Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-06
CONDITION OF THE LOCAL DEBT
Civil Service Reform Wanted for tAuniclpa|
Offices, Say the Local Rulers.

bllities incurred during the year which
could not nave been anticipated and includ.
eu IN the estimates and appropriat lions TO,
the year such as judgments of the courts
ana were not due To any deficiency of the
revenue; also of certain outstanding obliga.
tions connected with special assessments
Tor work done under contracts with the late
board of public works
he drawback certificates which were is
seeu as evidence of overcharSes or imDrop.
! ef charges of special assessments for nub.
| Tic improvements made under coptracts IA
ihe said board. and extensions of said con.
tracts, are floating obligation bearing ne
interest. but are receivable in payment OF
general and special taxes and amount tI
%io.'to-33 IEere are also outstanding she.
cial Improvement lien certificates amount.
i.-s 10 s-o'-'4, which are redeemable in such
drawback certificates
Inc amount of special assessment out
stthding on July /. 1897. which are an Off
SET 10 the drawback certificates aforesaid
was sISi13-53. exclusive of accrued interes;
a. ~ per cen UNI on an average of about
twenty years. The cash balance Of colIec-
uoHs on account of special assessments in
the custody of the treasurer of the Init
Gu states was, ON the same date, 81, CAB .g.
Inc Secretary of the Treasury and the
treasurer of the United States have 1ecom-
=
tificates now held by the treasurer as Sc
curity for the payment of outstanding 8
Fer cent certificates be delivered to the
Cohinnisslonefs in order that they may ap-
ply all moneys derived therefrom in excess
or the amount required on account of the
per cent certificates to the retirement of
the outstanding drawback certificates as
contemplated by the act of Congress ap-
proved June 10, 1873. The Commissioners
concur in that recommendation. Any por-
ton of these assets which shall remain af-
ter the retirement of all the outstanding X
per cent certificates, and the drawback Ger
| tiicates issued under existing laws should
be transferred to the credit of the District
OF Columbia.
Trust Obligations.
"On July 1, 1897, the amount of outstand-
ing per cent certificates issued under the
act of the legislative assembly Of May ~.
1873. was 500, with about $3.50 of accrued
interest thereon. $50 of these. and interest
thereon. are payable out of proceeds OF
sale of $50 bonds and the remainder out
of collections of special assessments levied
for special improvements made under con-
tracts and extensions of contracts of the
late board of public works.
There was outstanding at same date in
the hands of private holders, S3,s1941 of
liens against private property for the afore-
said special improvements. These liens are
redeemable out of proceeds of special as
which they lie. except that in cases where
these assessments have been invalidated for
any reason the liens are redeemable in
drawbacks issued in lieu of such void as
sesSments under act of June ., 1890 The
drawbacks are receivable for general and
special taxes.
There is also outstanding small
amount, not readily ascert ainable of spe-
cial assessment scrip issued by the late cor
pCration of the city of Washington.
The Assessmcnts.
Assessment of taxable real estate and
personal property jim the District of Column
bia July l. 1897:
Washington city
Tax he On LAID sS7 70 241
ILssble % improvements. 10 79j,l25
on,s,,o =, v.,, ---s15s,5 So, 3G6
IaHabe or land at 81 80. $40 702, ils
Ia.ahle On improvements -
at glow. 6.3ol,9OO
Taxable on land at 81 co. s4,514,2 200 ''''''A'
Taxable on improvements
- 5.669, 800
Total assessed value of taxable real
PERSONAL property
Washington city. .... IS 500 13
washington county. ....... 46. 400
railroads.. taxed gross
1eceipts ......-....... 1,1G4,7S5
- 97sO .o5s
THE rate of general tax for the year was
fxed at $l.aO on each 800 for all taxable
personal property, and for all real property.
| except that used solely for AGRICULTURAL
purposes, the rate of which was 81 per 500
| of assessed valuation.
| Arrears of General Taxea.
1.-THE Commissioners repeat their recon-
| mendation for the enactment of the Iepis-
lation proposed in Senate bill No. DIG I'm
| relation to tax sales in the District of Co.
lumbia,' which is designed to require as a
condition precedent to the issue of a tax
deed, that all arrears of taxes on the prop
| erty involved shall be paid This legisla-
! ton Is urgently needed to prevent loss of
| taxes already in arrears and to remove the
incentive to delinquency In the future.
which Is offered by the present law as iu-
| dicially construed.
Defective License Laws.
THE necessity for a revision OF the H.
cense laws on account of the development
| OF new kinds OF business and the modifIca-
ton and abandonment of old ones still ex.
| lists. A bill to improve this condition of AZ
fairs Will be submitted to Congress during
| the present session.
bathing Beack.
'The patronage OF the bathing beach dur
ing the past summer largely exceeded that
Of any previous season. The superintcnd-
ent reports that It was used by over nfty