National Republican., 1876-03-06

pursuits and occupations hereinbefore prescribed
shall be carried on in the same place. by the same
person. at the same time, excepting as herein
after provided, the tax shall be paid for each ac-
Thssii any one taxed under the provisions OF
this act shall allow any other person to sell un-
der his permit @ the person @ SO offending shall be
That no permit shall be required OF any per-
son bringing to any part OF the District Of Colum
Of any kind, to be sold by the car, cargo, or
wa wagon Sg, load, or Of persons bringing marketing to
That the keeper Of every livery stable, wood,
coal or lumber yard shall, before engaging In
such business, obtain the consent in writing Of
majority Of residents keeping house on the same
side Of the square which is the principal front
Of the BILE or yard about to be built or kept.
That nothing Contained in this act shall author
lZe any person TO Keep his place Of business open
on Sunday for the sale Of any merchandise what
That every undertaken selling collins, caskets
or burial cases not OF his own manufacture shall
That no person whatsoever shall sell, or ex-
1Sf ,ae as ,s sacTn say property real , or
ont having first obtained permit as auctioneer.
That wherever IN this act tax is imposed semi
annually on ssles, receipts or deposits, returns
Tor the same shall be made to the collector under
oath or affirmation, or before the 10th Of Janu-
uary and July Of each year, and the same shall
be due and payable to the collector on or before
the Soth OF said months and on all such taxes re-
naming unpaid after the 3oth of said months
penalty of 5per centum shall be added, and it
shall be the duty of the collector TO make demand
for the payment Of the same.
That for the purpose Of this act the word person
shall signify and include firms, corporations and
| companies. WORDS Of one number shall signify
and Include words OF both numbers respectively.
| The word agent shall signify and include every
person acting for another. The word merchandise
shall signify and include every article OF COM
@e5s ThssheF Sc IN Sp Sy sample catalogue
and include every person engaged in selling or
offering for sale by sample, catalogue or otner-
That all laws, acts, ordinances and regulations
now OF force in the District Of Columbia touching
police regulations for the several occupations aud
places Of business in said District, not inconsist-
ent with.anything herein, are hereby continued in
The above synopsis gives a fair idea of the scope
1 and character Of the BILL
DISCUSSION OF THE BILL.
Mr.. X. T. Merrick stated to the committee that
the bill prepared by the District Committee last
year had proved npracticable of execution in this
District, and the citizens had called meeting TO
consider this subject Of ta&ation. They had met
mitted to-day. They desired to know how much
money it was desired to raise to meet the current
CURED, not By the desire Of the citizens, but BY
oficers Of the United States Government The
Federal Govern"ent should pay their Just pro.
portion of the debt. The tax payers Of this Dis
trict do not wish to evsde the payment Of their
proper proportion. They wish TO know what their
R5OpO,tiGn IL ana .esE are S.S PTsPsTsd to pay It,
two millions Of dollars. Real had been the
basis In the preparation Of this bill They propose
every kind Of business and Visible m property. The
bill should be so constructed that they should not
encourage the hardening Of mems condolences.
Let II be understood what part of the revenues
to be paid by the citizens OF this District and
they are ready TO pay it.. All the people ask is |
the small privilege OF selecting the mode Of pay
ing this tax. |
TIE DISTRICTS PROPORTION.
Mr.. Buckner. You are aware that the proper |
tion which the District should pay cannot be de-
.scS ~ % Se in House. matter Fer
committee need Information. The District Com. |
missioners have called for revenue OF about /
the 65 bonds and bIlities held In the hands Of
the sinking fund commissioners.
sired red to be brought into close "a and pleasant re-
lations with the law-naking power. They were |
willing and ready to bear their proportionate ex-
penses 81 these Improvements, but they desire an
Mr. BIckner inquired If they had any data to
uRaer this b and what amount Of tax * coaid
raised BY 1t. Also, what amount Of revenue was |
raised BY the last tax law on personal property.
that there was 81, 900 raised, and it cost the |
District $4,000 to collect 1t.
rxENP PROPERTY.
Mr.. CIagett explained that the real estate por |
tion Of the bill is the same ss last year. with the
exception Of property exempted from taxes.
