The morning times., 1896-04-19

The Commissioners sent a communication
yesterday TO Chairman Mcmillan, or the
Senate District Committee. recommend
| ing adverse action on Senate bill 2S07,
Ito remit penalties nd interest on arrears
of taxes in the District
In their communication the Commission
! ers say they are not aware OF any general
desire for the relief proposed by the bill,
! and, in addition, general legislation OF
| that character would be adverse TO the
interests OF prompt payers of taxes.
The bill, introduced on the 10th instant
by Senator can, provides that on all arrears
OF taxes in the District which shall be paid
within thrifty days from date OF approval
of the act, all penalties and charges, ex-
cept per cent interest, shall be remitted.
The present law exacts / per cent per
| month as penalty Gu unpaid taxes, but
for the greater part OF the term since
| 1877 there was charge of Ter cent
per month, the law having been changed
about year ago.
Colonel +. e. Davis the collector of taxes,
! submitted statement TO the Commission
! ers, at their reuqeSt, showing that the
| effect of the measure, if enacted, would
| be to lose the District an amount equal
TO two-thirds OF the gross interest and
panalties collected under the law as II now
| exists.
WHAT CITIZENS OWE.
Col. Davis shows that on January l, 1886
| of realty tax was $6sl ,465 IS, anu on
personality tax, 1903, 1876 IT, covering
the period from ls17 10 1855, both III
! elusive. The District collects i'll interest
ana penalties from $50 600 TO SlOu,OU0
annually, and in the collectors opinion
the revenue from THIS source would be
diminished by twC-Jhirds. il but six per
cent should be charged, and part OF the loss
would be the actual outlay or tie District
for advertising.
The collector is of tie opinion that tile
enactment would be decidedly detrimental
to the interests of the District.
The opinion Is expressed by tie Commits
soners that such legislation would offer an
inducement tfoTincreaseG delinquency, which
would correspGndingly Increase the burden
Of providing municipal revenue upon those
who promptly meet their tax obligations.
There are occasional cases they say,
where the facts justify the granting of
relief. but these can he acted upon indiyid-
ually as they arise.,.
WAYS and means are still unprovid@d
for ;'ie rapid disposal Of the District gar
bage, and the crematory at the foot OF
South Capital street is being choked daily
with an over-abundanee, ofsrefuse.
AGAIN FAIL TO AGREE.
Contractor Warfied:1his assistant, Mr..
Bayly, aud the commissioners held an
other conference yesterday 1aIternooD, and
after it's close the board remained In SEES
sion 1or an hour, delSaIlng Iue problem,
but when interviewed subsequently Ii was
| ascertalned that there had been no conciu-
sion reached.
Scow service aud transportation down
the river for a large proportion OF the
collections are Inevitable Even II the
Commiss toner's were now TO act promptly
and authorize the construction OF anoIher
crema tory, relief cannot now be obtained
through that medium before the greater
part of the summer will have passed.
1t is understood that no plant can be
gotten into running order In less than three
months from the date OF permit, and five
months viii be required, Ii is believed, TO
attend TO prelimnares and get Smith
system established.
The Brown Crematory at the foot OF South
Capitol street, is said to have the capacity
10 consume seventy-fIve tons of garbage per
day of ten hours.
The daily collections in the hottest season
of the year cannot fall short of one hundred
and fifty tons per day, and thus ii is
demonstrated hat at least one -ha!fofthciilth
must be trusted 10 the uncertainties, the
perplexities, the unsatisfactory methods OF
the scow system.
CONTRACTOR READY To BUILD.
Contractor Warfield said yesterday that
he is ready TO introduced an additional crema-
tory at any time He has bought two sites
in anticipation of the alton of plant
upon one or the other but until authorized
to do so he cannot contract for the con-
struCtion.
The duty of selecting the system and 10.
eating the plants devoves upon the District
authorities 1t is especially stipulated that
both shall lbeapproved blythe Commissioners.
and the contractor is made subject TO their
orders.
II is expected that within a week, pos
sibly early in the coming week, the Com
missioners will decide, but Until then the
citizens OF Alexandria Will not know
whether or not reorganization of their
company Of defenders against Washlngton's IS
refuse will be necessary.
Engineer Commissioner Powell has fl
naly located upon the plan OF street eX-
tensions the driveway which it is pro
posed TO have run from the Northeast, con
Meeting Anacostia with Fort Stevens, and
including all the intervening forts by a
circular route.
Major Powell says the thorOughfare shall
remain as now laid out and that, if ever
completed, and he believes it will be,
the drive will be the finest in the suburbs.
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