The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-14

III 1sem4Deu1m00fa.
A rNpSrt was fled yesterday with she
Guy clark OF the progress made during the
month OF STRENGTHENING oaf old assessment
rolls By tho attorney having the work ia
charge In tho course Of his report he
says:
II submit herewith = statement Of IN.
amounts delinquent upon streets prior 10
January II. 1850 Ths earliest Of these BE-
came delinquent In lS42- ! Go not know
that such = statement has before been susJ-
ulttc1 20 the council
with the concurrence Of the corpora ton
counsel ] have planned to select for smme-
date trial thoss streets upon which. on
account OF more or less irrexuiarisy. II ss
desirable to have judicial action In order
that n those irregularities are considered
by the courts sufficient 70 snvaiiaafa the
assessment. steps may be taken ~ once to
reAsseas. Several Of the property owners
on the Madison street assessment roll, crd.-
nance SO, expressed . willingness to COM
promise In order 20 avoid further fisixz-
ton or reasscssmsnt. The condition OF
much OF the property involved. however.
70 such that II makes II almost impossible
20 bring into such q settlement all the par
ties In interest.
This Is one OF the cases which serve 10
show how unfortunate IL In that the iaw
relating to votdable assessments should
require the rea4ssssment to be made Ia ac-
reassessment. instead Of In accordance with
the Law In force at the time the work was
ordered and the contract made. Had the
latter method prevailed. reaxsesSment
now Of the Madison street property would
AFFECT only that property upon which tho
assessment " delinquent Under the Law
- II now stands. the method Of assessment
having been changed from valuation 70
front sootage. some property upon which
the assessment was supposed TO have been
paid ten or twelve years ago h liable to be-
como subject 10 further charge under the
method OF reassessment. A great injustice
Ii liable to be dons thereby TO those prop
erty owners who are most entitled to con-
alteration. namely. those who promptly
paid their assessments
II have prepared five streets for trial.
which will be pressed to a hearing within
the next two or three weeks.
II viii report to the city comptroller that
on the following streets no legal action
can be had. Front. uncolleessd SIT. or At
least warrants outstanding for that
amount: Fifth street. warrant outstanding
a. Rolls are missing also for ordinance
SIS. Bell street: ordinances So. West street:
ordnance 9A Birch street ordinance I. ias.
Commercial street: ordinance i.Nl. South
Third street; ordinance f.iEs public square.
but ms the funds OF each OF these show a
surplus. 1hs presumption - that all eollsc-
tons have been made or the warrants paid
out OF the general fund. aud I mention
them In order TO complete the record.
81 have arrived At a settlement OF the last
assessment on Market street. as TO which
there has been some trouble on account OF
tho overlapping Of the lines Of adjacent
piats. and think " safe 70 say that salts
factory settlements have been reached on
three other streets. although they have
not been finally accepted"
The accompanying schedule gees into de-
tnFis OF rolls extending back 10 lss2. al
though none eoiiectibie go further than
fSxf