National Republican., 1875-12-02

WM Ii. CLAGETT.
Chairman of the Board.
: INo.sl
OFFICE OF THE OoMsIssIoNKEsl
OF THE DISTRICT OF CoLUMRIA,
WAsHINGrOS. April Z, $50.
Wm. III. ClGgen, President Of the Board of As
SCISSORS, &C.:
SIR: Referring to your note Of yesterday rela-
i've to the delivery of schedules, am directed to
ask that your board will not be embarrassed by
any suggestions OF the Commissioners limiting tho
delivery of the schedules to the members of your
board personally. The Commissioners advise
your board to have such assistants as 1t may deem
necessary to aid in the delivery of the schedules,
and this was the meaning they Intended to give in
their communication to you, TO which your motto Of
yesterday Is reply. 1t will not do to put the de-
livery Of the schedules in jeopardy from any
Wa. TISDALL. Secretary.
INo.4l
AssxssoR's OFFIcE,l
WAsHINGToN, April II. 1878.
To The Honorable ComntsstOners Of the District
of Columbia:
this board 20 comply with the law under act Of
Congress, March 5, 1875, In making personal de-
livery Of the schedules as required by that act.
We find unforeseen difficulties in the assessment
OF the real estate, and all our time will be required
in order complete the equaliz alton Of the same
Very respectfully W. H. CLAeErr,
| Chairman Board Of Assessors.
TNo5l
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ,
WASHINGTON, April Il, ISIS.
Vim. Fl. LiGgeff, esq, ChsfrMaH Board Of Asses
SIR: Referring to your Communication OF this
date in which you state that iL will be utterly
impossible for your board to comply with the law
under an act OF Congress, March ., 1875, In max
ing personal delivery Of ths schedules as required
by that act" &e.. am directed, IN reply, to
guesttnaty you deliver said schedules BY assstants
The Commissioners have designated ten persons,
who will report to you for this purpose Add
tional aid will be furnished if needed.
WIN. TNDALL, Secretary.
mo-. e.l
ASSESSORS OFFICE, April IA.
To the Honorable the ConmfssfoneTs Of the Dis
frfcI of Columbfa:
the receipt OF your note of the 18th instant. By
reference to mine Of the same date, OF hch yours
ven have quoted theretrom, the further state.
ment. Wig: I'VE md unforeseen difieultIss In the
assessment Of the real estate, and all our time
will be required In order to complete the same
within the time allowed BY law"
Even were It permissible for this board. under
deputies or assistants, they would be utterly un-
able 10 prepare them for delivery BY signing and
addressing them, or to make such record Of them
as it Is absolutely essential should be made before
sending them out for delivery without endanger-
ing the completion OF the assessment Of the real
and 10 my Se a CAUSING snsy tnas ~
prove q disastrous failure for reason Of the ex-
piraticn Of the period within which BY the lawit
must be fully performed If performed at all. Ny
communication of the 18th instant was designed
to inform you Of this unfortunate condition Of
S1f sna U, by me act Of Cou
gress could not possibly be accomplished by
reason Of the limitation aDd imperfscttons OF the
act iteelf.
In nv opinion It will be only by the most dill
gent persistent and unremitting labor that we
will in any event be able to complete the assess
pend our labor upoD that subject, 10 prepare the
schedules for listing the personal property, the.
assessment OF both species OF property would IN
evitably fall for want of time within which to COM
nfte either n II must be apparent that tne ptepa
registration and delivery, however such delivery
may be made, and on their return taking the ahi-
davits of each one Of the entire taxpaying popula
his personal effects, would be an undertaking be-
yond the power of any five men living to accom-
plish between this date and the list OF May. The
assessors feel the embarrassments of the position
In which they are placed, and are resolved that if
there must be any failure in the execution of the
law at all it shall only be to such extent as cannot
possibly be prevented by any efforts our part
They realize that neither they nor the people nor
this condition of things, but that IL must be as
cribed to the law itself, and can only be relieved
by Congress. This relief can fortunately be had
from that authority before the entire amount to
be raised by taxation will be needed to meet the
requirements Of the government Under these
circumstances we do not think 1t would be faith-
full and conscientious discharge of duty to sus-
pend the particular work upon which we are now
engaged with all our efforts strained to complete
IL within the time prescribed for its performance.
