Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-02

exorbitant salaries for ariy officials. but we do
emphatically urge that the employment Of the
best skill and judgment, at fair salaries in, the
assignment Of property for taxation, is the best
and indeed the only true economy.
Even the highest qualifications, however,
could not be made fully available If the assessors
mad not time enough for the performance of
tneir duties, or If they were unnecessarily sub
lect to influences tending to bias their judg-
ment, or if their terms Of Office were too short
70 allow their acquiring and fairly using the
requisite vast amount of special knowledge
that could not be gained in other occupation.
A PERMANENT BOARD OF ASSESSORS.
Bearing In mind these considerations and
Others which 1t is needless here TO suggest,
your committee submit that the act Of March
=, 1883 Chapter 1877. second session. Forty-sev-
enth Congress), under which assessments in
the District are now made. should be SO changed
as to provide for board of five assessors. to
De appointed by the President upon confirma-
ton by the Senate, for terms of five years, in
such manner that not more than one appoint
ment should be made in any year after the first
except to fill vacancy. Their salaries should
be not less than IS 600 each per year, and they
should be In almost daily public session
without other duties. One assessor should
be appointed from each Of the four quart
ers OF the city and one from the remainder
OF the District, but the official power of each
should cover the entire District equally with
that OF the others. Each should have continu-
ously resided in the section from which
he is appointed not less than Eve years next
preceding his appointment. and each should
be under bond Of SIS, 900. secured by approved
residents Of his own section exclusively. They
| should be removable from Office only for cause
shown and the power of removal should be
vested in the District Supreme Court.
These assessors should be required to keep
themselves fully informed by actual view, by
reports OF auction and other sales and by all
other reasonable means "a to the true values
current of all real property in the District. The
change should be made in that years taxation.
but otherwise than this the assessment lists
sh )uld be subject to their revision constantly
The first general assessment made by this board
should be published in full in one or more OF
the city papers. and every change in that
assessment should be likewise published in the
first week of June annually thereafter at a
reasonable price fixed by law. In any case OF
dispute as to valuation, the concurrence of the
| full board should be necessary to a decision.
though in the event Of an unforeseen vacancy
or other emergency a less number might be
empowered to act; but in case of dissent among
the board, the right of appeal should lie within
within reasonable period to an appeal board
composed of the District attorney, collector
assessor. auditor and inspector of public build
lngs. whose services az such should be without
additional. compensation, and whose decision
should be final, and rendered within a reason
able time.
1.-The plan thus outlined would as we believe
afford AZ near an approach to absolutely just
and equal assessment as it is practicable to OBJ
tam; and we can suggest no other sufficient
remedy for the evils under consideration. II il
be objected that this plan would involve addi-
tlonal expense, We answer that it is difficult to
estimate the value of justice. but that the dif.
ference between the aggregate expenditures for
assessment under existing laws and those in
vnIynd IN, fha Ion, tod
make but a small percentage upon the sum OF
more than s2C00, coo raised in the District by
taxation of real estate alone, or even upon
the $500, 600 or more. which it is believed would
be added yearly to the District revenues by an
equitable assessment from this source alone
without any increase in the present rate of tax.
atlon And every good citizen will more cheer
fully bear his burden OF taxation when he
knows it is fairly shared by all.
I'VE therefore recommend that our delegates
to the citizens representative committee of ono
hundred be instructed to submit this report t.
that body at the earliest practicable date. and
invite Its active cooperation in an effort to OBJ.
tain the legislation herein proposed: that copies
OF this report be forwarded TO the several
auxiliary associations with similar request
and that a committee from our association be
appointed TO wait upon the District Commits.
slOners and the District committees of the
United States Senate and House of Representa-.
tives in favor of the enactment of this proposed
amendatOry legislation"
CASES TAKEN AT RANDOM.
Mr.. Weller supplemented the report With a
few remarks. In the eases presented the com
mittee, he said, had no! selected special cases
but had examined cases at random.
Mr.. w. W. Hubbell wanted to know if the
values of land reported carried with them
values OF the improvements.
Secretary Sperry replied that they did not
that the values indicated were land values.
Mr.. +. s. Obold said he thought the report
was wrong as to that clause which stated the
fault OF unequal assessments was due to the sys
tenn and not the assessors. He referred to tn.
assessment in his district, where he claimed the
assessor ran his property up twenty per cent
above its value.
MIR. o. 3. lillian thought the better plan wa,
to retain the regular board of assessment and
have q supervisory board. to be chosen from tn.
several sections. The regular assessors would
make their report to this supervisory board
and the assessment could then be reviewed anG
e1uaGzed.
The report was adopted without further dis
cussion.
OPPOSED TO THE oNE-PAYaENJ SYSTEM.
Mr.. Weller offered resolution. which wal
adopted, declaring that the proposed change
to annual payments of taxes instead of semi
annually, as customary at the present time
would be detrimental to the welfare of the tax.
payers, IA it would impose additional burden.
In the loss OF interest. besides Withdrawing an
excessive amount of money from circulation
when most needed without comforting any
compromising benefits"