Evening star., 1932-02-01
Uncle Sam as a Witness.

Sam as a witness.
Would not the United States Gov
ernment, as a witness teStifying for
mally as alleged by Mr. George. whom
we all respect and highly regard. n axe
deep and convincing impression upon
Congress? Did it not make that i'm
preston upon the Representatives who
are members Of this committee?
Soon after this statement was made.
Director of the Census Durand was
questioned as to its accuracy, He re-
piled in writing that the Census Bureau
had made no estimate of the value Ct
real estate in the District Of Columbia
since 1904 that the Office was forru-
lating plans for investigating the gen.
eral subject for the ear 1912, but had
prepared no figures for a bulletin. and
that none would be issued relating II
the subject for at least one, and posi-
bly, two, years from cate.
The bulletin predicted by Mr.
Browne has been recently issued I
have it here. 1t estimates the total
values in the District in 1912 at Sl.l73,-
857Il2 1t estimates all the personally
in the District at 1883 ,22l. the ex-
empt realty at S4O6. 540.I6l, and the
taxable realty at S495 483, 73O.
The total is only S26 900 900 away
from Mr.. Brownies guess, but this total
includes S27l 100000 of personally. ex-
empt or taxable. and Mr.. Browne in his
deductions from this total makes no
allowance whatever for the personally
valuation, with the result that the Gov
ernment witness, whom he announces
tand makes Mr.. George announce as
teSutyIng to SITS .000, 600 valuation of
taxable realty. testifes to only $495,-
100000 or less by S280,000 900"
Would Have Ruined City.
The Browne George Committee state
ment of 1912 was followed by a series
of proposals in the House to destroy
the half -and-half plan and raise Dis
trict taxation to a point where it would
have covered all of the expenses of the
Capital City at that time Speeches
made by members of the House at that
time indicated how the excessive eSti-
mate of realty valuation in 1912 be-
came the basis of these unreasonable
legislative proposals.
In his argument in 1915 Mr., Moves
declared
Having followed with some care the
course of legislation in the last Con-
gresS. say this in all earnestness-and
thlnk that any one who examines into
the facts even hastily and superficially
"i!I o5ltS Win HS-1 say that this
S144'OOO,O0O valuation, demonstrated
tnree years later to be about $780, ,0OO.-
OoO too high, was accepted as gospel
truth and furnished the basis of attacks
upon Washington which, if successful
"ould nave ruined the community"
Washington Fairly Taxed.
That Washington successfully refuted
the erroneous beliefs of that dav re-
gardlng Its assessment and taxation of
reaI estate Is indicated by the findings
OF the JOINT Congressional Committee
OF 1915, which stated in its report:
we find from the evidence of fair
minded men, residents of Washington
familiar with real estate values in gen
| eral, that the present assessment of
| real estate for taxation is fair and rea
sonabie We are perfectly aware that
many discrepancies may appear even in
the best regulated assessment plan, and
instances of inequity may be found i.
the present assessment in Washington
but, taken as whole, the assessments
| made against all classes of property in
the oinerent locations In the city are
equitable
THE payment Of taxes on real estate
from the assessments as they are now
| constituted is fair and reasonable re-
sponSe in such taxation for municipal
benefits received by the citizens of the
District. The annual tax in Washing
ton is approximately SIG per capita. In
the judgment of your committee this is
a reasonable tax levy at this time, espe-
| cIaHy when we consider, as we must
! that large proportion of the popula
| tion here pays but a small amount of
the taxes imposed"
Senator WYrks, in recording his sepa-
rate views. added: The people of the
| District ars not undertaxed They are
! in my Judgment, bearing their full share
| Of the burden of the expenses of, the
| District. Just now I think they
are being taxed too high
OverasseSSment Shown.
With regard to the claim of under
assessment, it was brought out during
I the 1915 inquiry. by comparing assess
| nents with sale prices and few offers
to sell taken from every section of the
city during the previous five years, that
! the assessor had valued at over $780,
100000 realty which, by sales and few
offers to sell, was shown to be worth
$34.O00,000.
Figures of true value, based on typical
sales in 20 American cities, were secured
at that time by the Citizens Joint
Committee on Fiscal Relations. show
ing that in nearly all those cities the