Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-29
NEWS FROM HYATrsyILLK.
Important Action by the New Board of
Town COMMISSIONER
Correspondence of The Evening Star

Correspondence of The Evening Star
EVANSVILLE, Nd, Nav %. 1899.
The board of town commissioners met last
Friday night at the residence of Dr. Charles A.
Wells. There was a full attendance The
special assessment clause was read from a GER
titled copy of the decision of the court Of an
peals upon the law of 1892, and the board came
to the conclusion that it could legally demand
the abutting property owners to pay one-half
the cost of improvements, in the shape Of
grading and graveling roads, laying sidewalks,
cutters, &C., which were made during the adj
ministration Of the old board of commissioners,
as that clause was embraced in the act which
had been declared unconstitutional The in
debtedness for such improvements amounts
to about $3.50 and the one-half Of its cost is in
cluded in the assets Of the old board by tue
town treasurer. The following order was then
passed by the board: 1.-The commissioners hav-
ing learned that certain work was done during
the past year on Wine and Pike avenues and
Marion street, with an understanding thu
portion Of the expense would be voluntily
contributed by the owners of abutting prop
erty, therefore be it ordered that the treasurer
prepare a statement of the contributions so
promised and request payment thereon"
The passage of this order WAS stoutly opposed
u
served on the old board of commissioners, on
the ground that the board had the authority 10
compel the payment of the tax and il should
not be left TO the discretion Of the property
owners how they should act in the matter. On
motion Of DIR. Charles A. Wells the following
order was also passed. THAT the president of
the board of town commissioners and the town
treasurer be requested to appear before the
next meeting of the county commissioners for
the purpose of getting definite understanding as
to the amount Of tax due the town Of Hyatts-
vile as a rebate from the county for taxes coll
lected from roads and bridges in the corporate
limits of said town of Hyattsville." The town
is entitled to 10 per cent OF the taxes collected
by the county on the roads and bridges. The
following committees we're appointed by the
board: Roads, DIR. Chas. A. Wells, J. A. Aman.
Francis II. Smith; health, DIR. Chas. A. Wells.
Thomas IL. Latimer; lighting. Thomas H. Lati
mer, Chas. II. Long. The town bailiff was in
structed to enforce the ordinance relating to
stock running at large and the taxing Of dogs.
DIR. Chas. A. Wells stated to The STAR
porter that although the commissioners had no
legal right to enforce abutting property owners
to pay one-haf the cost of certain improve
ments. II was generally believed that in view of
the fact that the work had been done and they
had been benefited therefrom they would
voluntarily pay the required tax In regard to
bonding the town, he said that il was his opinion
that should the matter come up the majority OF
the citizens would be in favor of it. but he did
not think it had been sufficiently discussed to
enable the people 20 form a decided opinion.
Mr.. Thos. IL. Latimer said that he had no
doubt that the special assessment clause under
the decision rendered by the court of appeals
was null and void, but that he had never been
in favor of such u measure. as be did not think
it was fair to require a citizen of the village TO
bear one-half of the tax for improvements made
in front of his property when persons who used
the street or road were benefited much as
q al 10 m "a
were made for the public good and the public
should pay for them. He believed in a general
improvement tax that would require every
citizen of the village, whether he was a prop
ertv owner or not. to be assessed at the rate of
25 cents on the 500. The personal property
tax he regarded a good thing. as every man
should be taxed according to his actual worth.
and that it would in all probability add $50 to
the town revenue.
Mr.. Jackson IL. Ralston. the president Of the
to give his opinion on the special assessment
clause replied: There ought not TO be any
confusion about the matter with any thought
full person, even though he is not lawyer. The
legislature year ago repealed an old section of
the charter and substituted new section relat-
ing to general taxation. 1t also created an addi-
tional section relating TO special assessments.
The different sections OF this act were separ-
ately referred to in the title Of the act. One
ton is entirely distinct from and does not refer
to the other section and effects entirely diff
ferent subject matter. The anti-single tax men
appealed to the courts against the constitu-
tionaitv Of the first section. relating to gen.
eral taxes. and were successful They did not
at any time object to the constitutionality Of
the section relating to special assessments. The
court of appeals did not say q word against the
special assessment section, but has repeatedly
upheld the constitutionality of similar sections
in the charter of other towns. The Only color
for the belief by the anti-single tax men that
the court of appeals declared special assess
ments unconstitutional is found in the fact that
purely by inadvertence Judge McSherry spoke
Of the act as being unconstitutional. Eisexpres-
sion is TO be understood by the contex, OF his
decision and by reference to the matter about
which he was deciding, ana being SO under
stood there can be no excuse for any con-
FUSION
Miss Walton Of College Park will give a
dance to a number of her friends at Calyert's
Hall at that place next Friday evening
The concert given by the Mozart Quintet
Club at Scaggs Hall. Branchville. last Friday
evening for the benefit OF Halfway Chapel
NJ. Z. Church of that place was largely at
tended aud highly appreciated. 1t was under
the direction of Prof. Arnold W. Meyer, and
the following program was carried out:
Overture. Poet and Peasant. Suppe. Mozart
Quintet Club-Mrs. Vim. Morgan, Prank Rock.
L. W. Stone, DIR. Long. Prof. A. W. Never;
tenor solo. Mr.. Leo Stieiel; violin solo, Ma
zurka. hela Bela, Sol Minister; piano solo
Rhapsodie Hongroise, No. IL, Liszt. Prof.
Arnold W. Never; soprano solo, Bright Star.
RouDande violin obigato. Sol. Minster), Miss
Lillian Seton; trombone solo. Concertino.
Brooks, Mr.. Frank Rock; bass solo, Armorer's
Song. DE koven. Mr.. Ralph Clark; piano duet.
William Tell. Rosini-GottschaIk, Miss Lillian
Seton and Prof. A. W. Never; tenor solo. Sc
lected. MIR. Leo Stiefel; violin solo. Mazurka.
Wianowski, Mr.. Leo Stietel; recitation, se-
lected. Miss Mae Clemons; quintet, selected,
Mozart Quintet Club.
Miss Lena Suit of Blsdensburg has gone on
two weeks visit TO her sister, Mrs. Edward
Dozier at Norfolk. Va.
A lady and little girl Of this village while at
tempting to cross the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road track at the station last FRIDAY evening
narrowly escaped being run over BY train No.
l65, which reaches this place at 6:53 O'Clock
They did not realize their danger or hear the
train approaching. and were pulled of the track
by Mr.. n. A. Dulning just in time to prevent
them from being crushed to death.
DIR. Albert B. HYATT went fishing in the East
ern branch below: Bladensburg by moonlight
last Friday night and caught q number of
clubs, mullets and perch.
Pinkney's escape from the Marlboro Jail
formed the chief topic of conversation in
Bladensburg yesterday and the jail officials
were severely criticised for their carelessness in
leaving the place unguarded.
Rev. Edward Wall, rector Of the Pinckney
Memoriol Church fha