Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-21
I'm Behalf Of the Gas Company.

To the Editor OF lac Evening STAR:
Your correspondent, 81, in a letter headed, "If
In Alexandria why not here?" has another hit at
the Gas co. Poor. silent, sun ring Gas Co.; 1T
never speaks back, but suffers on. Now, / think
some good things can be said about the Gas GO.
have been a gas consumer Tor twenty-five years,
and l can safely say that l have never been
Charged for a loot OF gas not consumed. There
never has been variation In my BIZ that / could
not account for The two most Important ele-
nentS Tor the comfort anu sanitary condition OF a
city are water and light. Now. let us draw a little
contrast between the parties who supply the city
with these Two elements. some two Years ago tie
Gas CO. saw that TO keep pace with the growth of
the city and supply sufficient light, their works
would have To De enlarged to twice their present
proportions, anu to-day their new works are nearly
ready Tor the manufacture Of gas Cat an expense
OF over sl,OUO,OOO). l sure IL has
been the admiration OF every mechanic who has
passed Penna- avenue east as often as have done
10 see with what expedition, accuracy, and neat
ness they have laid a 24-inch main from their new
works 10 the Capitol "a distance OF miles, The
whole stretch was laiI in little over one month,
and not pound Of dirt was LETT behind tnen: In
fact. It would be hard TO tell except at crossings
where the pine was laid. Now. what about the
PARTIES who supply the other element? For over
twelve years the citizens especially those IN the
higher parts OF the city have been suffering Tor
want OF water. After much complaint legislation
was obtained, and an appropriation made 20
supply the. want, and what Is the result?
For four or i've years appropriation after
appropriation has been obtained until the work
has cost twice the original estimate. and the result
Cat BEST bungled JOD. and the supply OF water
GO much neede,D at least Two years distant yet
Mr.. Editor, there has been no water In nv bath
tub OF closet for two years from O a. m until : u
H., and sometimes not then, and this Is the case
with thousands Now, what (under such circum-
stances should be expected from the powers that
be? surely in the name or fairness aud equity 10
those who do hot receive the article correspond
Ing reduction should be made on their bills: but
"hat Is the actual state OF the case? Why (as lar
as my knowledge gOes) ninety out OF every hun
dred this year have their bills increased 10 the
utmost limit that the law allows. Nine Is 81 30
more than 10 ever was, anu / hear the same COM
plant from all around II / received the article
there would be no complaint from me- as prize IL
hixhly and am willing 10 pay for II. So do prize
HXnJ gas, ana am always willing to pay for IT,
because am sensible OF receiving it; but suppose
the gas company mad neglected 10 provide for
their increasing demand, and every night about s
O'Clock the gas should 20 OUT, and yet the demand
on their bills Was for the same amount. Then
there would be u hOwI-a Just one, too
AWATEk-IAKER AND GAs-CoNsUaER.
Remedy for Unequal A>sessmenls.
To Editor Of HE EVENING STAR:
A certain lot IN this District was lately pur
chased through a first-cIass real estate agent,
alter being properly advertised. The sale was not
forced one IN any respect, and, therefore the
price paid was probably the fair market value
jet at the assessors ONCE the lot was assessed al
just double the price paid FOR IL. certain other
LOFTS leased Tor twenty years All 600 DER annum
IL Il assessed Tor taxation AT $4,000 and the tax
l. S92O- The c2ptdIlZei value the lot Is there
fore about 10000, while Its selling price, owing
70 its speculative prospects, would probably be bt.
tween 10000 and $4,000. The assessment l.
therefore only about One-nlth OF it, real value m
Will thus be seen that the frst !Ot is s.,sss,.ld
About ten times a. heavily, In proportion real
value, a. the sc -Ont.
Were sucn disparity OF assessment exceptional
II would De matter Of but little public Import
snce But II Is not exceptional On TIE contrary
investigation Will show that these are but sam,
PIES Of large aiOrlty OF the assessments Ju.-
tice demands that land be assessed equally on m.
btslS OF lts actual value ana when II Is found 10
Dc the rule that the greatest INEQUALITIES exist the
reason should be sought, and when found, a
remedy should De- applet
Assessors In estimating the value OF land under
take 10 decide what II would sell for AT auction in
tight times, taking recent sales as the bs, OF me
estimate by sUcn a method any hug IKE accI-
racy or eQudllty could not possibly be reached A
lot sold today Tor given price would tO-lnUrrow
sell Tor widely different price. In cases where a
batch OF lots have been sold at auction IN the
same hour, wide variation In the price OF lots of
sne same reatye value has frequently oc-
cuTred The real cause Oi the inequality lies In
The TACT that assessments are levied on an
unknown and w ieterIinabie Quantity-On A
quantity that Is never determined as a matter OF
fact, and Therefore the assessment must be- ar
best, only gu s., and derniJeneSs or accuracy rs
not possible under such a ~ tenn / am p1t in
cilned 10 impeach the honesty OF the ass..Ssors
believe that as a rule officials are honest Bnf
under such haphazard system The WIDEST dis
PARTIES must arise. and, with absolutely honest
experienced, and Intelligent assessors would he
unsyoiiaole. No expert, no matter how conpre-
nsn.'e ms ns ano Tow might be, could tell
long. as the assessment Is levied on a
guess superstition, or an estimate for
which there Is 10 actual basis of fact
and which Is therefore at best only an o1inion 81
long Will the existing wide disparity continue and
equality OF assessment will never De realized m
u the system Itself that is at fault
IN order 10 secure equality the assessment must
% levied on The basis W some fact that Il already
determined There IS one aspect OF Tie value OF
land that Is determined fact, and which Is con-
stantly redeteImined frUn month TO month or
year 70 year. The fact IS rent Rent l. M. untt
OF real yalue and the actual basis Of the selling
value. III IaLd were taxed on the basis Of its dct-
rdl rentdl .dIue there could not possibly be any
disparity OF assessment, and exact justice would
be done 70 each and all
Most land In Use Is rented Only or 3 per cent
OF the people are landowners. and ali the resi-
rent wherever land Is held Idle, or only partly
used, or let Tor nominal rental used by It's
It's value bears certain relation 10 the sur
rounding land that Is rented and It's actual rental
value Can be determined with mathematical ac-
curacy. &. b. Ii.