| Conduit Road School.
Citizens Help Search.
/ Representatives of civic organiza.
| tions in all the sections TO be benefit.
ed by the increased school facilities.
! Col. Bell pointed out. have been CO.
operating with Maj Holcombe in an
effort to find sites that come within
| the appropriation limitation. The fact
! that land values in these outlying
! sections have mounted considerably
! since the last biennial assessment,
! which became effective July l, 1925,
/ has made the site acquisition even
more difficult. These assessments were
| based on sales in 1924, Commissioner
Bell explained. and do not represent
| the property values of today.
All Of the data collected by Mai
Holcombe in his futile search for
school sites will be assembled and
presented to Congress as one argu.
| ment for abrogation of the 25 per
cent limitation clause.
The ruling Of the controller gen
eral, which also held that the $l54 900
unexpended balance reappropriated
for the purchase of school sites came
within the 25 per cent limitation. does
not represent the intention of Senator
Phipps and Representative Funk. ac-