National Republican., 1883-08-03
THE NEW ASSESSMENT.
Tho Board TO Close its Labors ON Mon
dny Some Facts About the Personal

The Board 10 Close its Labors ON Mon
dny Some Facts About the Personal
Tax.
"You would be surprised" said Assessor
Cottrell to REPUBLICAN reporter yesterday
afternoon, at the boldness of men in their de-
mands for reduction. Why they come here
and ask us to reduce houses where they know
as well as we that the assessment is really
moderate. An instance in point is that of q
man whose property was assessed at $1,000
and he wanted it reduced to 81 1000, claiming
that it was not worth more. L told him
would give him $500 cash for it, and he then
came to the conclusion he wouldn't appeal"
''Did he take your offor?"
"Not much he didn't; he knew it was worth
more"
"Yes," chimed in Assessor Hackney, "they
have wonderful amount of cheek in their
demands. Now here is an appeal for re-
duction from 81 to 60 cents per foot on land
on Seventeenth street, near NJ"
"Well we won't do it," said Assessor Hark-
ness, who, with the other two, was examin-
ing appeals in the fifth district
The reporter sat and noted some of the
claims for reduction, and was satisfied that
the property owners had large amount of
assurance in presenting their claims. Ground
on New Hampshire avenue right alongside
of lots which had been recently sold for 81 .25
per foot was asked to be lowered to so cents
and equally as unreasonable demands were
made all about that section. "Disallowed"
was the verdict of the committee in almost
every instance.
Aren't you glad your labors are nearly
| fnishedW asked the reporter.
IYaAA .laI IL.
have been here day after day to the neg
| lect of my private business, and when we
wind up on Monday shall be thankful"
| The same sentiment was expressed by the
others.
The board yesterday at tho instance of
Assessor j. r. COldwell, ordered that S. lot 3,
square 400, and improvements, be reduced
from $1,000 to $1,000. 1t was decided that
the assessment of Washington Brick Machine
company's land be 81 200 per acre, and Trini-
dad farm be $500 per acre. Assessment for
buildings unfinished and under roof on the
lst of June, but not returned by the assessors :
Square 13S, sub 30 on Nineteenth, and sub 90
of q, three bricks, $4,000 each; square 1866, of
20, brick, $4,000; square 1S7, sub 142 brick,
$4,000; square 1885, of sub 5 and %, two
bricks, at $4,000 each, $4,000; and sub A,
north 81, and square 1919, sub % and 2s brick,
$4,000; Hagner house, on III street. 81 900; /;
total, $4,000. Messrs. Hackney, Purman,
| and Cottrell, committee on examination, rec
commended the Improvement TO be reduced
from So, 1000 to 81 800, square 7S. The board
| ordered that the improvement on lot ~ and
of 73, square 63, Georaetown (40 feet 'front.',
be changed to $4,000, aud the ground to 30
cents per foot, and the ground in square 4, in
rear. OF q lot at same price, 30 cents. The
clerk was instructed to enter upon the books
of the assessor for the fifth district the fol-
| lowing: That improvements on lot "A, -
| Iut -
| 900, instead of 100000, as the assessment re-
| turned was intended to bo the full assessed
value for the property rs finished, and, in
| consequence of the death of the contractor
| not completed.
The work of the boord will close under the
law, and they will submit their report to the
commissioners on Monday next The esti-
mates of the changes have already been pub
| lished in The REPUBLICAN, and il is not be-
| lieved that the aggregate will vary greatly
from that presented by the assessors on
June l.
There is another matter which has caused
some comment, and about which considerable
interest is felt, and that is the returns made
by corporations THE REPUBLICAN has al
ready mentioned this subject several times
and interviews with bankers and others havo
been published. The question for the conf
missioners to determine is whether the stock
shall be rated at its par value or at its quoted
Ndiuc. IL III Iuo lOrner, Uncn InOSe
corporations whose stock is above par will be
greatly favored, and there will be q loss to
| the district in the taxes they should pay, and
the Others whose stock is below par will be
compelled to pay more than is actually due
from them.
AS the case was put by q gentleman yester-
day, "If instead of the corporations being
taxed for the stock the individuals who hold
it were compelled to make return of it, how
would he do it? The commissioners have
the power to- put that man on his oath and
compel him to answer what he considers the
value of that stock. He would not give its
par valuc, but what it was actually worth
Now why shouldn't corporation be treated
in the same mannerY'
Some Of the corporations have already made
| returns, and among them are the Washing
ton Gaslight company, $2,00000O the
Washington and Georgetown railway COM
pany, 100000; the Metropolitan railway,
Sl30, $50, and the Columbia railway company,
100000. Now some of these stocks are at
high premium, while others are not at par
and the determination of the rate at which to
assess them is the delicate duty of the COM
mssioners.
1t is probable that a mean will be taken in
regard to those whose stocks are at n premium
between the par and tho quoted market val
ues and so as to those whose stock is not at
par AT any rate it is likely that the rev.
enues of the district will be increased about
$4,000.
These returns of corporations are made
under the personal tax law, the iniquity of
which is admitted on all sides.