Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-25
Assessments in this District.

Assessments i'm this District.
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE ASSESSORS REPORT.
brief alluslon was made in yesterdays STAR,
shows the kinds OF
LICENSES ISSUED
and the amounts realized from each class, as fol-
lows: Apothecaries, sis7 0l; auctioneers 1876 &C.
book agents, $3.50 SO; banks and bankers, $3.50. 42
brewers, s1a5; bill posters, $50; billiard tables,
81 so7 So: bar rooms, s,l 1904: commercial agents.
$50; whoesais dealers in liquors. s srosss ssts; 10;
in old barrels. s90s5: entertainments. circuses,
&c, $2494; hacks and vehicles for hire, 81, ,433 20
nc notels, tel ~ insurance companies and agents,
$5,623O5; Intelligence Offices $ll67: livery stables
s2l3207; manufacturers Of gas, ss32 25; peddlers,
1901 IS; photographers. 5000; pawnbroker's,
s1,75o; patent agents. sl4.5s produce dealers in
market, s5.9a9.sO; produce dealers at large,
s3,731.5l; restaurants So real estate agents.
s1,l5o.O2; theaters, s733 a.
IN RELATION TO LIQUOR LICENSES
the report states: "Bar-room licenses have been
issued to the mum Der of 52s, from Nov i, 1884, to
this date Sept. 81, and 26 applications have been
rejected during the same time. Alarge majority
OF the latter have Immediately taken out whole
oaie liquor licenses and it is believed that the
parte5 continue to sell by the drink yet they can
not be detected. The bar-rOom license IS s1OO and
the wholesale liquor license is S25 per annum The
u, T.; s. revenue law reverses this, compelling the
WhoieSale dealer to pay the large lcenSe-$1OO-
ana the bar-roOm the least, or S25. The number
OF wholesale dealers who now pay liquor license
Is 451 and it is believsd that the large number Of
these sell by the drink, and still larger number
sell without any license. II the law was similar to
the U. s. law which authorizes the confscatlon OF
liquor whenever 1t is found in stores or places OF
sale when no license can be shown, it would
greatly add to and prevent fraud upon the reve-
the District II all liquor dealers should pay the
same license and be upon the same footing max
Ing IL obligatory upon each dealer to have the
same majorities as now required by applicants for
Dar-room licenses before entering upon business
REAL ESTATE.
or the assessment branch he gives statement
OF the assessed value of the real estate OF the Dis
trict of Columbia on June 80 1881, after the cor
recton of the tax books as follows:
Washington-Taxable, s7s, ,515,793; District of
SGumea stnn % Il property Of exempt from tax
So ,s total sis5 Spsi ~ 'ne 'n''eo S'a'eS
tGte9'rget,oWnmTaxab!e e, s. property Of
M Dls.rict OF Columbia, Sis $50; exempt from taxa
total, s5so2.s1s property Oh united States *s4
County-Taxable at $3.50. s4,47l,ss5; taxable at
ss7 $685. Exempt from taxation, sssss5o: property
or United States, s., 162, 205; total, So ,5l3
MAX Making M total in the District OF Columbia OF
SIe2, 2,65e, 5A. Amount Observation-Disclosures city,
S.s5l5.193; Georgetown, $5,266.943; county,
$6,52, ,759; total, $50, ,30S, ,495.
NEW BUILDINGS.
To this add the value OF new Improvements not
heretofore assessed, s2,641,350, after deducting
those which have been demolished s146.95O In
Washington. 9s4 houses, s., 372 5OO in Georgetown
4o houses, S56200; in county, 10S houses SOS 200:
total, s. ,4OO making at present, s92 sO2 Se5.
TOTAL OF TAXABLE REAL ESTATE
The alterations OF tax-books and consequent
changes of property from exempt to taxable, and
vice versa. reduces the above amount s269 $50,
leaving the assessed value of taxable real estate
IN the District on the Both Of June, s92 1865.
PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
a ctnfa hat, tl1
sonal property So s12 tax at ST. $685. 1s
For the amount OF arrears of this, as we'll as real
estate taxes, beg leave to refer to the collectors
report, who is now doing his utmost to collect
tor of licenses This tax seems to be obnoxtols to
the citizens, as they agree that the burden is un-
equal.many people making proper return, when,
Cy far, large majority make none at all, and
leave the assessor to surmise that all their per-
sonal property is In non-taxable bonds Or stocks.
Deed OF trust notes can rarely ever be reached.
unless the owner chooses to make return. as a
large number OF them are payable to unknown
parties: pa and transferred purposely with the view
large amount OF idle cash is now held by citi-
zens, who would lend it at the low rate OF 5 per
the ~ per cent tax on deeds OF trust, and they
reasonably complain that foreign capital has this
advantage over theirs, as it pays no tax here.
lnaugurated the assessment has dwfndled down
from $17 23905l in 1873 to So 212 in 1882; and
says his great decrease is almost entirely due to
the intangible property and for the current wear
the decrease will be even greater. as hardly anv
property IS returned" He says this
number of leading taxpayers, who, after much
perfected q license and personal
sonepl aX p or w1ch tha was submitted to the Comms
might be transmitted to Congress.
OF NEW ASSESSMENTS
ne says: "A new assessment OF real estate for the
coming year would seem to be necessity in order
TO equalize values, which have greatly increased in
the northwestern part OF the city and decreased in
Cne east and southeast, well in many portions
oI Georgetown, since the last general assessment
OF 1873. For instance, twenty squares between
la 18th and 2lst and N and streets northwest are
now assessed at an average value OF 80 cents per
square foot. and it is we'll known that the present
value would exceed $3.50. This average is calcu-
q careful estimate l think that upon a new
the northwestern section viii average
81; southwest, or South Washington, 10 cents;
or Capitol Hill and Navy Yard, cents per sauaree
foot; giving an increase of taxable property In the
city alone Of sa5 1868. while it is believed that
In Georgetown and the county the depreciation in
the one section will be Offset by the gain in the
other.
ARREARS OF TAXES, ETC
He submits that some form Of bill should be pre-
sented to Congress that would enectually close up
all arrears Of taxes; and with that view have
prepared a form for your consideration Con.
corning new District offices the assessor quotes
from his report for 1880 as to the danger of fire
to the records of the Office in its present exposed
condition.
District Government Affairs
ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS
General Butler, attorney for Colonel Samuel
Strong, appeared before the Commissioners yes
terday and advocated the submission OF his case to
ar roltratlOn. He proposes to select twelve promt-
nent names and allow the Commissioners to select
one or three OF the nameS he is willing that the
commissioners select twelve equally prominent
gentlemen and he will name three of them as q
board of arbitration.