Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-20

system the property is advertised for sale for
only one year OF arrears and IL never adver-
tised for the same year. think the law should
be SO amended TO require the purchasers at
tax sale to pay all arrears before securing .
deed from the Commissioners for the property
sold.
The work Of preparing books showing the
arrears Of taxes due TO June 80. 1890 is steadily
progressing, five clerks being employed cui!ing
from the tax ledgers the unpaid accounts. and
II is expected that this work viii be completed
up to the above mentioned date during the
present fiscal year. This entire list Of arrears
could then be advertised for sale as heretofore
suggested.
ADDITIONAL CLERICAL FORCE.
The work of this Office is SO perceptibiy An
creasing each year that it is becoming impossi-
BILE to keep the current work up to date with
ont additional clerical assistance. The same
SUBJECT has been annually brought to the atten-
ton OF the Com missioners for several years
past but although the work to be done
has about doubled in the last ten
years no material increase in the
clerical force has been made In 1871 the en-
tire tax accounts for the cities of Washington,
Georgetown and the county were carried in five
Tux iedgers and the number Of transfers Of
property amounted to only a few hundred.
For the present fiscal year it takes seventeen
ledgers of $50 folios each to carry the accounts,
and an average of {, 600 transfers of property
are now made annually. The number of ac-
counts Tor tue same period has Increased from
1872 to 26.954, being "a 1915 persons that now
pay taxes on realty and $40 that pay On per-
sonal property.
In the last few years there has been an un.
usual growth in the subdivision and improve
ment OF suburban property. The .'Old Farm"
that TOOK but one entry to carry it n our rec
ords and but one bill to show the account is
now prosperous subdivision, with hundreds
OF owners. Each additional owner is a dupli-
cation of the work which is necessary to be
done In this office over and above that which
was required for the original farm. There IL
no need to urge the great importance of having
trusty and experienced employees in this
branch Of the District service
and providing adequate compensation for their
duties. In this connection invite attention 10
my estimate OF expenses submitted under date
OF September %. wherein request is made for
Few aaditlonal clerksbips and an increase Of
salary for some Others which. trust. will meet
with the approval Of the Commissioners
. COUNTY PLAT BOOKS.
Under the provisions of the act approved
January "a. 1891, an appropriation of So, 600
was made and the Commissioners authorized
tC provide this Office with pats or maps of all
subdivisions of land in this District outside the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown. As
soon after the passage OF the act as practicable
contract was entered into with practical
surveyor, and gentleman of large experience
IN this class of work.
Necessarily there is great amount of labor
involved in the preparation of these books, but
L am assured by the contractor that every
effort consistent with absolute accuracy is
being made to expedite the work. l am in
hopes that the plats will be completed in time
10 be oil material service to the assistant as
SCISSORS 40 soon as they are ready to commence
the assessment OF county property.
TAX CERTIFICATES.
The act of February 6, 1879, requires the
collector OF taxes, whenever called upon, to
furnish certified statement over his hand and
official seal of all taxes and assessments, gen.
eral and special, that may be due and unpaid
at the time of making said certificate. In the
preparation OF these certificates the princi-
pal portion of the work is done
IN this Office, the collector having
none of the data under his charge or super.
vision The latter officer is, therefore, required
to attach his official signature to document
for the correctness OF which he has to rely on
the clerical force of another Office. The col
iector and myself have consulted on the SUBJ
Ject ana each has agreed to recommend that
the law be SO amended as to require the asses
sor to furnish the certificate This
change would relieve the collec-
tor OF considerable annoyance and
at the same time would make no material in
crease OF work Tor this Office. 1t would also
considerably lessen the time which it takes to
get certificate issued to the party desiring it,
as the time now occupied i'll sending these doc
uments to the collector and awaiting his pro
lorna signature would be done away with.
During the past year 5000 applications for
certificates were filed in this office and that
number were prepared and issued necessitat-
ing the handling and examination OF an average
OF thirty tax ledger for each certificate This
work alone takes almost the entire time of the
assistant assessor III charge OF that branch and
two clerks.
1t is matter of great importance that this
work should be carefully done, and as expedi-
tiously as is consistent with absolute correct
ness marked improvement is noticeable in
this work during the past year. But any
change that will shorten the time from the
filing of the application to the final issue Of the
certificate is desirable, and hence am in full
accord with the proposition that the law be
amended as herctofor, suggested