Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-05-01
THE PERSONAL TAX ASSESSMENT
WHY 1T HAS FAILED.
Impossibility Of accomplishing it in Tim,
The Real Estate Assessment Completed.
Interesting and Important CORES.
POndence Between the Commits
siOners and the ASSESSOR.

The following correspondence explains
itself:
No.1l
Ofice Of the Commissioners Oft
District IF Chua5ia,
Washington, 1prI 5lh, lS15.N
Wta. (bd9eff, Esq, Chairman Board Of Assessors.
Strive send herewith schedule of the
listing by the taxpayers OF the District Of
personal property for taxation pursuant 70
law. and Will hold ourselves in readiness 20
furnish the assessors whatever assistance
they may need for the prompt delivery Of
the same and for the discharge of all their
other duties. If yourself and colleagues ap-
prehend any serious difficulty in the way of
making personal delivery of the schedules
you will please so advise us, and we will APP
point such assistants as your board may
deem necessary. Very respectfully,
w. DENNIsoN,
81 81. FK HFGPs. Commissioners.
mo. 81
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF ASSESSORS !
April 6, 1915.
Hon. me Commissioners Of The District Of Colal-
Gentlemen: have the honor to acknovl-
edge the receipt of your letter of the 5th
inst. and the schedule for listing personal
property for taxation.
The Board of Assessors is now engaged in
assessing the real estate of the District. ard
they find the present assessment so unsatiS-
factory, and that it presents SO many in
stances of inequality, that their labor will
De much heavier than was anticipated. They
gence in the execution of the law.
If this board should conclude that any as
slStance can be offered them in the perform
ance of their duties under the law, which
Will facilitate their labors. they will avail
themselves of the proposal con tanned in your
letter and duly notify you. Yours very re-
specially, fSigned,l WIN. II. CLAGErT.
Chairman Of the Board.
No. 81
Crtcc o. the Commissioners ofU.c
Disiric' o. CplHljid,
Washington, April az. lSI5.N
Hdi. H. tldgch, Esq, Presbtet BOGidof As
SCISSORS, ,tc..
Sir: Referring to your note of yesterday
relative to the delivery OF schedules, / am
directed to ask that your board Will not he
embarrassed by any suggestions of the Com
missiOners limiting the delivery of the
schedules To the members of your board per
sonally. 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 in
tended TO give III their communication TO
you to which your note of yesterday is a
reply. 1t will not do to put the delivery of
the schedules I'm jeopardy from any cause.
Very respectfully,
[Signed.l WIN. TINDALL, Secretary.
Assessors OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, April II, 1875.
To The Honorable Commissioners Of the District
of Columbia:
Gentlemen: 1t will be utterly impossible
FOR this board To comply with the law under
.,
personal delivery 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 to complete
the equalization OF the same within the time
allowed by law. Very respectfully,
w. III. CLAGErr,
Chairman Board of Assessors
mo. 81
oGjce Of he Commissioners Of the
District Of C0ll,GL1id.
Washington, April II. 1873
WA. III. GGgett, esq, Chairman Board 81
Sir: Referring to your communication Of
this date, in which you state that il will b
utterly impossI ble for your Board to comply
with the law under an act of Congress. Marcn
3D., 1875, in making personal delivery Of the
schedules as eQuired by that act," &c, am
directed, in reply 10 request that you deliver
said schedules by assistants. The Commits
siOnerS have designated ten persons. who
Will report 10 you for this purpose. Addi
tlonal aid will be furnished if needed.
Very respectfully,
WIN. TINDALL. Secretary.
No. 81
ASSESSORS OFFICE, April u.
To ne Honorable me Commissioners Of The Dis
tTict Of CelJuabio.
Gentlemen:-I have the honor TO acknowl-
edge the receipt OF your note of the 18th in
slant. BY reference 10 mine of the same date,
OF which yours is in reply, you will observe
In addition TO what you have quoted there
from the further statement, viz I'VE find
unforeseen difficulties in the assessment of
the real estate, and all our time will be re-
quired in order to complete the same within
the time allowed by law"
Even were it permissible for this board, I'M
der the act of Congress, to deliver the schedules
by deputies or assistants, they would be ut
terly unable TO prepare them for delivery by
signing and addressing them, or TO make such
record OF them as il is absolutely essential
should be made before sending them ont for
delivery without endangering the compile
tiCn OF the assessment OF the real estate,
and in nv judgment certainly causing
~ M M fhai
fetal duty to prove disastrous failure for
reason OF the expiration of the period within
which by the law 1t must be fully performed
i perroffh.. 40 at all. Ny eonlInUa,cation of
OF this unfortunate condition of things and
bring to your notice the fact that all the pur-
poses contemplated by the act OF Congress
could not possibly be accomplished by rea-
son OF the limitation and imperfectiOnS of
the act itself.
In my opinion il will be only by the most
diligent, persistent, and unremitting labor
that we will in any event be able TO COM
plete the assessment of the real estate and
should we now suspend our labor upon that
subject, 10 prepare the schedules for listing
species of property would inevitably fail for
want of time within which to complete
either. 1t must be apparent that the prepa-
ration of the schedules for delivery and their
registration and delivery, however, such de-
livery may be made and on their re-
turn taking the affidavitS Of each one
vi TIC chtilC tdA pay VI the
District, and inspecting and assessing his
personal effects would DE an undertaking
beyond the power OF any five men living 10
accomplish between this date and the LIST of
May. The assessors feel the embarrassnents
of the position in which they are placed, and
are resolved that if there must be any fall
ure in the execution of the law a all il shall
only be such extent as can not possibly be
prevented by any efforts on our part. They
realize that neither they, nor the people, nor
the Commissioners are In any way RESPONSE
BILE for this condition of things, but that it
must be ascribed to the lawitself, and can only
DE relieved by Congress. This relief can fortu-
natelyb 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 q faithful and con-
scientiOus discharge OF our duty to suspend
the particular work upon which we are now
er gagged with all our efforts strained to COM
plete IL within the time prescribed for its
performances. Respectfully.
w. H. CLAGETT, Chairman of Assessors.
No. IL
ODtce OF the Commissioners offhe
District of Cbl,nsbid
Wnshia0fO0 As,rU II IS~R