The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-06
STATEMENT
:. :. WrEwARr
rOR IsDT.
,bmitted to the City Coun-
5ts Last Regular Mecting.
Of Legal Department.

~ IStNt HcKut0r MecVtuks
Of Legal Depn rtmcnt.
ST regular meeting Of the city
Attorney j. 5. Stewart sub
following annual report:
onorable City Council OF the
houston.
January 3i.--tienuemen: AS
me. sage of the mayor submit
Aast Monday embudies the report
secretary, which shows the le-
III tne city US OF record IN his
1897. several items of which |
o,lid not pe charged to my ex-
deem II necessary TO make n
,temcnt OF tae expenses OF the
ev's office and of collections by
he official conduct Of the city
Erhc different items OF expenses
In the secretary's report under
N legal expenses" have been
pended. but all collections r1aue
difierent items OF expense VIII
Ar and be set as q credit against
Sc.
Ike up the items of expenses in
kr,ier that they are in the secre-
RI beginning with a commission
cent paid the city attorney OF
kny one can argue that as |
commission OF 10 per cent l had
4s.64s.70 for the year 1897. The
my office show that for the year
ldition to this amount, l collect
Ia Of suit amounting to the sum
BIZ, nearly $4,000 coming over
mt under date OF January Is on
pf the secretary. This collection
al a large expense, which was
gether by myself. the actual
pended by me during the year
Jerk hire alone amounting TO
is by no means the expense I'M
would have been II l had not
TO a complete set II abstracts
because to bring suit for taxes
certain piece OF land, the first
b done is to ascertain who owns
or against whom to bring suit.
bring suit on the rendered roll
b parties assessing the property.
he will find In numerous in
ht the property. has passed into
bids since t0s rendition. But
oNi DO 40 with the uncenderd and
boil, except to find from an ex-
OF the records who owns the
IN which the tax is due, and this
bssibly be done with any degree
~ without an abstract of title.
linquent roll of the city for the
on which suits We're brought in
We're on the unrendered roll 7S4
ieces of property, and S26 on tho
toll, making total of 1910 pieces
N, for which 1t would be neces-
I'VE an ABSTRACT of title. This does
e tax on years back of 1896,
thich were not included in delin-
+ OF 1896. You can not procure an
u title from any abstractor In
pr less than $40. SO il l had not
(rtnnaIe as to have had access TO
abstracts my expenses for the
would have been largely in ex-
hat I received as commissions
1t Period.
lhc mead OF costs of court an
/ STELLA is charged. While this |
|as actually paid on court costs
|c year 1897 the costs covered |
" of which had been on iile for !
bars, some OF them during the
)essrs. G.. Arson Jones and Henry |
BIS city attorneys. Included in |
n OF s7321,1i are the costs in cases
ba city and on which the city |
+ legal stitle Eamounting to
Also the amount OF sq07.50 when |
baid back by defendants aud which
I'D bv the district clerk for the
r. is also costs 10 cases in which
been Judgments and no final re-
been made by The sheriff on COLI
pointing TO SiS1i.45. Under the |
fourt costs. however. the main
pc remembered is the 5acB that
law the court officers have the
fmand of the city their costs upon
|rnment OF the term of court,
~ did for the ,]rst time in the
so that the large amount of the
aimed in the item OF STELLA is
which the city has advanced Oh
'ilts. and which IL should in the
two or three months recover.
tho pending cases were not filed
pr last April. when under the
Ne present charter filed suit or
delinquent roll. a thing never
e in the history OF Houston.
so many cases tover 2l0h1 it nee
axes time to dispose os all. and
has elapsed since the large ma
them were filed. Many of them
pending in which most &C this
already paid and figures III the
cunt charged as court costs paid
y does not bw any means repre-
@ costs in these cases, for a large
ere paid nv defendants hot includ-
UNITS advanced by the city.
nat no to January l. 1898. tho
taxes due to the city IN pend
TO sl05,oio.23. exclusive
and costs. enough TO pave two
IS, and more than enough 10 build
emplated electric light liant.
larry i. 1898, ! have mt in iidg-
amounting to $315i.22, exclusive
! see no reason why all OF this
lould not be collected.
he provisions of the charter or
Houston In operation when the
became due arl payable Il was
duty of the city assessor ard
4 taxes of tho city TO Iiepare
AK statements of tax accounts
Ivy for that year On each tract
ld for each Of which statements
receive a fee of So. Mr.. White
with this charter provision, as
ltested to do. and received from
he sum of S37l0 In taymen. OF
'ments. This amount is charged
head of legal expense. sup
Is done because tie statements
over to me an which 10 bring
am TO be charged Nth The safe.
Mould also be credited with the
on statements, which Is shown
Mr.. Whites monthly reports and
during the year 1897 $l5oS was
nd turned over 10 the city Treas
statements. OF the lsE5 state
'ived i2S through erroneous as
and indefinite description could
d. which would amount 70 $3.50.