Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-08
EVANSVILLE CHARTER
Further Amended and Considered at q
Meeting Last Evening.
Those Who Attended the Former Meet.
ing staid Away From This One
A Conference COmnfttee.

OF tne proposed new charter as introduced
in the state senate by Senator Bowie"
about sixty citizens met at Mechanics Hall
last evening. Very few persons, 1t is claim
ed, who voted for the proposed new charter
at the recent citizens meeting were present
Mr. E. NJ. Burchard called the meeting to
order at about 8 o'clock, stated its object,
and said in substance that there had been
much discussion in regard to the charter
which was sent back by Senator Bowie but
that the senator had returned ii for exam
ination and amendment. when he in
formed by the committee which visited An
napolis and objected to the proposed new
charter that the people had not the oppor-
tunity to examine its contents. as he thought
that the committees request to give them
chance to properly understand and cor
rect Ii was reasonable.
DR.. s. c. Cox was then made chairman of
the meeting and Mr.. G. d. Fox secretary.
On motion of Mr.. j. II. Ralston IL was de-
cided to take the charter up and consider
it by sections. Section 3, relating to the
town limits, was amended so as to read,
said stone at northwest corner of SUBJ
division made by Il. p Evans" after the
words Thence in direct line to a stone
on the south side of the public road leading
to Bladensburg." This section was also
amended so as to strike out the words
Thence with said line easterly to the Wash
ington branch of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad; thence with easterly boundary of
SAID railroad rlgnl-OI-Way SOutnerly TO the
Alexandria junction of said railroad; thence
with the eastern boundary of the right-of-
way of said Alexandria branch road to the
center of the Eastern branch of the Poto-
mac river" and insert as a substitute the
words Thence with said RiverdaIe line fol-
lowing its courses to the center of the east
branch of the Eastern branch of the Poto-
mac river and with the center of said
branch to the place of beginning" In Sec
ton 4, concerning the election OF commits
sioners. the words unless a freenolder'
were stricken out, Section 5, regarding the
meetings of the commissioners. was amend
ed as follows: That IL shall be the duties
Of the commissioners to hold regular month
ly meetings at some stated time and place
fixed by them and as often in addition as
Section g. in regard to the hours for keep
ing open the polls. was amended 80 as to
make them from / to o'clock p. m. instead
OF from ~ m. to 8p. m In section Is. con-
treasurer, the word assessor was insert
ed. In section IA. relating to the powers Of
commissioners and preventing animals from
running at large in the streets the words
in the streets" were stricken out
The Assessment Clause.
Mr., Ralston attacked what he considered
the weak points in section 10 and objected
to an assessment being made once In four
years and what he termed getting rid of
the town treasurer from the board of as
SCISSORS. and moved that the whole section
be stricken out and that section l65 of the
old charter. with the single change making
the two assessors elective, which is as fol-
lows. be inserted in its place:
Section 165. 1t shall be the duty Of the
treasurer together with two assessors to be
annually elected by the citizens to assess
annually, before each annual levy OF taxes
upon the same, and within such time as the
board Of commissioners shall fix, each and
every piece of land separately, with the i'm
provements thereon, and all personal prop
erty within said town. at a fair cash value
at public sale as near as they may be able
to determine the same, and showing in said
assessment, in the case OF land, each piece
of land and the improvements thereon
separately, with the assessment value there
Of and the name of the owner thereof and
for such services the said treasurer and
assessors shall receive such reasonable
compensation as the board of commissioners
OF said town may fix by law before the
assessment
The Rate of Taxation.
The motion was carried, and section l65
was adopted. Mr.. Ralston also cked
section IL which provides for the assess
ment of town property at the rate of 40
cents on the 500, stating that it was a mis-
! take to have a high rate of assessment as
II kept people away from the town. He
then moved that section IL be stricken
cut as a whole, and that section 1865 of the
old charter be adopted in its place This
motion was carried, with a slight amend
men, that the rate of assessment be Is
cents on the 500 instead of Is cents The
following is section l66, as amended:
Sec. 1855. Immediately after the compile
ton of said assessment, said treasurer shall
notify the president Of the board Of COM
missioners. who shall give public notice
of the facts by posting notice thereof In
three conspicuous places in said town, and
said assessments shall thereupon be open
to the inspection Of all citizens of said
and
so assessed shall feel agyrieved by said
assessment, he may appeal to the board of
commissioners of said town within fifteen
days after the posting; and the said board
final board Of appeal and equalization of
said assessment. and as such are empow-
cred, with political view for the govern
ment ana benefit Of the community. to
make such deductions from and additions
to the assessments made by the assessor
as may be reasonable and Just and correct
errors or illegal assessments; upon the per-
lection and final completion of said assess
ment roll, the board of commissioners shall
levy tax upon all the property embraced
therein, not exceeding 25 cents per annum
per 500 OF the valuation thereof and shall
deliver to the treasurer their warrant for
the collection thereof which shall be col
lected as provided in the act Of which this
is an amendment"
Levyfng an Extra Tax.
Section IS was also stricken ont on
motion of Mr.. Ralston, and the following
section inserted: That whenever the board
of commissioners shall be satisfied that
the public necessities require expendi-
lures beyond the usual receipts of the town
they may call an election. giving ten days
public notice, by placing in three con-
spicuous places in the town previous to
election notices of the time and place of
election and the purpose for which money
is required and submit to the voters of
the town the question whether for that
current year the commissioners shall have
the power to levy for the purpose named
an additional tax not to exceed 25 cents on
the 500 of the total assessed valuation of
the town. The board of commissioners
may enact all needful regulations for the
conduct Of said election. In case an affirm
alive vote shall result the tax NAV be
collected In the manner prescribed for other
general taxes"
Section p was also stricken out and
section 1856 A of the old charter inserted
In its place, with the words such proper
ton" being used instead of hereby in
proportion" and a clause added recurring
the sidewalks to be not less than four feet
In width. This section, amended, is as
follows:
''166 A. The board of commissioners NAV.
whenever they may be satisfied that the
public health, comfort or convenience re-
Quires It, construct sidewalks, curbing gut
tiers and sewers along the streets avenues,
roads and alleys Of said town, charging
one-half the cost OF such construction upon
each tract or piece OF AUDITING property to