Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-06-29
Common Council.


heinz present and few spectators without TIC
bar. .,: >.
resolution authorizing the Corporation At
torney to confess Judgment 10 SUIT against the
civ by r. Nj. T. Hunter, State Treasurer, was
adnpted, after the Corporation Attorney, Who
was present, had explained The nature or Inc
snjt, and the reasons which Induced the INTRO
duction OF the resolution. !,
Tbe Revenue BILL as amended By the Board
OF Aldermen, was then taken up, ana the
amendments striking out the tax on ineomes'
fixing the tax 90 property at 81, With rcouc-
ton Of % per ct. for prompt payment restrict
ing the tax on commission merchants 10
speciiic lax of $50. reducing the tax on agents
for the sale of lager beer, porter and a'c' maze
out OF the city, to $50, and liking August Isl
as the time for the payment OF licenses, were
copcurred 10, but those reducing the tax on
agents for tho sale of ginger beer, pop, Nc,
made out of the city to $50, and defining who
sha be oyster packers were not concurred 10.
Previous to the adoption OF the bill as amended,
MIR. Broders said:
Mr.. President: As chairman OF the finance
Committee, who presented the revenue bill
renorted by said committee for 1877. which
biil was passed By this Board, stated at the
fine. that making allowances for tas bills which
would be 10 arrears, uucollected, We would tall
Short probably ten thousand dollars. But as the
o,hpr Board has amended the bill, and | no
lonerr consider it the bill of the Finance Com
mittee | feel at liberty 10 discuss the merits OF
the bill as it stands amended, aud vote as
think proper. Your committee was we'll aware
of the obligations Of the city, her Indebtedness,
and the amount oil property Oh when she eo1iu
| base tax to meet her ob!lgatlcns; aad though
| there are some persons who seem haru 10 IN
derstand why the Finance COMMITTED have not
paid up The interest and paid oil all oD!lgatioDs
| OF the city, aud reduced the debt, Will SIMPLY
| answer, bv telling them that the money was not
in the treasury to DO so with, and that the III
nance Commtte cant pay obligations With III
collected tax bills. Your committee have, from
time to time, Instructed and ordered the colicc
tors to force collection on all unpaid bills Iii their
hands, and they have reported dlilgeoco on
their part. will say this much to those geI-
| tlcmep that it is much easier to ask Why thlng
j. not done than TO perform an impossible da'y,
| or to use common expression, to get bloou Out
Of turpip. A word to the wise should be sui
6aient Now upou the merits Of thc present.
Revenue bill will explain The bill as pre-,
sented by the finance Committee would fall
short by upcollccicd tax bills probably ter
thousand dollars; usually from thirty 10 forty
thousand dollars of these bills sremaln over uu-
paid in the hands Of the COLLECTORS, aud | bc
| Iieve there are more than that amount now 10
their hands. The Auditor reports about twenty
five thousand dollars Of them good bills. Now
[ will show the rate Of per cent. you will pay IN,
terest 10 currency on your bonds, Wit the OIL
az presented by the Finance COMMITTEE, and
| adopted by this Board Tax 81, discount II
per Ct for currency; tax on interest paid 10 inc
| Auditor at the same rate as paid last year.
81 80; tax on sc interest CO 500 bond, differ
euce IL pcr Ct discount for currency, - cents,
which added to $3.50, makes 81 o., leaving
your bood holder With interest Ga his bond.
1898, and to make it an object to sell bis cou.
| pon, we may deduct per ct. more, which would
nett him 1895 interest on 800 bond. At %
per ct, discount for currency, according TO the
above calculation, you would charge hun 81. 80
tax on So coupon, and difference discount %
ner cent, 81. 81, making 50 50 deducted from
S6interest on 500 honda net Interest OF IS ~,
| or 81 5 per ct. interest 90 Your bonds. pre-
sent these figures to show, aa understand 1t,
exactly how much interest you would pay on
your debt from the adoption OF either BILL
| Now, as tax payer myself, aud onc WHO has
| at heart the best interest OF the City OF A!eSan
| dri,, believe city lax OF $l.1O 10 which you
NAV add State tax so cents making 81 on the
500 assessed value of property, Is az mucn AZ
tue people Oh IAItAluttIlti VI auS o'hst u. 'P' ;
oan pay. The tax on property IN the city 0!
Richmond is $l.40 on the $780, and IN the city
of Norfolk 81. so, SO [ have been Informed. so
YOU see the tax in the city OF Alexandra il
bipher thao 10 any of her sister cities, thereby,
measure, debarring parties ncEincd TO lu7est
in city property from doing so. on account OF
high taxation. Now, the question arises, where
is our remedy? We have BONDED debt SO
large that our people are not able TO ray the
interest 90 it and keep up tho municipal ex-
penses; business is falling off daily, and property
decreasing 10 value, and our debt increasing IN
siz, | will offer few Suggestions : First de-
crease your city expenses to the lowest possible
amount, consolidate some Of your ctlces and
make the salaries of your officers IL accordance
with your means. Your Finance Committee,
10 their salary bill, recommended reducton
this year. but you beeded 1t not. Do you sup
nose YOUR bond holders will look favoTobly upon
YOUR cries Of burden from taxation, when they
see you making no reduction in your city e2.
penses; trow not Then let us show eur hand
| in curtailiug expenses as much as possible; then
! let US ask the holders Of our bonds to fund Ihcm
| at market value, say 55 cents 90 the dollar, the
interest to be psid promptly at maturity, exempt
| from city tax, which, if done. the bondhulder
| will be equally As we'll off, for his bond would
| be worth par on the market, and would make
hem desirable Investment for the people OF
| Alexandria to hold, and you get your debt 10
size that you could easily manage. and above
| all induce parties to invest money in buildings,
to build up your town. aud give your lille nc
chanics work offer these suggestions for what
| they are worth. My term OF office will expire 10
| few. days, and on leaving your Legislative
body my desire is to impart whatever benefit L
am capable of to the good and welfare Of the
city of Alexandria, hoping that your wisdom,
aided by a special Providence, will open to you
brighter fu,urity for the old town. Another
sugg eslioD: that the financial affairs Of the city
be paced in the hands Of three commissioners,
consisting Of property holders who shall be
empowered 10 act 10 conference with the bond
holders, and report some plan OF compromise.
Mr.. Hughes offered resolution limiting the
number of police to ten. He said that that
force, he believed, would be sufficient, and the
spending of nine thousand and odd dollars for