National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-09
Itch was above the regular rate of excava

District attorney for his legal opinion as to the
amount properly chargeable against the rail-
road companyl 4. That is referred to the sttor-
ney to know II that is not properly chargeable
10 the railroad company.
9. You made that referencei A. Yes, sir.
Q. Assessments have not yet been made on
that street property A. No, sir; not that
am aware Of.
@. You were inquired of by Mr.. Wilson in re-
gard to the mode in which the January interest
was raised, and also in regard to the hypothe-
cation of sewer bonds. Does the Board of Pub
Nothing whatever.
Q. You were inquired of, also, in respect to
the arrears of pay due to lamp-lighters. Does
the Board of Public Works have anything to dc
with that? A. 1 am not aware of the fact that
they had.
Mr. Stanton. will call the attention of the
committee to page 462of the Governors answer
in regard to this matter of arrears of salaries OF
Officers, as bearing upon the inquiry addressed
to Mr.. Willard by Mr.. Wilson.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. Do you say the Board OF
Public Works had nothing to do with the
sewer bondsi
Mr. Stanton. They are District bonds.
Mr.. Wilson. asked him if he wishes to be
understood as saying tbst the Board OF fubilc
Works had nothing to do with the sewer bonds
Mr.. Stanton. My question related to the by
pothecation of the payment OF this interest.
49,
ton is as to whether he desires to be understood
as saying that the Board of Public Works had
nothing to do with the sewer bonds.
Q. How did the Board of Public Works get
these sewer bondsl A. That cannot answer.
The treasurer will answer you in regard to
that / suDpose from an act of the Legisla-
ture.
e. By Mr.. Wilson: Q. As a matter of fact, the
Board Of Public Works have used these sewer
bonds 10 pay their debts, have they not? A.
There is no doubt of their paying out any sewer
bonds for work.
Q. 1t is a fact that these sewer-bonds have
been hypOthecated to raise money with which
to pay the January Interest," A. think the
treasurer can answer that.
Q. Isn't that the fact? A. If you want my
expression, will give it. have nothing to dc
with that, however.
Board of Public Works, l ask you to state tc
this committee whether it is not fact that
these bonds have been used to raise money tC
psy the January interest! A. have not q
doubt bet what the treasurer will so answer
Not by any action of the board, or anything
that has come before me as executive officer.
Q. Has that been done by any person without
authority of the board! A. 1t is not done by
any authority that has passed through the
board since have been acting.
Q. Who takes the responsibility Of doing
those thingsl A. What thingsa
MI. w lISOQ. Inc paying OuJ VI rev 6I-UOLue
for debts and the hypotheCating sewer-bonds
to raise money to pay the interest With A.
presuma the Governor has the direction OF
those things.
DR.. j. B. Blake was called, hut excused, Mr.
Chris:y stating that he did not desire to exam
inc him.
TESTIMONY OF R. S. DAVIS.
RS. D4Yis sworn.
By the Chairman: O. We're you appointed
IL, &c nieFr .;ot
of Columbia 10 sell real estate belonging to
some minor childrenl A. was.
Q. What was the value of that estate2 A.
was appointed By decree of the court on
the Sd of June, 1873.
Q. State the value of the estate3 A. Ten
Thousand seven hundred and seventy-siX dol
lars, according to the assessment Of the Board
of Public Works.
Q. What was the special improvement tax
upon tina; property A. Three thousand eight
hundred and five dollars and ninety-fve cents
for paving the street around it.
Q. What is the rate per foot on G street, A.
Six dollars and fifteen cents per foot on G
street, which is of course, one-siXth of the cost
of tine Improvement on street, or at the rate
of S20,S22 mile.
Q. What is the rate per foot on Second
street! A. Eight dollars and thirty-one cents
One-sixth for front foot, which would be one
sixth of the cost. That would be S26S, 100 o
mile.
