Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-21
RADICAL REVISION
URGED IN TAX PLAN
House Body Hears Scheme
: Designed to Bring in
Personal Fees.

%Radical revision of personal prop.
erty taxation payments i'm the District
was recommended to the Gibson sub
committee of the House District com
n1it'ee last night by Thomas f.
Murphy. expert OF the United States
Bureau Of Efficiency. after a study
aimed at eliminating average annual
arrear RACES of 100000 in personal
taxes here
The sc}ee'ce for revision i'm collecting
the 'nN was fisepronged. First. it
proved 70 ding the return of per
soma nrc <erty during the month of
July sting property as OF July J.
Mex fhe' proposal would make half
To- bic Immediately upon submit
Ting he return and half before Janu-
AIRY /. making the whole tax payable
without penalty within six months
after 1ling.
The third point was a penalty of one
per cent per month after January I
OF each year. The fourth item had to
DO with the right Of appeal and re
view by the Board Of Tax Appraisers
ana the fifth poilr was To assess the
last known value of the property
against the person falling to make q
return plus the penalty for axity i'm
payment, if any.
The new scheme Incorporates in the
last three features mentioned similar
provisions to those now in force. But
1t is proposed to use the wea pom of
dtstraint In leVying on personal prop
erty and selling it to meet the tax in
more efficient and speedier manner
than has 'een done heretofore.
Payment Period Cut.
The outstanding change. it was
nsg tn : he
period of payment without penalty
from approXims tely ia months. as it
IS under the present system to six 4,
months. This was suggested on the
theory that the longer man is given |
to pay a tax the longer he is going !
to take to pay it.
District Assessor W. p. Richards. |
taking the stand after Mr. Murphy. |
told the committee that personal taxes
amounting to SLIP ,569 were outstand- /
ing and uncolected Tor the years 1927 |
TO 1925, inclusive. lie emphatically |
pointed out that although . very sub |
stantial part could have been collected !
If distraint had been employed under |
system making the tax payable in
short period. the fact was that the |
assessors office has not the machinery |
to put distran' levy upon personal I
property into efficient operation Per- !
sonnet especially is lacking in this re- |
Snect he said
The only nther witness to take the |
stand last n9i was Edward Stro- |
hecker, local real estate man. who was |
questioned regarding an alleged con !
spiracy 10 boost prUes of Pennsyl- !
vania avenue property between Third !
and Fifteenth streets in anticipation
or the acQui' cmsnt of such property
by the Goveinn ant lie testified thai
ne had "a '"nehed a number a.
owners of > property with the re.
quest HAT rAoy list their properties
with hmm fo~ the purpose of negotiat-
ing with the Government. on the sale
y ntod Fir Price.
He said h h asked that the price
desired 20, Q property he stated by
the owner and that he intended ONLY
to act - agent % sell He stated
that he W. d to submit the propert
for Cow t.s"H con. deration At fair Il
price, Dr.. - ~~izad the I
Cover, ~ .fc "a ia ma
more th.r - per cent over the as
sessed V0liis af h> property for it,
Qu"s: oned oitt straw men in
local RIA estate 'leals and in general
on intinaon ~ property values
through his means. by Representa-
tive G "a pn Of Vermont, the chain
man, aud Representatives Houston of |
Delaware q Hamssaer of North
Carolina. be stated that he under
stood thai il is done" and that he
knew good many persons held prop
erty III The name of some one else
Close questioning regarding the |
Pennsylvania avenue property evoked !
from the witness the epy that a num-
Der of property owner. ne had visited |
had already been visited by other
real estate men, but failed to bring TO
light any direct evidence of combina-
ton for boosting" the price of the
property.
In closing the hearing. Mr. Gibson
announced that Mr.. Strohecker had !
been called because of the charges
made that a conspiracy was on foot
to boost the property values on the
Government in the tract mentioned.
and stated that the committee would
be glad TO hear of disclaimers from
any persons interested in any charges
made at any time before the commit.
tee. although it would pay scant at
tention TO disclaimers published as in
terviews in newspapers coming from
persons who do not take the stand |
with a disclaimer.