Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-20
THE new TAX BOOKS
The Assessor Pleased With the Re-
vised Figures.
roo HIGH TO SUIT The TIMES.
Not Sixty Per Cent of the Real
Value Of Property.
VII AT Mr.. GRIFFIN SAYS.

A big sigh Of relief went up from the
assessors office yesterday afternoon when
the computation Of the new assessment clos
ed and Assessor Trimble submitted his re-
port Of the work to the Commissioners.
For many weeks the clerks have been en-
gagged In making up the numerical books.
together with footings showing the amount
Of taxable real estate. 1t has been an ar
duous task and the clerks have been pushed
to their utmost capacity.
Already the effect OF Assessor Trimble's
report. which appeared in full In yester-
days Star, il being felt, and this morning
number OF property holders called At the
District building for their tax bills.
Assessor Trimble is very much gratified
over the showing made by the new assess
ment. In conversation with q reporter Of
The Star. he said:
THE figures speak for themselves and
while there are some surprises in the shape
of increases. generally speaking the assess
ment Is about what I anticipated. / have
always maintained that In Washington the
increase would not exceed Is DER cent and
as shown by my report / was only one
tenth OF one per cent out of the way.
Georgetown was a surprise for did not
expect that the assessment there would be
any larger than in Washington. The county,
too, was also somewhat Of q surprise as
did not expect the increase to amount to
over SO per cent From a careful examina-
ton Of the old books Of the three assist
ant assessors. Messrs. Cook, Dawson and
Moore, have no hesitation in saying that
mad that assessment prevailed the aggre-
gate increase would have been over 200
per cent throughout the District. The re-
suit Of the new assessment shows that the
city has escaped q great calamity and the
work of the board Of revision can never be
fully appreciated. In view of the depressed
condition of affairs however, I am free to
ADMIT that even the new assessment Is too
high 1t was for this reason alone that
urged the Commissioners to make q. horizon
tai reduction OF 10 per cent in all bills paid
prior to November 30. II such q thing had
been done there would Stiu have been an In
crease of 20 Der cent"
MIR. Grimm Satisfied.
Mr.. e. w. w. Griffin, the chairman Of the
board Of revision said when asked by q Star
reporter concerning the new assessment
that he was thoroughly satisfied with It.
Under ordinary conditions he believed the
assessment would have found few enemies,
but owing to the financial condition of the
country he believed that at this time It was
altogether too high. 1t took the board of
revision. he said, six months to revise the
assessment Property was taken I'D numer-
icaily. For instance, square 1, lot /, was
the nrst piece OF property considered When
the board disagreed on the figures a per-
sonai inspection of the premises was made
and in that way they were enabled to get
better and more concerted idea of values,
AS 1t was the new assessment does not rep
resent 60 per cent OF the values Of proper
ty throughout the District and he did not
see how any one could find fault with the
ew figures.