Respectfully, W. II. CLAGErr,
Chairman of Assessors.
OEEIcE og'THE COMMISSIONERS or THE)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ,
WASHINGTON. April II, 1875.
Wm H. CIaget, esq, ChGirmeR Board of sses
SIR: The Commissioners direct me TO inform
you that they fully appreciate the embarrassment
and difhculties attending the assessment Of real
estate, set forth in your letter OF this date In
view OF them, and to remoYe as far possible all
cause for failure In that assessment, they have
concluded that they will relieve you OF the direct
supervision Of the delivery OF the schedules for
perGopal property by assistants by directing the
superintendent or assessments to give personal
attention to The mater. He Viii direct that each
assistant appointed to deliver them shall sign hts
name to It as "for the assessor, after having first
filled mp the blank as the law directs Provision
can also be made In respect to the oath 10 be ad-
ministered. Parties making Inquiries can be re-
ferred to the superintendent OF assessments aud
tazes, 50 as to relieve the board OF assessors OF
The Commissioner In their efforts to thus re-
leve you Of the lanors imposed upon you, rscog-
nfZe the primary Importance OF the assessment
upon real estate, whieh must not In any event fail
Of execution. but they must leave no means in
their power untried toseoure the ASSESSMENT upon
personal property as well.
Very respectfully,
WN. TISDALL, Secrstary.
mo ST.
OrFIcE OF THE AssEssoRs.
Honorable Commissioners of me District Of Co
tumOlG.
GENTIEnES: We have the honor to aeknovl-
edge the receipt of your letter of the 2th Instant
inquiring what progress is being made by the
sonal property, and to what extent viii the duties
imposed upon Us be performed before the Ist day
Of May. We beg leave to reply that We are max
real estate, and hope to complete this portion Of
our duties by the 1st Of May; though we have
found IL much more laboriOus than we had antici-
pated. by Of not having the assistance from
the original assessment books that We had antei-
pated.
1t was our purpose and plan TO take the assess |
ment those books as the basis Of the assessment
TO be made by US; but as progressed in the work
made so unsatisfactory and inequitabIe and 50 |
unequal In respect of different locations that VIC 4
have been compelled to throw those books aside |
and proceed as though no assessment had ever /
been made; therefore il became necessary for us to
prepare On entire new assessment OF all tho real |
estate and the Improvements thereon in the Dis
trct Of Columbia. This Involved personal fnspec-
tion of all localities and careful COMPARISONS with
view to reach just results. We regarded a fair
and just assessment Of the real estate all impor
tant TO the interests Of the Dstret-nOt only with
view to levying Of taxes at present and in the
future, but also with view to the business inter-
est Of the people, in the sale and exchange Of land
and in the negotiation Of loans real estate secu
We have, therefore, labored TO make such an
assessment as would meet the approval Of every
honest man in the community and we believe our
work VIII receive favorable Judgment when II Is
completed. We regret, however, that the time |
within which, 1t must be done Is limited In re- |
gard to the assessment Of the personal property,
which the law also imposes upon US, we are COM
PEELED to sly that all the purposes contemplated
IN the law Of Congress cannot possibly be accom-
plished by reason of the limited time allowed for
performing the work. We would not be justified |
In giving any Of the time allowed by law to the |
assessment Of personal property, or TO any other
business or duties whatever. Should we be re- |
quired to do So the assessment Of the real estate
would prove disastrous failure.
That you may realize the heavy duties now I'm
posed upon us, and our anxiety to perform the
same the private business Of each member Of the
board has been entirely abandoned since we en- 4
tered upon the performance of our Official duty. |
We are engaged day and night in unremitting and
earnest work on tho assessment OF the real es-
tate. The completion Of this assessment would
be endangered by any suspension or intermission
Of that work. We must rest for our vndieation |
upon the sound Judgment Of men, which we be-
lieve they viii pronounce when the work upon
which we are now engaged Is completed, that we
have done all that men could do to perform our |
duty with honesty and hdellty within the limited
time allowed by the law, |