, 1880-01-18

PROPOSED ELEEMosYNAFY LEGISLATION.
Gen. Lieb, of the Water-Off1ce, is terribly an-
noyed about the poor,-politicians generally
are,-and finds that doing business on business
principles is very irhsomc., He has been
troubled in this way for some time, and ycster-
day delivered himself as follows:'
DErARrMESr oF PUBLIC WoRKs, Jan. IL
Charles s. IPdller, Esq, Commissioner Of Public
IFo1ks-DEAR SIR: Delinquents are nov being
notified that unless payment is made within five
days the water supply will he cut off. The rigid
and uniform enforcement Of this rule IL neces-
sarily causing great, and / may add, needless
parties nre absolutely destitute, many of them
objects Of public charity. Under former Ad-
mfnfstrltions these cAscs were referred to and
the Superintendent used his own discretion III
the matter, by what authority, don't know.
arn not supposed to grant farors Or to give prop
crty away which belongs to the city, but simply
to sec that the orders Of the City Council and the
instructions Of the Commissioner Of Public
Works are enforced: know Of no order which
could be construed In any manner as giving the
Superintendent any power or discretion In such
cases; nor do see that amy reference to the
Commissioner of Public Works may alter the
tho City Council CA tho I'D September last au-
thorizing him to rebate the water taxes assessed
against property used and occupied wholly for
charitable and educational purposes does not
apply to individual cases. From conversations
had upon this subject with several members Of
the City Council, nm confident TINT many of
them are under the misapprchension that the
sioncr Of Public Works all the power needed in
the premises, and have no doubt that, If prop
erly explained to the City Council that body will
not hesltlte IN instant in passing an ordinance
by which the Commissioner will be clothed with
the necessary power to grant the needed relief.
If the ordinance in question, as passed, could be
amended us below, the object would be obtained,
and, while deserved relief could be granted,
strict compliance with tho requirements Of the
ordinance would protect tho interests OF the city
against fraud and imposition. Respectfully.
Superintendent OF Water ONCE
"SECT1oS 1. That the Commissioner Of Public
Works be and he is hereby authorized and en-
powered to remit and rebate purt or the whole
OF the water tax or rates assessed against prop
erty used and occupied for charitable Or edlca-
Honal purposes or against properly occupied by
destitute families. Said Commissioner shnll re-
quire all applicu tons for rebates and for reis-
the affidavit Of one or more taxpayers, and every
such application shali be examined into and ap-
proved by the Superintendent Of the Water De-
"SEc. g This ordinance shuli take effect and
be In force from and after its passage
Mr.. Waller is IS sensible. of the hardships Of
the poor as Gen. Lcb is, and has fully considered
the question at issue. It is not the property
owner, however, but the tenant, who is seeking
and needs relief. The property is holden for the
tax against it, and to change the order Of things
would be Of no benefit to the poor. There is
some show Of argument for rebnting the tax of
purely charitable institutions, but theie is no
more reason why the property covered by cot
ton than there is that the property covered by
mansions should be. II the tax against properly
IS to be rebated owners will only have to certify
the water-tax entirely, and the system once
started would lead to the Water Department be-
ing public expense, which would have to be
to be allowed for the benefit Of the poor, let it
be IN favor Of the poor individuals, rather than
against property, rs Gen 1ieb proposes.