Evening star., 1926-11-10
DISTRICT TRAFFIC
WILL Be STUDIED
House Investigating Commit.
tee Also to Consider Tax
Changes Tomorrow.

the District of Columbia will be dis
cussed when the Gibson subcommit'
tee Of the House District committee
resumes it's hearings tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock. The subcommittee
did not hold an open meeting today,
although Chairman Gibson and Rep'
resentative Houston. the two of the
seven members of the subcommittee
who are in town, in an executive con
ference talked over some or the
recommendations made by CITIZEN
civic associations.
Traffic Director NJ. O. Eldridge,
District Auditor Daniel j. Donovan
Tax Collector G. M. Towers and Asses
sor William p. Richards have been
asked to appear as witnesses at the
meeting tomorrow morning.
Chairman Gibson after conference
today said that the taking of direct
and systematic testimony will not be-
gin for a couple of weeks, and not
before other members on the subcom-
mittee have attended conference TO
map the program and policy of the
investigation. The testimony now be-
ing taken is in the nature of sug-
gestions as to what the subcommittee
should make part of its program, and
TO be used by subcommittee members
as lines of thought to be developed
in subsequent, more formal ana Sys-
tematic hearings, taking each subject
in order until It has been thoroughly
studied
Suggests Purchasing Board.
IF Congress is not satisfied with
the amounts paid for school sites,
Congress should appoint some other
agency than the Commissioners 10
purchase them, but unless the 20
per cent above valuation limit is
raised q serious situation will result,
Engineer Commissioner Bell told the
subcommittee Yesterday afternoon.
Col. Bell said he could speak with
some freedom because he has only
six more months to serve as COM
missioner. He strongly urged the
subcommittee to not interfere with
the present form of District gov
ernment. He defended the building
inspector against charges that ms
office issues permits while rezonlng
hearings are being arranged or held'
saving that the law is mandatory
that building permits be issued IN
accordance with the then eXlsung
zoning law. He was assured py
Chairman Gibson and Representa-
voiced at a previous hearing was for
correction Of the law and not aimed
at the official.
Holds Assessments Are Old.
Pointing out that under the system
of biennial assessment, recently cor
rected, the prevailing valuations for
the purposes of taxation are approx
n1ately four years old and the prop
erty sought to be acquired has IN
creased in value three times. In
reply to questions whether the an
nual assessment would correct this
he said that it would partially but
that assessment cannot keep abreast
with sales values.
Commissioner Bell declined for the
present at least the opportunity Offer
cd him to reply to statements criticiZ-
ing District officials in the report or
the Controller Generals office. Later
he referred briefly to the purchase of
q site for a new school to replace the
Force and Adams schools, saying that
the location of the former was not
supposed to be taken into consider
alton, that the site purchased was the
best obtainable under existing condl-
tionS and that if it is unsatisfactory
he would he willing to have 1t sold and
attempt made to buy a more Satisfac-
tory site. There is open area near the
Adams School. but the cost was con-
Sidered too high.
Legislation for a Public Utilities
Commission distinct from the Commits
sioners which already has passed both
houses of Congress and which is await
ing the return of Congress to be placed
in proper form before the President,
should be enacted. Col. Bell said. He
told the committee also that he sees
no need for n change in the makeup
of the Zoning Commission. He eX-
pressed belief that the National Capt.
r~.'- >~1 ~ "'''~C Commission
has an ideal personnel.