Mr.. Clagett here claimed that there was not a /
community in any part Of this country who had /
been so heavily taxed as this community during /
the past five or six years. He had taken pains |
to examine into this matter and had compared |
in the Country. and had come e TO t6s copeusIog S
that this Is the most oppressed people in this re-
BY the formation Of some popular local govern
Mr.. Clsge:t Oh, no; we don't want that; We |
have tried that and are satisfied. [Laughter.l
THE POOR CLERKS.
The question was asked If Government clerks |
were taxed.
nothing to tax as a general thing. A poor clerk |
who gets thousand dollars per year salary don't /
get any meat to eat oftener than once in two |
weeks. tLaughter.l
WHAT THE BILL WILL PRODUCE.
The bill presented by the citizens will produce |
500 geo personal tax, which is one per cent. on
MIR. Riggs explained here that the amount of
and about $4,000 from licenses.
GEORGETOWN TAXPAYERS HEARD.
The chairman, Mr.. Buckner, stated that he eun-
there to state their views as to why the citizens
Of Georgetown should be taxed less than those of
Washington.
taxpayers, Submitted the following reasons for q
discrimination in favor Of Georgetown in the
The officIal records show the average value of
property in Washington and Georgetown, as as |
sessed during the last five years, to be s2 295 s62
and that there has been expended in special i'm.
provements in Washington by the late Board Of |
Public Works to lst December, 1874, the sum Of |
Sl4,2g7, 2o2, or about one ffth Of its assessed
value, while there has been expended in improve
ments in Georgetown the sum OF SIS, ,i9s 81, or
words, Georgetown, being entitled, on the basis
Of the Valuations stated above to about 81 800 000
actually received but S725, 900, or little more
than half Of her legitimate share of these i'm
provements.
1t also appears from Official data that while
Washington has been assessed for her share of |
these Improvements the sum Of s., ,9I6 SIS. .6S, or
about one ftth of their cost, Georgetown has
been assessed the sum Of s227 90 or nearly one
Washington has the full benefit of all expendi-
lures for public grounds.
Washington on account of the greater width |
OF her streets, has the exclusive benetit OF the /
admirable system OF parking which is maintained
The cleaning and repairs Of streets also paid
for out OF the common fund, are, owing to the |
greater width Of the streets. much more expsn-
siEe in Wa hington than in Georgetown.
The aggregate Of expenditures for improve
ments in the two cities, after deducting the sum
Of 1914 s27 90 directly assessed ag anst the prop
erty affected by such Improvements, is sl2s7f,- |
9d27s, which sum ts represented by . debt, OF /
leaving debt OF Sl2 $50, $3.50 for improvements
in which Georgetown has no share whatever, but |
for the payment Of which, principal and interest,
In ali the tax bills heretofore, with the excep- |
ton Of 1874, discrimination had been made In favor
OF Georgetown, which should be done in the bill |
Mr.. W. Il. Tenney stated that there should be
not only on merchandise but on furniture, tax. |
The late bill drawn by the District Commission
ers proposed to tax the stocks and bonds issued /
by the District Of Columbia, which was q virtual L
reputation Of its own securities. Now these |
bonds should not be taxed, on the same reason |
that the United States bonds are not taxed. |
Stocks Of ofincorporated companies might be taxed,
but at less rate than on real estate not above |
onequarter Of one per centum, and should be L
taxed in the hands Of the cerporators. Bonds and /
mortgages should be exempt Experience has /
shown that 1t is not q practicable tax; and the |
attempt to collect tax Of this kind always re- /
suited disastrously to the business Interests OF
place, as he showed by numerous examples.
Mr.. Francis Wheatley, Of Georgetown, said he /
had been long time Q business man, and he L
thought 1t would be very unjust thing to exempt
bonds and mortgages and make real estate pay /
all. He differed with the rest of the GeorgetoWn
delegation only on this Loiat. |
Judge Dent called the attention OF the District |
Committee to the fact that while the property in
the city Of Washington had increased the past
two years from 500 0oo 900 to $50 600 the prop
erty in GeorEetown remained about the same,
THE COUNTY HEARD FROM.
A. p. Pardon stated that he represented the |
farming interests OF the county. They pay the
same rates az property does in the city. There