Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-17
PUBLIC WORK IN THE DISTRICT.
Annual Report of Lieut.. Hoxie.

RELATIONS OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT TO
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AS
sFssMENTs-oUR WATER sUPPLY-THE VA
RIOUS PLANS FOR ITS INCREASE DISCUSSED
THE SEWER QUESTION, ETC.
The annual report OF Chief Engineer r. L..
Hoxie to Engineer Commissioner Twining states
that
THE REVISION OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
has been continued, in conformity with the
act OF Congress, approved June 10Th, 1873, and
the rules adopted by the Commissioners to
govern these reviSious as given In his last an
nual report. The benefit of the revision was
extended 3ste,o 70 the paid-up assessments. by a
subsequent act OF Congress, which Is quoted in
the report. The rules for revision have been
modified by the Commissioners, and are also
quoted.
RELATIONS OF THE Z. 8. GOVERNMENT AND THE
Certain appropriations have been made by
congress at various times to cover the proper
tional part OF the cost Of Improvements charga-
Die to the United States on account OF frontage
OF United states property on the line of the i'm
proVement. This in pursuance of clearly
time OF making these appropriations. An ac-
count OF these appropriations Is given in the
report, together with statement OF the proper
tional part OF other assessments for special i'm
prOvementS due from the United States. The
rule of apportionment has been to place the
United States in the attitude Of the District gov
wherever United States property fronted upon
the line. If the United States owned upon both
sides OF the street or avenue, when improved
the whole cost was charged to the general gov
ernment. III upon one side, only five syths of
the costwas charged to the general government
leaving one-sixth, as contemplated by law, to
Joining and Immediately benefited IL will be
seen that the account as stated. in conformity
with the revised assessments shows the United
states is greatly In arrears after receiving
credit for all aDprOpli attons.
THE COST OF THE GREAT MAIN SEWERS
could not be assessed In any proportion against
adjacent property, but the general fund Of the
District has paid the whole amount, Congress
has now required the obligation of the general
government to pay one-half the cost of this
class OF work. This will make the total
OF improvement since 1911 approximately
S1,040,1 1924.
THE SPECIAL IMPROVEMENT TAX.
With the completion OF the revision OF the Spe-
suant to the act Of Congress. ito provide
government for the District of Columbia, ap.
proved February 81, 1871" and to the subse-
quent acts Of the District legislature, with the
collection OF the delinquent tax, and the re-
demption herewith of toe eight per cent i'm
proVement bonds, of the lien certificates upon
delinquent property and OF the drawback IS
sued on account Of excessive assessments; the
era OF the special improvement tax and all
matters growing out of it will have passed
away. The operation Of the law has not al
"~n uniform and equitable, and the lati-
ways ~ ~. discretion Ill administering it
The measure has been we'll adapted to the ocea
sion of its adoption, and one more wise and
just could hardly have been devised. 1t provi-
ded that reasonable proportion, not exceeding
one third OF the COST should be assessed against
the property djoining and especially benefited
by the work of improvement which the terrific
rial government was created to 1naugurate. For
similar improvement under the preceding
was assessed against the adjoining property.
Under the temporary commission government
which followed the territorial government, the
organic law OF the latter, and consequently the
same rules OF administration continued In
force. Under the present permanent commits
sion government the United States pays only
This is the opposite extreme between which
and the corporation method Of imposing the
whole cost upon adjoining property, the law
assessing one-third Of the cost was the mean.
In consulting the wishes of property owners as
to the location Of needed Improvements, 1t will
be difficult to find any law of natural selection
to take the place of this. Under the corpora
ton government the expressed wish of the
to the execution of the work and the cOnSe-
Quent imposition of the tax. Under the pres
ent government the absence Of a special tax
the work OF Improvement. Up to the present
time the greater part of the work done has
been the replacement of the old wood pave
mentS (for which it was decided under the for
mer District government that special tax
should be impose0 and the construction of
main sewers, which are for the benefit of the
general public.
IN EXTENDING TIE LATERAL SEWERS AND THE
PAYMENTS TO NEW LOCALITIES,
but little work has been done, yet the equity Of
requiring adjoining property to pay reason
able proportion of the cost, and the necessity
for some such assistance to executive dlscre-
ton In selecting the localities where work is to
be done, are recognized in the adoption of the
Of al
property Owners who desire these improve
ments are required to perform the work
at their he S own expense, under the diree,
District furnishing the material. By this
method the funds available are expended
wherever the owners Of the adjoining property
and there can be no just complaint of favor
ttism. But the system is imperfect, and In
some respects Objectionable.
SEWERS SHOULD ONLY BE LAID BY THE DIS
TRICT GOVERNMENT,
and the pipe sewers should be put down more
substantially than property-owners are re-
quirtd to lay them. 1t is doubtful whether
draulic masonry or concrete will long remain
at the grade upon which 1t Is laid, and It is more
than probable that many Of the pipe sewers
VIII have to be sooner or later relaid in this
manner. When the owner of piece of prop
erty desires to have sewer extended to his
lot, there will often be a long distance inter-
Vening between his property and the existing
erty Will decline to cooperate with him, or a
majority Of them may unite with him, and mi
nority refuse any assistance. In sucA cases the
one or the majority will put down the sewer,
the District furnishing the material, and the
remainder of the adjoining property owners
will make use of the sewer and profit by the
enterprise of their neighbors, but pay no share
OF the cost. Should work be undertaken upon
large scale, on the principle of this permit
work, the inequality OF its application to indi-
viduals will compel uniform law, similar to
that which assessed upon adjoining property
reasonable proportion, not exceeding one-tnird
of the cost, and this might well replace the per-
nit system
SEWERS.
In the last annual report Is given the general
plan for the improvement OF the sewerage of
the District. Appropriations have been made
for the commencement of work, and in the b
street drainage area satisfactory progress has
been made, and the appropriation will soon be
exhausted. On the Boundary street sewer
falling contractors have delayed the work, and
the progress has not been satisfactory. In the
latter case other parties have been placed upon
the work, and there is now every indication of
its vigorous prosecution. During the next
fiscal year the New York avenue sewer should
be completed, the canal outlet dredged to its
proper depth, with side embankments raised
above freshets and properly protected, and q
temporary bulkhead run from the outer en-
tremity OF the canal to Easby's Point. The
latter will contract the flow OF the river and
secure the depth of channel at the outlet of the
canal which Is necessary for the maintenance
OF the proper depth in the latter. 1t will at the