Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-08
THE ASSESSMENT QUESTION.
Fun Text OF Representative Johnson's Bill
for Equalization.

M. VEST WANTS TEE SENATE TO WAIT roR
THAT NEAsURI-wHAf MH. yoHxsoN SAYS OF
THE RLANs PRoPosED BIZ THE COMMISSIONERS
| M. DOUGLASS KxrLAxArIoS-vIEws OF
o1rIxsNsI
The question Of the assessment Of property In
tho District promises to engage the attention Of
both citizens and Congress for come days. The
Senate yesterday debated the propositions Of
the appropriation committee, allowing the
Commissioners to fix the rate and providing for
board Of equalization Of Ave residents, TO
serve without pay, who shall equalize the pres
emit assessment, and the proposition coming
from the Commissioners to carry over the old
assessment Today these questions will be
further argued in the Senate On Monday
the House will probably take the assessment
question In hand.
| Mr. JoHNsoN's ASSESSMENT BILL.
The District committee has agreed to call up
| for consideration in District time Mr. Johnson's
assessment bill The agreement Is that tho bill
is to come up third on tho list, in front Of It be-
Western bill, however, e unfinished business
may mar the program. However, the posi-
| bility that this bill may be acted on gives it
great weight at present. This bill contains the
| ideas of the special committee on investigation
| of assessments contained in their report on
the subject and is as follows:
TEXT OF THE MEASURE.
That from and after the passage Of this act
there shall be permanent board Of equaliza-
ton, composed, as hereinafter provided, with
exclusive power to levy, increase, diminish and
| equalize assessments on real estate in the Dis
| trict Of Columbia.
Sec. 2. That the said board Of equalization
| shall consist Of one president and one prose-
cutor, with such duties and powers as herein
after provided.
Sec. 8. That there shAll be president of the
board, who shall hear publicly both sides Of ell
| questions Of assessment and decide from the
evidence the amount at which each piece OF
real estate shall be assessed, and shall in every
| case determine the true amount in lawful
money, under ordinarily favorable circum-
stances, that such real estate would bring II sold
! at public or private sale on the usual terms,
one-third cash and the balance in one and two
years. He shall make all rules and regulations
| governing the board and as to the manner
In which notice shall be given to property
appeal by property owners for the equalization
| OF assessments on their own or other
property, and is empowered to require
! sworn reports as to the value and rental
shall hold all meetings with open doors. He is
hereby empowered to send for persons and
papers within the District of Columbia. and
process therefor shall be served by the police
Of said District and to examine witnesses under
oath, but no witness shall receive compensation.
The president Of the board shall also appoint
and remove at his pleasure one clerk at q
salary Of 81 200 per annum. to keep journal OF
the proceedings and to perform such other
duties required Of him. Said president Of the
board shall receive q salary Of $4,000 per
annum.
APUBLIC PROSECUTION.
Sec. L That the other member Of the board
Of equalization shall be prosecutor, who shall
represent the interests of the District of Column
bia and the United States government in oil
| applications made for tho change of assessment,
and, by his own motion or at the request of
any citizen or member Of Congress. shall call
attention to all cases in which an assessment
has not been made or is too low. and shall pre-
sent to the president Of the board all attainable
evidence. He shall appoint and remove at
pleasure craftsman at 81 400 per snnum to
make the maps hereinafter described and per-
form such other duties as may be required. The
salary OF the prosecutor shall be S9, 500 per
annum. The president and the prosecutor Of the
board of equalization shall be appointed within
term Of one year by the President Of the United
States, who shall also fill, either temporarily or
for the remainder Of the term, any vacancy
occurring In either office.
Sec. 5. That the journal Of the board shall be
open for inspection during Office hours. It
shall commence with statement of the total
assessment of land values in the District Of Co
lumbia on the first Monday in June, 1892, tax
ing for that purpose for the cities Of Washing
ton and Georgetown the assessment now
being prepared and for the remainder
of the District the last assessment. The
journal shall thereafter be made to show the
amount added to or taken from the aforesaid
total assessment, SO that the total assessed value
of land in the District shall at all times appear
Forty days before the LIST Of November and the
LIST Of May in each year the journal shall be
closed, and the total amount of the assessment,
less the amount assessed on land by law exempt
from taxation, shall be reported over the sigma
ture Of the president and prosecutor Of the
board to the Commissioners Of the District of
Columbia, who shall determine and fix uni
form rate Of taxation necessary to rAise the
revenue required, not exceeding so for every
800. The Commissioners shall transmit said
report and the rate to the assessor and collec-
tor to guide them in the preparation of the tax
duplicate for that period of six months.
TWO SETS OF MAPS.
Sec. 6. That there shall be kept in the Office
Of the board of equalization two sets of maps
under the direction of the prosecutor, one set
showing the District of Columbia in not more
than four sections. with all the subdivisions of
squares and tracts in the outlying districts:
the contents In square feet or acres. the total
land value and the average valuation per square
foot or acre, according to the assessment on
the first Monday in June, 1892. The other set
of maps shall show each square or tract on
separate sheet in book form, designated by the
number Of the square tract which square
or tract shall be subdivided into lots showing
each separate ownership, and on each such sub
division there shall be marked the contents in
| square feet or acres, the total land value and
the value per foot or acre according to the as
sessment on the first Monday in June, 1892
And thereafter changes in assessments on land
or new assessments shall be marked on the face
| Of both sets Of maps until such time as in the
Judgment Of the prosecutor new sets Of maps
become necessary. On these maps all public
grounds and government property on which no
assessment is levied shall be indicated BY o dis
tinct color, and another color shall indicate all
private grounds assessed, but by law exempt
from taxation. The assessor shall turn over to
| the board Of equalization oil maps and plats
now in his possession. All maps shall be open
| to the public inspection during Office hours.
THE RENTAL VALUE OF LAND.
Sec. z. That the board Of equalization SHALL
within forty days after closing Of the books,
make IN estimate Of all taxable lands in the
| District of Columbia, showing the annual rental
value of each square and tract, exclusive of i'm
provements, ascertaining as nearly as possible
| the annual rent that land would bring if put to
4 its best use The amount of this animal rental