The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-14
CITY INTELLAGE EN q E.
CITY FINANCES.
Annual Report of the City Controller.


Annual Report of the City Controller.
City Controller GetZ yesterday submitted to Coun-
ellis great of statistics, representing the
dition Of our finances. The report sets forth that
e 6 Of the city 1nng 1889 0 sTS 20
kinds, leaving the actual expenses of the depart
ments at So, ,246 The loans redeemed during the
year amounted to S102,59S, and the funded debt of
the city the st Of January 1870, was S42401,9 1888.
The cash balance in the Treasury on January 1870,
was 81 ,504,0l2. The Controller makes some very i'm
portant suggestions in his report. 1t says:-
The amount of unpaid taxes upon the books Of
this department has awakened a lively interest in
your honorable bodies, and deserves prompt atten-
ton and necessary legislation to prevent accumu-
laton OF Indebtedness to the city OF like character
outstanding taxes, 1t appears that the amount of
is due the city for taxes prior to January
/, 1862 yet from a careful examination of the books
of the Department OF Receiver OF Taxes, am salts
fed that the same is largely in error. The amount
estimated to be received into the City Treasury is
based upon the rate of those levied upon the aggre
gate amount of property furnished by the Board of
Revision or City Commissioners in previous years
from the assessors cooks, but is never realized for
the following reasons:-
First The false basis upon which the estimate ia
made. 1t is plainly apparent that in the valuation
OF property as made upon the books OF the asses
sors thousands of dollars worth OF property is in
either general or special legislation, viz churches
public institutions, colleges, cemeteries, etc.
Properties have been assessed in duplicate-that
is fronting two streets, and assessed upon each
frontal. Errors have been made in copying the du-
plcates, etc, which only discovered when
parties about settling their bills and have been
rectifed by the City Commissioners or Board OF Re-
vision granting certificates of allowance The de-
ductons from or additions to the original returns Of
the aggregate valuation OF property to this depart
ment have never been returned to the Controller
Consequently, credit has never been given for said
corrections, and outstanding taxes are still debited
Second The utter impossblity of collecting a
large amount OF taxes that are nearly due and
should be paid, and it is here where the faulty and
bunglng manner of making the assessment is most
apparent The inefficient manner Of locating and
describing properties assessed the neglect of
tanning the names OF the owners OF properties at the
time of the assessment act as bar to the collection
of taxes due by the fling OF lien. In the collection
of unpaid taxes upon the books OF the department
the custom has been that after lapse OF five years.
liens filed against the property, but from the
faulty descriptions obtained from the assessors
books the same set aside fall vaueless, and
the city not only suffers the loss of the tax levied
but the cost of suit likewise.
in the assessment OF the value Of personal pro-
perty the DEATH removal of the owner or sale OF the
same makes the tax total loss. The whole default
may therefore be traced and made chargeable to
our system OF assessment the asses themselves,
in majority of cases. being totally incompetent to
perform their highly responsible duties, and the
whole .sy stem, now in practice is farce upon
We-ordered financial system that ought to prevail.
The Controller then states that tue creation OF the
Board OF Revision has tended to correct number OF
the abuses above referred to- but it is suggested that
further legislation is required to enable the board
accomplish all that is desired
LOCAL ODDS AND ENDs.-The ice men still cherish
a hope of a colder day a-coming.
Select Council Chamber yesterday would have
admirably served all the purposes OF a vapor BATH
A
Why does not some enterprlsing Councilman in
troduce bill Tor the adjustment OF the ancient
This day, fifty years ago our ancestors were
sleghing, skatlng and barbecuing on the Delaware
Our mikmen need looking after. Some Of the
fluids styled milk are abominable.
The 1remen are Juoilant over the veto OF the ap-
Cochran, OF the Fifth, is the Chesterfield of
Select Council.
Rabbits are scarce
-Greenbacks are scarcer.
i
HWHIsTIING NOSE D-"Whistling Nose is one If
| the characters of Philadelphia. For some time past
he has been in the habit of visiting stores Eighth
street soliciting aims and insulting the attendants
| thOroughfare have been considerably annoyed by
the conduct OF "Mose," and yesterday committee
of business men waited upon Mayor Fox and entered
complaint. The result was the arrest OF ''Mose y
lie is locked up at the Central Police Station, where
he is continually whistlng, much TO the dispeasure
of the oicers on duty 'Mose" belongs to the Aims
house. and In all probability he Will be sent back to
that institution.
sRoBBERY ON NINTH sTREET.-on Wednesday night
| thesstore of t. ii. Myers, No. l15 N Ninth street,
was entered and robbed of ribbons Silks and satins
to the amount of about $1,000. The thieves effected
an entrance through a second-story window, by
means OF ladder placed against the side wall The
thieves first ransacked the second story and de-
yaluables. Although there two private watch
men employed by the trm neither OF them discovered
the robbery. Upon being questioned they stated that
they noticed the wndow-shutter OF the second story
open but supposed 1t had been 30 left through
| lessnesS.
AGAIN IN CUsToDY.-Dan ReddIng was arrested
at Third and Reed streets yesterday on the charge
of assault and battery Mr.. and Mrs. Becker. Mr..
| Becker keeps tavern at Fourth and Watkins
! streets, and Redding is alleged TO have assaulted
him and his wife because they refused TO give him
drink of liquor. Defendant was held for hearing
before Alderman Kerr at the Central Police Station
this afternoon.
| RAILROAD TICKETS FOR THE lNAUGURATIoN-Any
person persons who may wish TO attend the inau-
| Ruration Of Governor deaTy, which takes place al
Harrisburg next Tuesday, the 18th inst, can pro.
cure inauguration railroad tickets by calling at the
| National Union Club, No. 1i05 Chestnut street. The
tickets are good for a round trip and can be pro
cured either by way OF the Pennsylvania Reading
Railroad The fare for the round trip is two dollars
FRE.-About quarter before O'Clock this morn
ing fire was discovered in the cellar OF the wine
and liquor store OF John Maer No. 19 Letita street
| near Front and Market streets. The alarm wal
given, and the prompt exertions OF the ilremen con
fined the flames to the cellar, rendering the damage
quite trining.
FATAL AOCIDRHT.--ThIs morning girl employed
In cotton mill in Naudain street, west OF Twenty
| first was caught in the machinery OF the mill ant
Instantly killed. The Coroner has been notified