National Republican., 1875-12-02
BoARp OF AssEsseRs.
Annual Report to the District Commits
sfOuerr

The following report has been submitted to the
Commissioners o. the District of Columbia:
To the Hon. Commissioners Of the District of Co
Iumbid:
GENTLEMEN: In compliance with the request
contained in your favor ofthe 14th ultimo, that
the Board Of Assessors should make full report
of their proceedings as to the assessment Of the
real and personal property of the. District, and
state the reasons why the law was not executed
as to the personal property, with any suggestions
they might deem it proper to make, the board has
the honor respectfully to submit:
That this board was organized on the 18th day
of March last, under an appointment made by the
Commissioners OF the District of Columbia on the
9th Of said month, in accordance with-the provi-
sions Of the act Of Congress approved March 9,
1875
From the date of its organization up to the first
day of May, the period knitted in the act of Com
gress above referred to for making the assess
ments required by said act, the members Of the
board devoted themselves unremittlngiy to the
performance Of their official duty, to the entire
neglect and abandonment of their respective indl-
yidual and private affairs.
Regarding full and Just assessment OF the
real estate Of the District as tho most important
duty devolving upon them, they determined in
systematiziDg their labors to address themselves
to the performance Of this duty in the first in
for the valuation of this kind of property ia the
books containing tho records Of the previous as
sessment, and that the assistance thus furnished
would greatly facilitate and expedite their work;
but after examining these books and before they
had made much progress In their labors, they dis
covered that the assessment they had concluded
to take ms q basis and a guide had been SO reck-
lessly made, was so erroneous and so unequal in
the estimates given Of parcels of property owned
by different parties in the same localities, and
the real value Of which was manifestly the same,
that they wlre compelled TO abandon the use of
this appraisal as altogether unreliable, and make
an entirely new assessment OF all the real estate
in the District of Columbia.
This involved infinitely greater labors than the
members Of tho board had supposed would be
necessary to the execution Of their duty under the
law, and the extent Of which will be readily ap-
preciated by the Commissioners; but its import
ance cannot be over estimated, and was made
more manifest by the gross and oppressive irregu-
larities above referred to- IN the previous assess
ment
The proper performance Of this work consumed
the entire time limited by the law Tor the assess
ment by the board Of both real and personal
property, and hence they were unable to make
any assessment Of the latter whatever
The board felt the embarrassment of the situa-
tion during the progress Of their work, and the
correspondence, here submitted as part Of this re-
port, Will fully explain the failure to execute that
part Of the law having reference to the assess
ment OF personal property, and the circumstances
that rendered that failure inevitable.
The following correspondence explains itself:
mo. IL
OFFICE OF the COMMISSIONERS OF THE1
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
WASHINGTON, April 5. 1915.
Wfiiiam Ciaggeff, Esq., Chdirnan Board Of AZ
sessors:
SIR: We send herewith schedule OF the listing
BY the taxpayers Of the District Of personal prop
erty for taxation pursuant to law, and VIII hold
ourselves In readiness 10 furnish the assessors
whatever assistance they may need for the prompt
delivery OF the same and for the discharged an
their other duties. II yourself snd colleagues