National Republican., 1874-05-09

&AsA-S A--NNa AA& - ~
= Q. Let me see II understand you. Here
were I've millions and upward assessable
against indiyiduaId A. Yes, -sif.
Q. And as representing that the government
Issued what were called tax certificates or as
sessmeut certiaeatssi A. Yes, sir.
@. For the whole ave n,illionsl A. No, sir;
for only two millions Of It.
@. Then after that, under an oct Of the Legis-
laturs, two millions Of improvement certificates
were issuedi A. No, SIR; there was only two
millions altogether.
Q. There had been pothing issued and hy-
pothecated or sold except before the issue Of
these two millionsi A. No, STR; except the as
sessment certificates there. Before the passage
Of this law certain work was finished and as
sessment certidcstes issued to the amount Of
ef71 ,201 38, which assessment eertia iacates were
sold and the proceeds applied TO the improve
meuts.
@. Then those assessment certificates of
S77l POI 80 are part of these IS, 17,OOof A.
Yes, sir.
Q. And the improvement certificates issued
by the Legislature for two million were 10 en-
able you to anticipate the collection Of these
assessments against indiyidualsi A. Yes, sir I;
to make Q portion OF the assessments that were
to become due available. --..,
Q. The balance hereof 90, ~, ,3so.o4, which
Is not covered by these others, is just charge
on the books against the property -holdersi A.
Yes, sir; 1t 10 to be assessed against the prop
erty. .r ... ...-s..
Q. It Is not represented by any kind of secu-
rity that has been put on iti A. Oh, no, sir /;
just the assessment on the books.
BY the Chairman: Q. After the property
holders had been notiiedi A. No, sir they
have not been notified. The assessments are
being put out. The organic act Is such that
they have to finish the street before we can put
out an assessment, which is q mistake. The
assessment is not available at this time !; it Is
not until the assessment certificate Is put out
and sold. ....- .....
o. And the whole stree. improvedi A. And
tie whole street improved.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. Now, here is an amount
and repair Of streets, pumps, markethouses,
&C., $3.50, ,2O3 90; that, as I understand. was
money advanced by the Board Of Public Works
to the District government A. Yes, sir.
@. And used by the District government for
this purposel A. You know under the law all
work of that description is put under the Board
of Public Works. All cleaning Of streets and,
by special legislation, the erection lof market
houses were put under the Board OF Public
Works, and the repairs of pumps. Everything
of that kind appertaining to the streets comes
under the board. The plan heretofore has
been for the board to go on and keep the streets
repaired, clean them, keep the pumps and gas
in repair, and the market-houses, and do what
ever was necessary, and when the Legislature
meet to make up statement of account and
send it in to them, and cover 1t by an appro-
priation from them to reimburse the board for
this outlay.
Q. How long a period of time Is covered by
this amount Of $50, 900 and odd dollars' A.
About year, sir.
@. What proportion of that $3.50, 900 was in
CURED for cleaning and repairs of streetsl A.
l do not know; should judge about s150, 900
to 500, 900 of 1t. 49,.
@. Those are repairs of streets other than
those that were made by contract A. Princi-
yally cleaning streets, sir; the cleaning of the
streets and the alleys. This city, do not know
whether you have noticed IL, but it is cursed
with alleys; every square has from one to four
and five alleys. They have to be paved and
cleaned; and those are the places where nui-
sauces most do congregate. It costs US more
To take care of the alleys than 1t does the
streets as matter of health.
@. Is the cleaning Of these alleys and streets
let by contract Ar Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know how much those contracts
for the annual cleaning aggregate? A. Well,
they have only recently been let by contract
Before, it was done by days work. think the
aggregate of cleaning the streets and alleys
will run from $40, 900 to $3.50, 600 a year; and
cleaning the sewers, which is q very important
matter-taking the deposit out of the sewers.
@. Is that included in this s350, ,0O0 A. Yes,
sir; 1t is included in that; everything except
what is a permanent improvement.
@. The repair of the pumps would not be
large sum, suppose, A. It would amount to
cause we have taken out q great many Of
them. But that was one Of the greatest leaks
the Board of Public Works had when they
started.
Q. Have you any idea how many there are
In the cityi A. I think one of our reports shown
there are several hundred of them.
@. Is not the water that is used In the city
mostly from the water worksi A. 1t is now,
because the water has been distributed very
generally since we came in; the Waterman has
been laid, and tie pumps-wherever we laid
the Waterman we took the pumps out.
Q. Under the old system did the Government
take care of the pumps, or were they specially
taxed on the property -holdersl A. The corpo-
ration took care Of them; 1t came out Of the
general fund.
O. ssCleaning market-houses." What mar
ket-houses were thosei A. That refers not to
cleaning the market-houses; It refers, first to
the erection of market-houses. Appropriations
were made for this purpose, and the Board Of
Iublic Works carried them out, and In some
cases made advances; the account was over
drawn.
20. That does not include the market-house
at Seventh street and the Avenuel A. Oh, no,
sir; 1t has no connection with 1t at all. The
District government have put up, since they
came in, one very fine market-the Eastern
market, and are building two others. There
is the Northern market, the Western market,
the Georgetown market, the Eastern market,
and the Northeastern market.
By the Chairman: Q. Does this cleaning Of
the alleys and the sewers apply to George
towni A. Yes, sir; 1t applies to the whole Dis
trict.
Q. You keep no separate account Of that
work as between the two citiesi A. Oh, yes,
sir; the board keep an account.
Q. They do it all and keep an account of the
two citiesl A. Yes, sir; they do it and keep
an account Of each section.
BY Mr.. Thurman: Q. Can you give us the
data from your answer that will enable US to
see how much has been paid for printing In the
the District since the new government came
into operationi A. have furnished that for
Judge Jewett, sir; 1 can give 1t to you from the
last investigation.
O. Has there been none since that A. Yes,
sir; but the bulk of 1t was all before that. All
that has occurred since has been merely ordin-
ary routine work. There were very heavy ex-
Q. Apart from the cost Of improvements,
schools, and printing-leaying that out for the
how much has been required
to carry on the government In the District
since 1t went into operation-about what an
nual costi A. The expenses Of salaries, when
came into the Office, were about Sl6O, 900, If
my memory serves me right -.
Q. That is the annual salaries7 A. Yes, sir.
I reduced them about 1000, as much as I
could under the law. You viii find, by refer
ence to page 465, the expense Of lighting the
city alone Is s1S9, ,940.9S, ofwhich the city pays
all except a, ,e501s.
Q. That includes the price of the gasi A.
Yes, SIR.
Q. What does the gas company charge the
cityi 4. They have been charging so.
l Q. Do you know what they charge individ-
ualsi A. They charge about the same.
@. Do they make any abatement to the cityf
A. No, sir; well, they light It at 90 much Q
lamp; + think the price Is q about thirty dollars
Q lsmp-from thirty dollars to thirty-three
dollars. So s'
o. WIN that come to about the same price
that Is charged private Individuals A. Well,
that is difficult to determine. The bill which
you passed yesterday In the Senate Will lessen
the cost.
Q. Yes, know that; but wanted to get at
the fact whether the gas company charges as
much to the District government as they
charge TO individualsl A. Very nearly sir;
there has been very little difference until this
bill. ralEl
Q. Does the gas company or the city keep
the lamps In repairi A. The city.