Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-18
Assessments for Special Improve.
ments.

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION OF THE DIs-
TRICT COMMISSIONERS.
The District Commissioners have addressed
a communication to Hon. s. w. Dorsey, chair
man of the Senate District committee, in
which they suggest a slight amendment to
Senate bin 600 lin relation TO certificates of
assessment for special Improvements in the
District of Columbia" and a new section.
They say before receiving from your com.
mittee the bill we had given considerable at
tentl0n 10 such assessments made by the Late
board OF public works, and by ourselves under
the rules adopted by that board, and had found
irregularities and errors in many cases unfa-
YoTable in the main. to the prOperty-hOld
Under rules which We deem more equitable
and in conformity to law, we had statements
OF sNch errors, &c, prepared for the purpose
OF calling the attention of Congress TO the i'm
pOrtance of authorizing lis or our successors
in office to review such assessments: our
power 10 do so in the absence of such author
ity being considered doubtful by our legal ad-
wiser We were thus prepared to favor a bill
comforting the power, which is one OF the OBJ
jects of Senate bill COO. We would suggest
That the eoqd be clearer in its tine min by
and inserting the word ''Or' instead. In all
other respects the bill is clear as to its pur-
poses. We suggest an additional section to
cover a class of assessments not in
Guided in the bill: namely: assessments
made under contracts of the corpora
ton OF Washington city. but completed
under the late board of public works,
where the assessments were made for the
rhOte cost of the improvements pursuant to
the laws OF the corporation of Washington at
the time the contracts were made instead of
one, third the cost, as all other assessments of
SAID board were made. The whole amount of
the assessments was about $300,UG9 of which.
about 100000 has been paid. The outstanding
certlfcateS, which are liens on the property.
draw ten per cent. interest from their date. Ii
is only within short time that we have been
induced by our legal adviser to hold these as
sesSmentS illegal for the excess of the cost be-
yOnd the One-third thereof. But such being
his opinion the attorney of the District) we
accept II as the proper construction of the law.
and hence recommend the proposed legislation
III respect OF such assessments. The estimated
reduction Of assessments, paid and unpaid,
covered by Senate bill CO., as sent to US, is
$4,000. In our last annual report, We stated
the amount II the then outstanding eight per
cent. certificates of indebtedness to be 500, 100
and of this unsettled assessments pledged for
tie redemption of such certificates of
Sl,@6,9l0.03. The surplus of these assessments.
after the redemption of the eight per cent GER
titicates of Indebtedness will be sufficient to
pay all the drawback certificates provided for
III the bill and proposed amendment.
tSigned by the Commissioners
is as follows:
See ? When the VhOle cost of special i'm
prOyementS contracted for by the late cOrpo-
ration OF Washington, completed under the
board of public work subsequent to February
IL lSll. have been assessed upon private prop
erty, the Commissioners of the District OF Co
lumbia shall re-aSSesS such property, for its
proportion of the cost of such improvements
in accordance with the thirty-seventh section
OF the act of Congress approved February u,
1871, entitled IAN act to provide government
Tor the District of Columbia and issue draw
back certificates for the amounts found legally
due for such private property upon such re-
assessment. Outstanding certificates of in
debtedneSS issued since the approval of said
act OF February Il, 1871, against private prop
erty Tor the lcioLe cost OF such special improve
ments, shall be taken up by said Commission
ers on their presentation to them at any time
within one year from the passage of this act,
when the interest thereon shall cease, and
issue therefor, first: Certificates for the
amount legally chargeable against such private
property, with - per centum per annum in
tereSt thereon from the date of the certificates,
which shall draw the same rate of interest
until paid; second, drawback certificates for
the balance due on said original certificates of
Indebtedness, with per eentum per annum
interest thereon from the date of such original
certificate OF Indebtedness. The drawback
certificates provided for in this act shall be on
interest from their date, at the rate of six per
centum per annum: shall be issued to the pei
son OF persons legally entitled to receive them.
and shall be received at any time in payment
OF assessments for SpecialimprOvementS made
by the late bOOrd of public works or by the
District Commissioners, or be paid out of the
surplus money remaining after the redemp-
ton OF all the eight-per cent. certificates of in
deDtedneSS issued under said act of May %
1873.