National Republican., 1888-04-02
Damage Claims in the Di.tric..

EDITO2 NArIONNI. REPUBLICAN: In your
Issue Of yesterday ,.e the report that the
commissioners Of the District of Columbia
have stated To Congress that board
of audit would have S50OO,0)O claims
presented and say that property has in.
creased in value ly the improvements.
desire to show that when these improve
monts were made and special damages sus-
tanned hN change of grade, and special as.
scssmen,s made, the property to-day is not
worth what IL was before the change. Be
tween II and ] streets ON Seventh street
northwest property for which Sl5,OO0
was refused was sold for 5000 after the
Improvements We're made. Along this
line there was Il cutting down Of about three
feet. Between Seventh and Fourth streets.
on II street northwest, there has been no
increase in value by the improvement, rs
property not worth to-day what ii was in
Take Maryland avenue northeast, wheIe
the cut is from ten To twenty-three feet,
special assessment added, and the property
Is aImost entirely absorbed. Take The prop
erty of John Ruppcrt, where the grade
was changed twice, at the corner Of VI
and Moth Capitol streets, and after hav
ing nnderpinned at a heavy eApcns" was
ordered by the inspector of buildings to take
the entire structure down, SO that his entire
property was destroyed. Take any street
where cuts and fills are made. and except
the single eases where no special asses sncnis
wcrc made, the commissioners are com
PEELED TO say that many persons bad to raise
money and aiterward sell their homes in
Oldcr to save n pittancc ol the labor OF an
carly life's toll. Who has received damages?
The most OF the Georgetown people whose
property was injured harcreccivcd their dam
ages from the board of audit which possibly
l., e. III. Ip,.N NJ
Webb or Mr.. Whcat!cy to show int where any
property, even on + street, was benefited
hy the Improvements + street had n rood
pavement. aud as early as lsGS persons were
locking To its being business street. ('ihis
was before the present Improvements We're
inGde.l But business men going on the
street in the last few wears have been the
cause Of the increase in value damages hay
ing been allowed on every pict" Oi property
when II was either flied or cut down hy the
hoard If autiiu.
Does any one suppose that property in the
comfy Went up on account Of improve
mCnts. The moment the President pur
chased a home u boom was gotten up anl
fabulous prices paid. Property in 1854
offered by me for $4,000 wen; up to
S50,CCO and $4,000. Did the comini- ,Omers
study the interests of The citizens with the
same assiduity railroad and booming com
ranics are considered Congress would have
q statement Of facts furnished that would
accrue To the citizens
] furnished statement To Mr.. Webb
showing that S!I45, 900 could he saved 10 the
District hy funding on u 3.G5 bond at 30
years the old Indebtedness, which iS now
drawing ., u, and I per cent interest, This
will cWIitably pay every damage claim in
the District, pay, also, the claims for de
strtctiOn Of stalls in Northern Liberty mar.
kct destroyed hv the authorities, and with
the amount issued tu make up Sl5,O00,000
Of 3G5 sanctioned by law the entire in
dcltCdncss Of The District, and also
meet the most inipuitOus charges for special
assessments on corner lots, The triangle and
tluncatcd squares. when charges as high aS
~ cents per square foot We're made. Had
the special Improvements been based ON
square feet instead Of frontage, equitable
settlements could have been made But
men WHO have all records of the office ut
their command know full well that out of
s2,CI0,N0O Of claims filed and acted upon,
less thni! S,0O,oOO were allowed by the
hoard of audit.
50 that the same principle applied to the
$2,0CO,C0O additional filings, with probably
>10O,CGO for correcting errors (SSOO,OOO),
would settle all the damages really due the
citizens of the District.
The commissioners are credited with re-
porting that the board of audit made fail
ure, or something of that kind.
This statement is an error, and the com
missioners should know ii, The facts are
that said board had authority to settle only
such claims as arose prior 10 June 90, 1874,
for which only thirty days notice was given
for filing. This class Of claims was the
most meritOriOus of the seven classes re-
ferred 10 said board and Congress so recOg
nized them in an act approved Dec. 81,
1914, authorizing an extension of time TO
file them,
Most persons claimants now are the
poorer classes who ueel what Is due them.
SOLOMON j, FAGUE, 6.:.! Fifth street,
MARCH .S, lNSS.