National Republican., 1883-10-26
TIE Ass,nseoN,s REPORT.
Increase or Licenses snown-Important
Recommendations Made.

Increase or Licenses nOwn-Importnnt
Recommendations Made.
Assessor Dodge has submitted his annual
report to tho commissioners for the year end
ing June 30, 1888 1t shows the total amount
received for licenses during that time to have
been $l2S,43S.7S, u net increase ovor the
amount received in 1889 of 5j,28l.28. He
says "From the above il will be seen that
although nearly every business has paid an
increase over last year-owing to the growth
of the city and the vigilance of our late
assistant inspector-the decrease in one item
alone, viz, commercial agents licenses, has
been nearly ono.half of tho total increase. We
have on file over 1000 permits TO mauufac-
turers and owners, who pay only 81 each,
against seventy commercial agents who do
the same business and pay 500 each.
If clause 8 section 81, Commercial
agents." was changed, striking out the word
"agents," the license might be reduced to $50
instead of 5000, give moro satisfaction and
bring more money into the treasury. A few
| brokers have paid 800 cash for licenses under
clause IL, of section 81, hut nearly all of this
class have taken advantage of the proviso in
that clause, and paid MS bankers as low as
from 80 cents to $40, when IL seems evident
that this prOviso was intended for the benefit
of banks of discount and deposit" who pay
their regular bankers license under the clause
4, of section 81.
During the last license year there has been
an increase of thirty-eight barrooms and
forty-two Wholesale liquor dealers licenses
over tho previous year; fOrty-siX bar room
applications have been rejected, and their do
posts have been returned rs demanded. If
the liquor license, wholesale and RETAIL was
made considerably larger than now exists, it
would probably result in the decrease of the
number of dealers, and bring more revenue
to tho district. Tho time OF our license in
spector is continuously occupied with the
| liquor board, of which he is member, and
the district is losing much revenue for the
want of an assistant inspector to bring in de-
| linquents"
In speaking of the work of the board of
assessors, he says: Nine hundred aud thirty
eight appeals were presented, each of one of
which were referred to committee, and had
! duo consideration; 2S2 of them were allowed
| and each applicant was notified by letter of
the action Of the board in his or her cases
In addition to the above allowances, the
board, of its motion, made 2,5i7 changes from
! the original returns and the result is an in
crease of about 100000 above the aggregate
value as returned by the assessors. The
time allowed for the assessment was too
short, and tho assessors men too much
| hurried on that account, so that the assess
ment is not as it should have been. ! recon-
mend that, at the next assessment, uhe num-
l
have an assistant, who will be competent to
aid in measurements and make up the books
correctly-so that more correct eXamina-
tion may be made as to values, locations &c;
they should also be continued, as far as
| practicable, for future assessments, that they
may correct any errors of Judgment, &c, in
their previous returns"
| Of the personal tax he says: "This law
meets with great opposition in the District
of Columbia. Those persons who make re-
turns according to law are by no means
numerous, and they reasonably complain
that they are compelled to bear an unequal
burden. 1t sometimes happens that under
this law property pays as much as AZ per
| cont. per annum in taxes, viz, one on real
estate, again on a mortage in the hands of n
| lender, and once more in mercandise pur-
chased by the proceeds Of the loan. The
rate of interest paid by the government is
lower than ever before, and money can he
| loaned here as low as per cent. per an
nun. 1t is unreasonable now to expect
capitalists to pay IL per cent. on this reduced
income"
On the subject of Georgetown plats, he says:
81 suggest that all future subdivisions be
required to have new designations by letters
or figures so that the original lines and
numbers may be obliteratcd unless put in
some other color; and l further suggest that,
if now practicable, the squares in George.
| town be changed from No. l and upward to
| 1901 and upward, the number of squares
being 1l70 in Washington and in Georgetown
| 13l, so rs to avoid conloundnG these small
numbers with those in Washington, and to
consolidate the Washington and Georgetown
| numerical and tax books"