Evening star., 1877-11-20

ID case, PAID - B5srd of POblic
Iu in rroTrn' ut bends. ssi as 5.
In ora" Dachs . 9i2 % - -
Amount of Ien c5rt'hca'es outstanding. 1885, 05
s2i22 sjj 81
Showing two million one hundred and
twenty two thousand eight hundred aud
SiXty-six dollars and ninety four cents stand
ing on the books OF the District OF Columb,
against the private property OF the citizens,
all more or less due ana bearing interest al
the rate of ten per cent per anuum.
When we take into consideration that the
arrears In the general tax are carrying u
penalty for non payment of two per ceat. y r
month (twenty-four per cent. per aunuml,
and the special tax ten per cent. per annum,
together with additional expense for alVer-
fising and proceedings in oar courts for iudg-
menis against the delinquents, it Is not sur
pIising that the owners should elect TO
abandon their property in many cases.
We have been lmpOrtuned by many clti.
zens 10 include in our report special cases as
regards tue unlawful and unjust assessments
against property for improvements. Not
deeming IL the province of the committee to
go specially into this subject, IL is sufficient
10 say that many cases arise from wrong
estimates made in measurements, including
the Improvement OF church property (which
is exempt under Congressional enacGmenp
in the measurement of adjacent property,
and the whole tax levied upon the private
property. Improvements commenced and
abandoned, newly grading the streets, and
leaving the property In some cases inacces-
siole aid in damaged condition, the same
being essed and taxed before the compile
ton of the contemplated improvement for
the actual amount of work done. Many as
sessments are largely In excess OF appropri-
atiODs. This class extends generally over
the city and county. Many cases where
double assessments stand aga nst property
first for work done under the board of public
works, under old corporation contracts. for
which certificates of taX-lien were issued
against the property under the old tax law
for the whole work, and this work taken up
To narrow the streets, and new improvements
made, a second measurement made aud "a
second assessment levied, thereby encum-
bering the property with two levieS under
the same authorities, and no power invested
In any one 10 remedy or relieve the property.
We md, among other burdens that the
citi ZsIs Of the District of Columbia have TO
bear, ard 10 adequate return made by the
general government, is the tax collected by
the Internal Revenue Bureau, which goes di-
rectly into the treasury of the Uuite1 states.
ana used for the support of the general gov
ernmeLt. II Is claimed by those who have
examined into the subject I'VE have not been
able to DO So that the amount exceeds that
derived from some of the states The Hon.
y. Z. ChipmaD, in his speech February g.
1874, in the House of Representatives, Informs
Congress: the report of the Commissioner
OF The Internal Revenue bureau for 1873
shows (page 1881 that tie Distr ct of Colum-
bia since 1863 has paid, exclusive OF tax
on Income, into the treasury OF the United
States 81 ,6J5, 10 .94-more than all the other
territories combined; more than Arkansas,
Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ne
vada or Oregon" The proportion is supposed
TO hold the same at the present time. 1n the
same speech the Hon. n. z. Cnipman states:
"In ten years this tax burdenet people has
more than reimbursed the gOvernm mt for
every dollar laid out here for the common
benefit OF its own and private proper ty."
Comments by us upon the inevitable re-
suits, with the present condition OF taxation
ard the resources of the taxable properly OF
the District of Columbia, would seem super
fiuous, but these burdens, together with the
expense of the local government and the in
tify the remarks made by the Hon. A. II.
Buckner, the chairman OF the House of Rep
resentatives District committee OF the last
Congress. in speech made in the House
was pleased to call the District debt, about
S2i, 900 COO, he says:-''It Is q vain and idle
hope that this District can provide for the
pay ment of this debt It will be an insup-
portable burden TO defray the ordinary ex-
peEses Of q municipal government and to
pay The interest on the funded debt. 1t is
believed that the valuation OF the real estate
of the District is much beyond Its cesh value,
and when IL is remembered that the real
estate OF the District Is cssargeable or has
paid one-third of the cost of the improve
nepts mat have been made within the last
five years, 1t becomes simply impossible for
the people OF this District 10 pay the Interest
on this debt, and TO provide for the ultimate
fact copfronts us that In this District, OF the
ninety million dollars OF real estate at
least one fifth of IL Is now held by the
District government and the banks, as
purchasers under sales for non payment OF
general aid special taxes. Another sale OF
lands, delinquent in On-pay ment OF taxes,
has lately been advertised, covering twenty
seven lages of the NdtiUld Repd6licda news
paper, and unless some relief Is afforded TO
these people very soon, the larger Part OF The
real properly Of tn the District Will pass into
the banks. This failure in the payment OF
taxes levied TO carry on the government OF
the District affords conclusive proof that the
Individual Indebtedness Is pressing upon the
people with equal weight with the public
debt, and when 1t is known that very large
proportion OF the wood and concrete pave
merits laid down within the last four years
will necessarily have to be removed within
a very short time, thus entailing additional
taxation, II will soon be questiod with
many property owners whether II will not
be wiser to abandon their property to the
District government than retain II with its
incUm brances."
by referring TO the singular semi-centennial
CO incident. In 1896 the CITY OF Washing
ton had made efforts TO improve its coalition
and to do the work which the government
| had assumed in the beginning; that ii had
\ incurred an Indebtedness OF nearly 81 900 ,000
/ Its resources had become SO exhausted and
/ It's burdens SO great that Ii was compelled to
/ appeal TO Congress for aid. Its Holland cred
/ tiers were threatening to fOreclOss on the
| property, and IL was said in the debate in the
/ otEdtt Oh luc Wy Ouc Va tuC o~uoIoIs,
| "The capital of the nation was about to bs
! sold out TO the Dutch" 1t Is singular CO.
/ incident that the Dutch now hold large pOr-
/ tiOn OF the indebtedness Of the District OF CO.
| lumbia. Ii they were alarmed at 200 900
| dollars when every ything was conducted upon
| the most economical basis, and the whole
| country young and growing in prosperity
and wealth, what win be their consternation
| when our present condition is known to them?
They are a prudent people. 1t is hoped that
| IL may escape their notice; otherwise, If re-
| lief be not vOuchsafed 10 US, and the imp )s-
| sible is demanded, the liveliest fears OF ths
deceased semicentennial Senator may yet
| come to pass.
! We would state that many sp ecial cases OF
| oppression occur that do not appear In the
| vast amount OF general complaint, occurring
from the irregular manner Of measurements
| and assess menis. The unimproved and i'm
| proved, the productive and imp productive,
property. being assessed for general taxation
| ard for special taxes for impro vements in
tee same ratio, many cases occur with own
| ers OF unimproved property (Which con
| prises Q large aren Of the city, that the own
4 kox, ho bo nm, tn an ricf