Q. What Is the rate per foot on Massachu-
sets avenue! A. Twelve dollars and thirty
eight cents. That is one-siXth, and would be
S74.2S foot as the value Of the improvement,
or at the rate of 1892, 19S mile.
Q. What is the character of this improve
ment? A. Wood, l believe. find the board
assesses lot eight at S2,3O4. The charge on
that lot for paving the street around it is
S1,769,I1, leaving only about S515.
Q. Where is this property A. At the cor
ner Of Second and G streets northwest. have
stated that the value of the property was
$10,776 and the special taxes of all kinds last
year, and general taxes, amount to 81, 400.
By Mr. Mattingly: Q. What is this lot s you
speak OF: A. 1t q corner lot.
Q. Has that lot been soldl A. No, sir.
Q. What is it worth! A. offered it for sale,
but did not have a bid, last summer.
Q. What do you hold it at! What is it
worth. A. am not judge of real estate.
Q. Have you sold any portion Of the prop
ertyi A. Yes, sir.
O. At public or private sale? A. AT private
Gale. have sold three parts of that at private
sale, by direction of the court.
O. What did you get for it, A. Well, got
81, 700 for one lot and 81 300 for another lot.
@. How do the rates at which you have sold
compare with the assessment A. l really
could not teIl-about seventy-hVe cents foot,
Judge, or little over.
o. Have you made any estimate of that? A.
have not figured out that.
BY Mr.. Merrtck: Q. At the prices You sold it
were the taxes to be deducted out of that? A.
No, sir; the purchaser assumed the general and
special taxes.
By Mr. Mattingly: Q. You sold at seventy
five cents footl A. 1 suppose 1 t would aver
age that.
Q. How much per foot is it assessed atl A.
LOO not know.
Q. Do you know how many square feet of
ground there are in the lot? A. Yes, sir; about
1900 square feet.
o. Assessed at ten thousand dollars? A.
Yes, sir; ten thousand dollars and some hun
dreds There is another matter here that per-
hSps ought to explain. There were two sets
of bills furnished by the board here. One is
dated on the 18th Of October, 1873, for lot s,
on Second street. That bill was for seven
hundred and eighty dollars for that portion of
the lot fronting on Second street. The other
bill, the corrected or amended bill-s bill was
rendered to me dated the S1st day of October,
1878, for the same lot. It is S90f.01.
@. What was the first amounts A. Seven
hundred and eighty dollars and fifteen cents
for the bill rendered dated October ID, 1873;
and the bill rendered dated October 81, 1873, is
S90401.
By M. Wilson: 9. Was any work done be-
tween these two periods that you know of a.
No, sir; the work was all done before, some
time.
Q. Which one have you paidl A. Neither
L nope 10 Dc dDl5 70 btIl IuC pAOpSlL1 Al ouCAA q
way as to get the purchaser to assume the
amount of these bills.
BY Mr.. MattinglY: O. With regard to the
portion you have sold at rs cents q foot / IN
derstood you to say the purchaser has assumed
the payment of the taxesl A Yes, sir.
Q. You say there are II 900 feet in that lott
A. Yes, sir.
Q. At rs cents foot you sold portion of til
A. Yes, sir.
Q. that would be Sc, $50, the purchaser as
suming the tax. The assessment, you say, is
$4,000. Do you hold that corner lot at rs
eents2 A. will try to get dollar for that; ]
do not know what l can get for it. offered it
once for sale last summer, but could not get
q bid.
O. Is It worth dollar and half A. do
not know. AS say, / offered it for sale once,
but 1 could not get purchaser because of the
unsettled condition of these tax bills.
Mr. Christy. desire TO have Mr.. Henry d
Cooke communicated with.
The Chairman. Has he returned to the city
Mr. Stanton. He has not. | have been told
that he will be here tomorrow.
The Chairman. Will he receive notice On bis
return that we desire his presencel
Mr.. Stanton. Oh, yes; Immediately.