Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-06
STENCLE ACCUSES
q APPRAISERS BODY
PetWorth Delegate to Ask
Probe of Recent Jury'S
Valuation Work.

Unless the force Of public sentiment
proves sufficient to Counteract alleseu
discrepancies between assessed prop
erty values and much greater Naiua'
tions reported by a recent jury o. ap'
praisers appointed by the court
congressional investigation VIII De
reunested covering transactions par
ticipated in. by the board, de-
cIared Charles T. Stengle, former
Representative from New York ana
now delegate from the PetWorth
Citizens Association to the Federd-
ton of Citizens Associations. IN an
address last night at meeting OF the
District of Columbia Public Schooi
Association.
Il am going by public sentiment
and if not by public sentiment. 10 the
great arm of Congress for reliel' ne
declared at the conclusion OF ue-
tailed arraignment OF the dp
nraisers. which, he said. consisted
Of three real estate men, who re-
norted an evaluation of $2l.000 on two
triangIes near Sherman Circle, one at
Kansas avenue and Buchanan street
and the other at Kansas avenue ana
Seventh street. which had been APP
praised by the District assessor at the
same time as worth 50 cents square
foot. The circles, he. said, cover APP
proximateIy $500 square feet.
Mr.. Stengle went into the history
of the little triangles. declaring that
thew were originally shown 10 pros
pective home builders by real estate
agents as part of a park plan' put
that later contractors desired 10 USE
them for building purposes. W neil
this occurred, he said, he requested
that condemnation actions began on
July /.
Holds No Report Made.
The appraisers made no report
from October ! to December ~,
he said, and finally Tuesday last
placed a valuation on the two tn
angles, assessed by the District AS.
SCISSOR at SO cents a square foot, OF
$21 900.
Later, after Maj l.. r. Atkins, as
sistant to Col J. Franklin Bell, Engl-
neer Commissioner, who has charge
of the actual purchasing of sites han
remarked, 1T is an established fact
that the average owner gets an IN
fIated idea of value when govern
ment or municipality seeks the prop
ertv," Mr.. Stengle replied:
sire Of the property owner TO over
vaIuate his property. but ! would IKE
to find out-and propose to find out
how this desire passes TO the mem
bers of the appraisers, who are IN no
wise related to the property owner.
]. CT. Yaden, president of the Fed
eratoin of Citizens Associations, PREF
aced Mr.. Stengles initial remarks by
outlining the same proposition relatlNe
to the triangles near Sherman Circle,
saving that they were assessed 1or
$4,000, but that after condemnation
proceedings had started were given a
reported value of $4,000.
Snowden Ashford, former Dlstrlct
municipal architect, told of the selec'
ton of a school site on hill near the
Force and Adams Schools, and sug-
gested the establishment of com,
mission bv Congress before taking any
action on removing the limitation on
appropriations.
Accuses School Head.
THE superintendent of schools has
usurped the functions OF the mumcl-
nal architect" he charged, land the
divided responsibility is the cause or
delay in completion of building prof.
ects. The law places the response.
Diltty on the Engineer GOLlIiiloSloliCi'
Mr.. Ashford raped the sending OF
the superintendent of schools on an
inspection trip of school construction
over the country, saying that such
matters were not in his province
Mai. Atkins spoke on THE Co-ordi.
nation of School Sites with Park ana
Playground Development" explaining
he modern tendency to have large
areas suitable for both athletic fields
and recreational facilities.
The remarks incident to the non
completion of building projects rose
out of a discussion concerning the
failure to begin work on assembly
halls at the West and PetWorth
Schools, for which an appropriation
has been made of $4,000. Maj. At
lxins explained that it was hoped TO
commence work on June l. and that
certain alterations were necessary IN
the plans, which would make 1t inn
practicable to commence work now.
If work were to begin now, he added,
it might prove dangerous to the chill
dren playing around the school.
At the request of Mrs. Giles Scott
Rafter, who presided in the absence
of Maj. Julius I. Peyser, who is i'll
and who was extended a resolution or
sympathy by the association, Mr..
Stengle stated his position on the
bond issue, voicing opposition to 1t
until the District gets suffrage or
Congress agrees to go fifty-f1fty."
The association adopted without dis
cussion q resolution indorsing the sim
salary scale for teachers.