Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-06
THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS.


trict. An sction has been brought in behalf
OF the BiStrict against the
WASHINGTON MARKET COMPANY
Tor the recovery of arrears OF the annual
rental of twenty-five thousand dollars inn
posed upon That company by act of Congress
the sum so to be paid shall be applied by the
District authorities to the relief of the poor.
The company claims that the rental was
subsequently reduced, first, to twenty thous-
ard dollars by an enactment of the late
Legislative Assembly, and afterward to a
sum varying from fifty-fve hundred to
seventy I'VE hundred dollars, by an agree
ment with the late Board of Public Works
for the purchase of r tract Of land as site
for District building. The construction OF
the enactment of the Legislative Assembly,
which is relied upon as reducing the annual
rental, is questionable one; and the power
of that body to reduce trust fund created
by act of Congress is also doubt 1t is also
believed that the Market company was
without authority to sell, and the Board OF
Public Works without authority to purchase
the land, in consideration of the consequence
OF which the last of the two attempted re-
ductions of rent was made. The ground was
reid by the company on lease from the
United States, subject to certain trusts.
mentioned suit for the recovery of the full
amount of rent as originally fixed by aet of
Congress.
SUIT AGAINST A CONTRACTOR.
AllusiOn is also made in the report TO a
suit brought against contractor 4. h. Evans,
who has failed TO keep certain contracts for
ted IN his agreement with the Board OF Pub
lie Works.
ALL MONEYS AND SECURITIES
of the District government are deposited
with the United States Treasurer, and no
moneys have been paid for any purpose but
upon the warrant of the accounting officers
OF the District on the United states Treasury
cOunlersigned by one of the Commissioners.
THE REPORT OF THE COLLECTOR OF TAXES
shows the whole amount of taxes in arrears,
for the payment of which property was Of
feTed for sale in June last, was II col .S2T. IS.
OF this there was paid by purchase by the
owners and other private bidders, So ,56046,
leaving balance of = CSC, 466.S9 cOIlectible
only by the District purchasing the property.
OF this only S+lSO3I.9S has been since paid.
The District holds the property is so pur-
chased for the unpaid difference, 81 ,2iSt2S.9l.
but can make no reliable calculation for the
redemption of the property within any def-
mite time. and 10 is thus deprived OF its Just
due TO the extent OF such tax arrearage to
meet its current and other expenses. The
balance Of arTearages of taxes now due and
available for the general purpose OF tae Dis
trict is estimated by the Collector to be $500
eco 10 81 GOO eco. say $500 600.
Under an effective system the District
would have now in its treasury the larger
portion, if not ali, of said 100000.
In view Of these and like evils OF the
present system, and the wrong il works To
the prompt taxpayers as well as TO the finan-
cial interests of the District, fOrcibly pre-
scented by the Cole ctOr in his accompanying
report, the Commissioners recommend that
such legislation be mad as will remedy said
evils, Will clearly define the rights OF delin
quent taxpayers, and enable the District
government 10 enforce the prompt payment
of taxes.
Connected with the matter OF tax-sales the
Commissioners invite the attention of Con-
greSs to the suggestions of the Collector COR
such medication of the law relating 10 al
veItiseInents for such sales q will make it
necessary for such advertisements To give
only an Ineligible description OF the prop
eTty, to whom assessed, and the time Wnen
the privilege of redemption will expire.
We commend to Congress the recOmmenda-
tons OF the Collector for such legislation as
will make illegal any subdivision of prop
erty on which arrears of taxes exist or the
entry of such subdivision in the public
records of the office of the Surveyor. The
Collector IL his report shows the evils OF the
existing system which le2aliZe and permit
record 10 be made of such subdivision with
out regard TO the property being in arrears
for taxes.
The Collector presents a schedule OF the
number and classes of issue of licenses from
November /, 1874, TO December /, 1915, a
period of thirteen months, showing the total
number OF issues to have been ii, 7G9, and OF
classes 46.
The Collector reports the total receipts OF
his office from November l, 1914, to Dece-nber
|, 1915, Period of thirteen months from the
date Of his last report S2,559, 59j.OS.
ASSESSMENTS AND TAXES.
The report of the Superintendent OF Assess
ments and Taxes includes a tabulated state
ment OF the taxable and untaXabe real es-
tate in the city, county, and Georgetown,
including government and District govern
ment buildings, which aggregate sl1j 42I ,692.
The existing tax law, passed at the last
session Of Congress, expires by its own lin
ttation June 80, 1876, and il is important that
congress should enact law for the levying
of taxes for the next fiscal year at an early
date, so that sufficient time will be given for
the appraisement of such new buildings
nave been erected since the last general an
pralsement, and which will be erected before
The next. The late period of the passage Of
the present tax law, March 3, 1915, seriously
emb2I raised the assessors in the perform
ance OF their duty, and resulted, as they state
In thelr report, in their not appraSng the
personal property within theDistricL for
taxation.
ASSESSORS
In their accompanying report the assessors
appointed under the act of March 3, 1875, to
assess the value of all the real and personal
property in the District taxable under said
executing so much of their duty as related 10
the appraisal of personal property, To which
we invite the attention of Congress; and with
~ 10 the correspondence between the Com
mlssloners and the assessors on that subject.
The Commissioners regret the failure of the
assessors to comply with the law in that re-
gard, but appreciate the serious difficulties
they encountered. They invite the attention
OF Congress to the recommendation OF the as
SCISSORS for the substitution of licenses for a
TAX on personal property; and while they are
not prepared to favor such q policy they
venture TO suggest that If tax on personal
property be not continued, the present rates
OF licenses should be increased and their
range enlarged.
ENGINEER.
Inc Engineer communicates full infOrma-
tlon OF the transactions of his department
curing the past year. The work and cOnse-
quent expenditure, chiefly in the fifty-year
bonds provided for by the act of June 20, Is7I,
and pursuant to examination and audit of
the accounts by the Board OF Audit, consist
Ing OF the First and Second Comptrollers of
The United States Treasury, exceed the ex.
pectatlOns of the Commissioners as indt-
Gated in their last report; but the causes
therefor, growing out of obligations for the
execution OF existing legal contracts, the
protection or preservation of improvements
existing or commenced and not completed AT
the date of said act, and the enforcement of
oollgauons OF contractors for keeping ave-
nues and streets which they improved in
good repair, fully explain the reasons for
such increased work and expenditure. It
would be gra titying 10 the Commissioners to
De able 10 report the entire completion OF
Inc Work under contracts of the Board of
Pu1Iic Works. but owing TO causes beyond
their and the Engineers control O small
amount OF such work, chiefly the James
creek canal and work connected with It, re-
mains diminished; to which should be added
The western market-house, in process OF
constructfOn-the cost of completing all of
which, according IN the aoti,,o,o