The sun., 1873-12-25
THIS cENERALsEwERAGr TAX

is one Of TN. most munstrots schemes for
vented. The people here taxed have mostly
paid for their sewers, years a-o. IN truth the
taxes the Ring now attempts to extort from the
the outskirts II the city to improve and
II possible increase the value Of rrop-
erty nearly all OF which had been previously
boOught up at a nominal price by Boss Shel-
herd, Moses Kelly, Gen Bdbcock, Hailet MI
burn, j ohm q. Evans. and their associate specu-
lators in the Ring. The most shameless thing
of the whole Is the fact that these sewers are
only in prospeetiye-they nave. nave not peer been I hnt.
pass a law authorizing the board to issue two
mill Of sew er bonds Those bonds were
issued. and paid out 10 contractors for other
work, for salaries Of clerks, naterialand in short,
everything nut the construction Of sewers.
Some uf these bonds, which were always re-
garded with suspicion, and never had any legal
-tntu. sold down as low a. * cents ON the dol.
lar, aud are now held chiefly by brokers ana
sharpcrs some In Washington, Others IN New
Nork, who expect to get their fair value by an
stun has been exhausted by the board, which
now comes forward with its "generd sewerage
tax bills und demands immediate payment
from the property hO!dc's who are IN no way
Now Il all the property I'm Washington he
scsscd In the same ratio ~ Mr. Berry :, the
reader maN be able to estimate the number Of
millions it is proposed t. draw from the pockets
Of the property holders 10y this rasCAlly scheme.
In short, II these bold, bad men are not checked
ia their career 1t will soon become ruinous TO
hold property at the capital of this great Re
public. ON one estate alone this general sew
erage tax amounts to more than $4,000; ON
another to 81 900; and these are 10y no means
the largest properties taxed / am slad to know
that the people generally are resolved TO resist
this outrage.
Gus transa tons fresident Grant encourages
and ask congress to encourage with liberal ap-
prolnatlons OF the people money,
rBE BUBBLE BURST.
The Ring organs tell W continually that these
sO-ca.le.. IMPROVEMENTS have greatly increased
tue market value OF properly. II tins We're trOt,
then the property holders might look forward
10 small measure OF relief. Hut IL r. not true.
The great real estate bubble has collapsed snd
within - shor time property OF all kinds has de-
clnod to an alarming extent. Indeed there are
no purchaser and no sales, except by the Mar
shai, and those whose necessities force them
into the market The Freedman's Savings bank
and Trust Company will he "a heavy loser 10y this
depreciation of real estate. In trying TO force
payment Of some OF It's loans ON real estate TINS
institution found that not two-thirds Of the
amounts loaned u say holhlhS oi the interest,
could bc realized. Not many weeks ago piece
OF property belonging to some heirs, and on
/ which the assessment for Especial improve
ments" amounted To nearly seven hundred dol
Lars, was sold az public sale Tor three hundred
| and forty odd dollars. Judge Wylic interpused
! and set the sale aside, iuasInuch as the OBJECT
| OF the sale had not been attained. Three years
| seven hundred oldrs, The Hood property ON
Eleventh street, between Y and +, sold st pub
| lie sale short time since for S3OO0. rhe
ground cost the owner 5000 several
/ years ago, aud he erected a house on II
/ which cost him $3.50 more. The board under
]
who owns half square In the eastern part Of
| the city, The grade was changed three times,
aud two different kinds of pavement put down.
! That gentleman now proposes To give the prop
ery to amy one ready 10 pay the assessment bills.
Senator Joshua III OF Georgts owns a SQUARE
| Miners Camp which he might have sold for
70 cents or dollar foot last spring when
| the bubble was being inflated. He cannot get
| even an offer to-day. MIR. Berry, ia order TO
test the market, advertised and offered at pub
| lie sale last week house and lot In one of the
pllLlble RnOtg on Iapltnl nill. The red nag
| WAS put out, the negro rang his bell, and the
| auc,ioncer paced the sidewalk for half an hour.
money said AN impecunious Congressman
| passing at the time, would give you bid
Just TO relieve your feelings The auctoneeI
| thanked him and went homo.
MIR. KRrs, the banker, and one of the largest
I property holders in Washington, says he sold
all the property he could tNu years ago, fore
/ seeing what the assessments would he, and pre-,
fcrrug to let other parties pay them. Mr.. riggs
! II sensible man.
FIRST NATIuNAL mask OF NEW YORK AGAtE
The following il one of upw ard OF three ban
! drsd circulars s,ui by TINS bank tu property
holter' ia Washlngtoni
otrlcR OF SAM. Groes BnoEer.)
NAsntSGrcs, D. L., Dt, 10, t,i3.S
'nrl4r Sis. ta5 First National B4ns o, New York
ho ans Sctp sl by uc d, e. for lmprolemruts y
,dl your au,nuou - ~ Sane, and a.s payment o
~ss;;n,,i rc9 y'r'sins' Very respee,tay, ,...
Honest people here would like 10 know
exactly what hnGncal and personal relation
exist between this New York bank and th
Washington King. II might turn cut to be ou
OF those Wysterles descrit cd 10y Grace Green
wood, aud which only the members Of the Rim,
can com, rchend. That "A Ming which has bee
driven ON every respectable and CAREFUL
managed bank In this city, and which ma
oronght three oth5rs to the very verge Of bank
ruploy, should nnd credit and the means of iul
posing It's disreputabe work against the proI
srly OF the people OF this city In u New for
institution 10 what surprises and astonishe
every right thinking man here, CO.UMBIA