New-York tribune., 1873-04-11
THE wASHIYGToN BOARD or FORKS.

COMMENTS on MIR. SHEPHERDS LETTER-UNsATIs-
FACTORY NATURE OF HIS RXPLtNATIoNs-INAC-
CUPACIEs IN HIS STATEMENT or THE FINANCIAL
CONDITION OF THE BOARD.
Iron rHE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIDUSE.l
WASHINGTON, April 1O.-The letter of Mr.. Alex.
r. Shepherd, Viee-Prcsdent and Executive Officer
Of the Board of Public Works, which was printed i'll
The TRIBUNE yesterday morning. has caused very
warm discussion among contractors, taxpayers, and
others who are interested in the improvement of the
city or in getting their pay for what they have al
ready done. Mr shepherds figures vary from those
that have before been printed and which were lie
rived from sources believed to be trustworthy IN
the following particulars: He makes the
amount of assessments on private property
S2.6GG.OOO. instead of S2OOOOOO as it was stated
IN the report of November last. To obtain this
amount Mr Shepherd says, in conversation that he
estimates in round numbers that the Board, on the
lst Of July next will have received from the United
States and District Governments nearly S8O0OYOOO,
divided as follows: From the District government
and the old corporation about S4.5OO0O0; from the
United States including last years appropriation
abont $35OOOO0. The law says that one-third of all
the cost of Improvements may be assessed on the
private property. To find the amount of assessments
therefore Mir Shepherd divides the by three
and obtains $2,G66OOO. This is manifestly Incorrect
because ii the amount received from the United
States Government is 10 be treated not part Of
the asses smcuis on property held by the United
States aud adjoining which improvements have
been made. but as = portion Of the assets of the
Board obtained in other ways then the SSG6OOOO is
only two-thirds Of tie amount that may be ex-
pended ard the other third. which may be assessed
on the property, win be Sf,000@D But If, on the
other hand the amount received from the United
as assessments are made against any other property
owner in the District then it ought not to be added
10 the other assets Of the Board in order increase
the basis from which assessments may he computed.
Treated ia either way. il is impossible To arrive at
So CSC 600 as the correct amount to be assessed. If
the amount Of assessments is To be determined by
dividing any sum by three as Mr. Shepherd says he
obtained the sum in question: the dividend must in
cudc the amount to he assessed otherwise the result
obtained will be one-fourA of the gross amount in
stead of One-third.
Mr. Shepherds second item of assets is as follows
Balance of appropriation due by district ;S@J2OO.
In reply to questions about this amount he explains
that the district Legislature appropriated $4,0OOOOO
for improvements and authorized the issue OF
twenty year seven per cent bonds i'll payment OF the
same; but the expense OF making and selling these
bonds was S2j2,OOO, so that the Board
considers that the district government still
owes the Board quarter of million; but
this amount has never been provided for by the
Legislature and must be obtained, if at all, III one
OF two ways-eiIher by the issue of more bonds and
a consequent increase Of the debt of the district,
which can only be done by vote of the people ut
general election. or by tax which cannot be col
leced until the next fiscal year. In either case it
cannot Justly be considered available assets any
more than any other appropriation that the Legsla-
ture nav possibly make at some future time.
The third and last item of available assets
of the Board which Mr.. Shepherd
merates is Amount due by United States covered
by appropriations available after July l. S93,0OO"
This cannot properly he counted as part of the
available assets of the Board for Mr.. Shepherd says
in a previous paragraph of the same letter. that
"Ihe money appropriated by Congress, payable
after the 1st of July not TO liqudate debts of
the Board but to pay for the proportion OF work yet
to be done for the Government of the United
States" The work must 6e done and accepted By
Cen BabcOck before this can be available.