Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-06
NORTHEAST WASHINGTON.
A Meeting Of Citizens Association No.
3 Last Evening.

THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF INCREASED AS
sEssMESTs AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE APPRo-
PRIArIoSs FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS Dis
cUssED-REsoLuTIoxs NOT ACTED UPON.
At ameeting Of the Northeast Washington
citizens association last evening in the Pea
body school building, owing to the sickness of
the president, Mr. Josiah Willard, Mr.. h. II.
Martin was called to the chair.
The secretary reported that he had received
since the last meeting q communication
from the District Commissioners acknowl-
edging the receipt OF the resolution respecting
the appointment Of cadets to the military
academy at West Point heretofore mentioned
in The SrAB) and promising to look into the
matter.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
Mr.. L. Chapel, the chairman of the COM
mittee on steam railways, reported that while
the committee had taken no definite action
they were progressing with their work.
The chairman of the committees on street
railways and sanitary affairs both reported
progress. DIR. Guimstead. the chairman Of the
latter committee, spoke of the unsanitary con-
dition of squares 40 and 721. He said the
houses in those square swere flooded during the
last heavy rains.
MIR. ID. c. Clark, chairman of the special COM
mittee appointed to visit the Commissioners
respecting the changes in the schedule of street
improvements by the late Commissioners,
gave detailed account of his conference with
the Commissioners; substantially as printed in
The STAR at the time. He said that he had,
since his talk with the Commissioners, SUBJ
mitted three letters for their consideration.
The only reply he received, he said, was press
copy list OF the award of contracts, which had
no bearing upon the case at all. He also read
an article which he asserted showed the great
discrepancy in the appropriation to the several
sections.
THE MATTER OF STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
MIR. L. Chapel addressed the association,
saying that the citizens of the northeast section
should go to the Commissioners and ask them
amicably for such improvements as were
deemed necessary and not get into warfare with
the powers that be.
Mr.. L. l.. De Land said that all this talk
brought the whole matter to where it was some
years ago. when it was the desire of the people
OF the northeast section to have their improve
ments commence at the capitol and extend
from there out. He said that they should go
carefully and deliberately, and in a few years
they would have the whole Hill covered by ele-
CANT streets.
Mr.. A. Girouard also thought that il was bad
policy to try to bulldoze the Commissioners.
THE NEW ASSESSMENT CRITICIZED.
Mr.. T. W. Smith called the attention of the
association to the new assessment which he
termed thing done and impossible to be I'M
done. The assessment in the northeastern sec
ton, he said, had been increased 65 per cent
10 the end that they might get the benefit of
the new assessment he offered resolution re-
questing the Commissioners to make out a new
schedule of the area, population and taxable
valuation for the distribution of the appropria-
tions for street improvements the coming year
under the percentage system, provided, how
ever, that this apportionment shall cover all
the expenditures of the engineer department
both for new work and repairs of the old.
This resolution called forth great deal Of
discussion pro and con.
SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION.
Messrs. Jones, Gerouard, Smith and Walker
offered the following as a substitute:
Whereas, the assessments recently levied in
the several assessment districts in the cities of
Washington and Georgetown and the county
of Washington, which are to be the basis Of
taxation for the ensuing three years, show an
enormous increase in valuation; and
Whereas, this must necessarily result In a
very great increase in the amount of taxes to
be exacted from the citizens OF the commune
ties mentioned, unless the rate of taxation be
reduced; and,
Whereas, it is understood that under the
existing rates of assessment and taxation there
have been collected funds largely in excess of
the amount required to meet the appropria-
lions made by Congress; therefore, be It
Resolved by Citizens association No. 3 that
the honorable, the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict of Columbia be and hereby are respect
fully requested before the new assessments
come in force to reduce the rate of taxation
under the power vested by law in them to fix
such rate provided it shall not exceed one and
one-half percentum of the assessed value.'
After long discussion both resolutions were
laid over unfinished business.
Mr.. L. Chapel called attention to the dele
CATION of Sth street property-owners. who
waited upon the Commissioners to ask them to
hold up some other streets and improve Sth
street and criticized the action OF the delega-
ton.
The meeting adjourned at 1890 to meet at
the call of the secretary.