The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-20
THE CITY FINANCES.

The assessed value Of real and personal propei " ia this
city amounts to twcntys;v millions Of dollars producing
annual revenue of SITS 600 The sr,n derived from
licenses about s69, ooo making the total revenue of
the city Of Washington about s244 000 The collector
of taxes has reported to the register that the whole
amount OF t1xes collected for the year ending July
1885, $2llls6 &c, while The amount collected during
the preceding year $l62 00I &c. These statistics
show increase the collections Of 1851 OF $40
ls5 49, The present collector deserves great credit for
The manner n which he has performed his duties ms evil
deneod BY the above result He has stuously observed
the law and introduced mrly reforms which have
brought about this desirable state Of things and we feel
confident that his whole will meet with the hearty
approval of our citizens
We might alnic in this coruexion to the indebtedness
OF the city which incurred by the purchase OF rail
road stocks and Of the preferred bonds of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad Company the latter having entaed
upon the corporation clear loss of three thousand dol
lars year. The whole indebtedness at the present time
is estimated at about $40 0o0 although this Is rather
matter Of conjecture than Of actual calculation We un
dcrstaud that the Mayor is now having prepared clear
and concise statement of all the indebtedness of the CITY
and its financial aai which he will publish for general
Information There viii be feature in this state
ment ia place of the complication and elaborate detail
generally observed in presenting an e.bit of the
financial condition Of corporate bodies the results Will be
summed up, that the actual condition of the city
finances may be seen at glance
A number Of suggestions have been made as 10 the
manner in which this large debt can be cleared of
IL has seemed TO that the present license law Is
defective IN many Of its provisions and that it
might se amended that the from this source
shoGd be made TO yield double the amount that it now
does without the slightest injustice being sustained by
any interest The licenses for bars and restaurants and
also for hacks and livery stables regard AS entirely
too low At present only hundred dollars is charged
fcs auconecrs license and while in some instances
that might tie sufficient sum- vet there are cases where
the business transacted would Justify much higher cx-
action The hrct, and perhaps the best system would
be regulate the amount of the license by per centage
places By the adoption of reform in these matter
tion hundred thousand dollars could be raised with
oat injury to individuals, which would be qnita relief
in the present condition of the city treasury
Thenew school law recently passed by Congress and
which will shortly so into effect will give about twenty
FIVE thousand dollars, and win consequently relieve the
city Of considerable expense The public school system
at the present time costs the city about $40 O00 and
that has been found insufficient TO meet tho wants
of the rising generation for not single school house can
BE- erected and there only accommodations for about
two thousand ont Of the five thousand children who are
of suitable age to attend school Hence It win be seen
that the majority of children growing up iesti
tute Of that instruction and that moral training which
viii fit them to be useful citizens and are in great
danger Of acquiring habits of ideness and vice WHICH
will blast their future prospects and entail disgrace uyon
the community