Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-06
A Bill for the Assessment of Prop
erty Proposed.
ACTION OF BOARD OF TRADE DIRECTORS
A Permanent Body of Five As
SCISSORS Recommended.
POWER TO REVISE ERRORS

of directors Of the Washington board of
trade was held last evening at the rooms
OF the board, President &. II. Warner in
the chair The first and by far the most
important business transacted was the con
sideratiOn and approval. after d few amend
ments mad been adopted. of bill reported
from the committee on taxation and as
sessmeEts. the title of the bill being ITO
provide an immediate revision and oquali-
zation of real estate values in the District
of Columbia; also to provide assess
ment of real estate in said District, in the
year eighteen hundred ami ninety-six, and
every third year thereafter"
The bill first provided for only three as
sistant assessors. but on the motion of Mr..
William A. Wimsatt 5he number was in
creased to five, one each to be appointed
from the county, Georgetown, East Wash
ington, South Washington and Northwest
/ Washington, but all five to act, of course,
collectively.
[ Mr. John Joy Edison thought that the as
SCISSOR OF the District should have nothing
to do with the matter OF making the assess
ments. believing that he should merely be
hereafter the head of the Office of assess
ments. in charge of its records, and that the
board of assessors, of which he should not
be member. should review alone the work
of the assessments. Mr.. Edison, therefore,
put MS suggestion in the form of mo-
ton recommitting the bill to the commit
tee on taxation and assessments. with in
structiCns to amend the bill in that
spect
The Bill Adopted.
Mr.. Edsons motion was lost, however, and
he thereupon moved that the board of direc
tors approve the bill as amended, and report
1t to the board of trade. with the recommen-
dat hat = ha cd, faH
unanimously adopted and the bill as 1t will
be reported to the board follows:
That all real property in the District of
Columbia, except as hereinafter provided
shall be assessed in the name Of the owner
trustees guardian of the owner thereof
All undivided real property of u deceased
person may be assessed in the name Of
such deceased person until the same is
divided, according TO law, or has other
wise passed into the possession Of some
other person or persons. And all real prop
erty the ownership of which is unknown
shall be assessed owner unknown
Section - That the Commissioners Of the
District of Columbia shall appoint five dis
Greet persons, who shall have been bona
fde residents of the District of Columbia
for the period of at least ten QO) years
and cOnversant with real estate values
therein, as a permanent board of assistant
assessors, who shall hold office at the pleas
ure OF said Commissioners. and shall each
receive a salary of twenty-five hundred
dollars annually, one of the said five as
sistant assessors to be appointed from the
county, one from Georgetown, one from
| East Washington, one from South Wash
inston. and one from Northeast Washing
ton. IT any such appOintee shall fail to
qualiiy as aforesaid within the time pre-
Scribed, or shall fail to enter upon his dis
I charge of the duties within five DAYS after
such qualification, the appointment shall be
void. and the Commissioners shall forth
with appoint another suitable person. who
shall qualify above provided; and when
appointed and qualified as aforesaid. said
board OF assistant assessors shall imme-
diately proceed to hear and consider such
complaints as may be made regarding the
assessment returned by the board of three
members appointed by the President of
the United States. under the act Of Angus:
.. 1872. revise and equalize said assess
ment and make return to the assessor Of
the District of Columbia of the revision and
equalization on or before the first Monday
of August. 1894. And said revision and
equalization 50 returned shall be the basis
of assessment for the collection of taxes
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895
and until the assessment Is made and re-
turned in ls96. as provided for in this act
And said Commissioners are hereby author
lied and directed to appoint clerk for said
board OF assistant assessors at a salary
of twelve hundred dollars per annum; and
said clerk shall also be the clerk for the
board OF equalization and review, herein
after provided for.
Sec. ; That real property shall be assessed
and valued in the year 1896 and every third
year thereafter. as herein provided.
SEE T. nat tNe commissioners shall fur
nIsh each member of said board of assistant
assessors with the necessary maps and field
books. which shall contain an accurate list
OF each tract, together with a pertinent de
scrlption OF the real property situate in the
District of Columbia, and. as far as NAV be
known, the owner thereof; and also such
blanks forms, books, surveys and plats as
may be necessary for a systematic state
ment of the property to be assessed ana
shall also furnish the said beard of assist
ant assessors with the necessary convey
ances for viewing the said property to be
assessed Upon the completion of the as
sessment the said board OF assistant assess
Ors shall deposit with the assessor OF the
District of Columbia all maps. field books,
surveys and plats and all notes and memo
randa thereof.
City and County Property.
Sec. >. That real estate in Washington AMI
Georgetown shall be assessed according To
the number Of the squares and lots thereof
parts Of lots and upon the number of square
or superficial feet in each square, or lot. or
parts of a lot and in the county agricuI-
tural lands used for that purpose snail be
assessed by the acre and suburban lots by
the square foot as in the cities of Washing
ton and Georgetown. Provided that when
ever any agricultural lands are plated and
plating filed said lands shall be assessed ~.
the square foot.
Sec. q. That said board of assistant as
SCISSORS snail III al cases, acting collectively.
from actual view ana from the best sources
Of Information IN its reach. determine the
value of each separate tract or lot of real
property in the District Of Columbia in law
full money and shall separately estimate the
value Of all improvements ON any tract or
lot. and shall note the same in the proper
field book. which shall be carried out as part
of the value of sUch tract or lot, and shall
also return the dimensions of each tract CT
lot.
Sec. :. That said board of assistant as
SCISSORS shall, or before the first Monday
of June, 1896. and every third year there
after. make out and deliver to the assessor
OF the District of Columbia a return in
. tabular form, contained in book to be fur
nished by the Commissioners, of the amount.
description and value of the real property
subject to be listed for taxation in the Dis
trict of Columbia. All real property, the
ownership of which is unknown, shall be re-
turned ownership unknown.
Sec. ). That any one OF said board of as
siStant assessors who shall refuse or know
ingly neglect to perform any duty enjoined
ON him by law, or who shall consent to or
connive at any evasion of the provisions of
this chapter. shall. on conviction thereof be
liable to removal from office and to a fine
not exceeding 500, or imprisonment not ex-
OF the court.
Columbia and the said board of assistant
assessors herein provided for. with the as
SCISSOR chairman, shall compose a board
Of equalization and review, and as such
board of equalization and review. they shall