The morning times., 1895-12-03

building, the regulation of sewer connections
and eXtenSion OF sewers, the establishment
of an isolation hospital, Improvement of gas
and reduction of price 10 81 and prohibition
of grade crossings for railroads. IL first
discusses the financial condition of the Dis
trict, showing bonded and other interest
be;ifihs cebt or" 81 7,TsG,620.lS, non
bonded interest bearing debt OF sos Oj.
and rebates ofspccial assessments, 81 / .0S4.
,TAerc. Is in addition a small floating debt
resulting from judgments against the Dis
tricJ since the appropriations were made.
The rate OF general tax for the year is the
same AS Lot year, VIZ: 81 90 on each 500
Tor personal and real estate, except that
, used solely for agricultural purposes, on
which 81 peg 500.
" " EXTEND THE TIME.
, or the work Of the permanent board Of
asscssors, Messrs. Bates, Morsel! AMI
johnson, under the act of August 4, 1874.
they say il is confidently believed that the
result is satisfac ctory valuation for assess
ment pprp9ses OF the real properties OF
the District.
The amount of work to he done 10y this
board IN making the assessment OF real
property in the District of Columbia. on
wiiiCn 1t is now ei!Sared, is so extensive
that il Will lie imprdcticable for them to
complete the assessment OF the entire DIS
rriCt in time for The collection OF taxes
based thereon within the period now pre-
scriDe,l by law. The Conmis sioners re-
quest Congress 10 extend the time for coin
plcfinc the assessment in Washin gton until
The first Monday in April, 1896, aud in
that portion outside oi Washington until
the first Monday III September. 1895, and
make the collection of tine tax for the latter
section payable in one inSta llment during
lne month OF May, 1897
A resolution was sent to Speaker Reed
aIEu senator Harris asking for the cNien-
sion of time needed: also that The meet
ipg OF The board OF equalization and re-
N4lyr- ne posIponed 10 Sep,rmber j, 1896.
and the completion OF tbcir work to the
.Iirst Mondi, in. November. 1896. A sec
tion provides that the tax outside the city
br, pa bic y II on May 1. 1897.
Attention is called To the defects in the
tax sale system recently explained in The
Times, i'll the words used IN The last report.
bil. providing that nn TAX deed shan
be issued until All taxes shall have been
paia, has been prepared
The Commissioners again invite atten-
ton 10 the Importance or legislation giving
them authority to- reass'Ss general nnd
special taxes. which have been rendered
uiicoileci:rtJir by 5ucici;d rulings npon
grounds or OrteciInlcal errors N the assessments
or III GONE of thr preliminary steps In CON
ncctiou herewith.
Tue amount OF revenue lost 10 the Dis-
trict from such rulings is so great as TO
threaten serious embarrassment
The need OF Il new mIniclpai building as
shown by lacke-i- room in the present
quarters is pointed nut.
The building for the combined uses OF the
courts. aud of the municipality which exc
outeS-tbe viii OF Tie Congress OF the United
States as 10 District affairs. should DE in
keeping with tie dignity of the capital,
and lis proper construction would involve
Il cost OF ab.tlt 81 300 ,OOO.
The Commissioners earnestly recommend
an appropriation of 100000 for the be-
ginning OF the construction of such a build
lug. pg.,.......,---
fire DEPARTMENT employees is recommended.
ii.G .iGiuef OF pupils in the schools is
paced at Al, GOO. or whom 5000 are III
night and 3000 IN high schouls The con
dilipair school work is warmly commended.
-'rfie' cN Npfrlfurrr IN ,-ivi! service eXarnina-
tons Is 81 id Ia be- a success, but because of
lack of funds it Is asked that the eNaiJina
tIois bc nIade part "r The general civil
service work
After remarking upon the new para
graphs in the police manual providing for
daily record or efficiency of sergeant and
NJ iV.tti. and pEgglSi Ons FOR prUmOi ions
upon this basis the report says there has
been n marked decrease in The offenseS
OF iHtoxiration and "hoodliDg," due part
ly.fu Tho amendments to the manual AMI
largely Ia increased vigilance ON the part
of the SppcriD cndeut and his Officers.
The Commissioners again call attention
10 1hc TACT ihat lhe increase IN the force
las not kept raCe with The increase IN III.
Irppuiaiton and the almost daily increase
IN the duties which devolve upon il.
Buffalo, with a population but llttle
larger force by more tEan one hundred.
Willie chicago. Philadelphia and other
larger cities have a much greater force
N proportion 10 population and ARIA
Inr necessity Tor The Increase asked for
ny the aJor and superintendent is urgent
and Imperative.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The recommendations of Health Officer
" cndward are urged upon the favorable
consideration Of Congress
The Recommendations of the health Of
ffcer, important and urgent as they are,
can not Ue carried cut except IL Il limited
extent until a system OF mterceptns sewers
and sewage disposal and protection against
floods be constructed in accordance with
plans recommended in July, 1880. Zen.
roc. M: 4i5, L ifty-first Congress, first
SESSION.
tr. kuber's report, printed elsewhere.
is quoted from at length Ia show the need
Of law against box prIvics and providing
!Or the Inspection ana regular cleaning OF
such as must he allowed.
The adoption and rigid enforcement OF
rules against the erection uf houses in
unsewcred lots is spoken nf as Il successful
step toward better Sa nitation.
The call lor an isolation hospital is urged
and the purchase of a site near Seventh
street and Sherman avenue, against which
such protest was made by. northeast citi-
zens last year, is alluded TO. The report
says: .. .. s.-... .- ....-..
The Commissioners are of the opinion
that tine site selected is an Ideal one and
might advantageously he used for the Dur-
nose Intended. Ii possesses the great ad-
yantages OF considerable elevation, good
drainage, accessibility by two rapid transit
street car lines, as well as being within
easy driving distance from the center of
population. In fact it combines IN an IN
usual degree all OF the requisites for such a
hospital. To this end they recommend
tie purchase of ali The residue of the iaBd
in the square except lots abutting on
Seventh street ana Sherman avenue, which
can then be separated from the hospital
The three hundred ieet limit provision in
the last appropriation act, or aB aprro-
priation OF 100000 10 purchase u site
else where.
STREET AND ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS.
Nearly "a, 900 square yards of sheet Ut
block asphalt were laid On roadways.
prinsipailg in Washington. The area uf
asphalt ut the beginning of the fiscal year,
inciua ing oueFenlainingC C'alta pa veinents,
was about 100000 yards. Abrut 10000
square yards of vitriTicd block or asphalt
block were laid on alleys.
The prices for standard sheet asphalt, due
TO active competition, were the smallest
yet obtained, being $1.53 and $1.6S per
square yard on finch and 6-inch concrete,
respectively, exclusive of grading.
The street mileage on July /, 1896, of
sDouth pavements was ll6. 4 OF standard
granite block or vitrified brick 29.6; ma
cadani. 16. and -cobble nr old stone. 1 A.
On alleys the mileage of smooth pavements
was I'D and of granite block or cohble,
31;5. Mileage of unimpr,vad streets, 1872.
Now that the laying of water mains and
sewers III Washington is well advanced
there is additional rea son for more rapidly
extending paving Nearly $4,000 square
yards OF concrete walk were laid during the
year. or More than the whole amount for
the five years preceding. The contract
price for this pavement wasS1 44per square
yard: the contract price for 1896 is 81 .33
per square yard. About $4,000 square
yards nave been laid since July l. 1895.
About 2U,UUv square Yards of brick side
walk We're laid, at an average cost OF 40
cents per square yard, and generally upon
new or partly improved streets