The times., 1898-10-05
TAX AND IMPROVEMENTS
Meeting of East Washington
Citizens Association.
ANNUAL REPORTS HEARD
The Dangerous Sanitary Condition
of Anacostia Flats Condemned in
Unrestricted Use of Corporations
Need Of Revised Taxation Laws.

Need of Revised TaxatiOn LAWS.
President Thomas w. Smith submitted
his report at the twenty-ninth annual
meeting of the East Washington Citizens
Association, held last night i'll Baums
Hall, Fourth and East Capitol Streets.
The report reads in part as follows:
1.-THE prospect for better times finan-
cially and otherwise Is very good. The
general conditions are very much better
this year than at the end of our Last fiscal
year II is desirable that greater num-
Der of streets be graded and graveled so
that within the next four or five years
all of the streets in Northeast and South
east Washington to the Anacostia River
will be in first-class condition.
"All citizens should be willing to bear
a fair amount of taxation for local i'm
provements. but a large number of
washingtonians who enjoy the benefits
of our schools, our police, our fire de-
partments, our street improvements, and
other conyeniences that go to make up
great city do not pay 81 per year into
the treasury of the District 10 support
the form of government under which we
live. Nearly all of the financial support
given to our local government is derived
from taxation of real estate. While there
was little or no complaint up to 1892 as TO
the rate. because of prosperity and the
earning power of real estate, there has
been a great unrest in the minds of tax
payers the past few years because the
amount of taxes on real estate is largely
disproportionate to the amount of benefit
accruing. a large number of wealthy
resident citizens and a large number OF
business enterprises go free of taxation
in this city, and yet help TO increase the
yearly cost of schools, fire departments,
police. Improvement in streets, extension
of strets. etc"
j. ID. Croissant. chairman of the conf
mittee on railroads, said:
Your committee has earnestly espouS-
ed every movement that has looked to-
ward removing the obnoxious steam ears
from our public streets and reservations
that are set aside for the safe and un-
restricted use of our citizens, ana we
believe they should be sacredly preserved
for such a purpose There is, perhaps.
no city of this size in the country that
permits such wholesale abandonment OF
the pubIie domains 10 the unrestricted
and uncompensated use of corporations
I'm view of these facts, we would re-
spectfully recommend: First, tnai sacn
stringent precautions be adopted ana
strenuously enforced as viii enectdahy
prevent the repetition of such fatal acct
dents as have so frequently occurred
during the past year; and, second that
such legislation be not only enacted, put
effectuaIly enforced, as will relieve our
streets and reservations from all sur
face steam railroad tracks, either by
elevattng or depressing the same, SO as
TO open TO the general public their Tree
and safe passage"
s s. Yoder. of the committee on ponce
and health said:
.-,rh4 disposal of garbage and improper
sewer system are problems 10 De ye'
solved before we can have perfect sani-
tarv conditions. We have no hospital for
CONTAGIOUS diseases
aAn these unsanitary conditions sink
into fnsignifcance when compared 10 the
cesspool of disease, the pestiiential, death
dealing. sewer polluted Anacostla Idls,
which are a stencil in the nostrals or an
the inhabitants of this section OF our city
and :. menace TO the health of all citizens
of tho CanitaI of our Nation. Malarial
fever. chiIls and pernicious fevers are
the result of the proximity OF TINS vast
area of sewer discharges and stench asi-
tared by the flow and ebb Of the toe ana
the broiling sun
..Vhen we consider all that has been
said by officials, experts, and eminent san
itarv authorities. disinterested Govern
ment experts. medical societies, anu llie
suneriutendent of our public asylum as TO
this intoIerabIe nuisance, and when we
consider the ease and ever-profftable IN
,-astrnent that would result in the recia-
nation of this valuable land or CONVEX
sion into a beautiful park for the use
of the public at so small expense, II pe-
comes simply incredible that such dis-
ease-breeding deathtrap should be allowed
10 exist in the most beautiful city IN the
world. and in sight OF the dome oi tiie
CapitoI of the nation.
NJ ]. Weller. of the committee on as
sassments and apportionment OF appro-
priations, said: "a
..Tmposing taxation for improvements
,,,,on rnorcupied dwellings, is inequitable,
and the only fair solution would be to
tax the revenues derived from rentals.
"The imposition Of a personal tax IN
lien Of licenses uoon stocks owned by
mercantile traders is unequally collected
and opens the door to evasion of Just
taxes bv the dishonest taxpayer and 10
correct that evil it would be advantageous
to inaugurate properly graded license
system applicable 10 the richly rewarded
professions. as well as to dealers in mer-
chandise. so that the highly remunerated
in the absence of an income tax should
also contribute a fair proportion TO our
municipal expenses
CAS- an encouragement to the acquire
ment of homes. it would he wise policy
10 exempt all improvements Of moder-
ate value on the workingman's home
from taxation, when occupied by the
owners"
A resolution was adopted in favor of
the retention of Capt Lansing Fl. Beach
in the position of engineer commissioner
and a committee was appointed to call on
the chief engineer and the President and
urge Capt Beachs retention as District
Engineer Commissioner The committee
is composed of T. w. Smith chairman;
J. D. Croissant. Tracy T. Jeffords, NJ. 1.
Weller and J. w. Bobson.
The old officers of the asseciat ation were
reelected. They are T. w Smith, presi-
dent; Tracy L. Jeffords. vice-president;
A. F. Sperry, secretary. and B. w Clark,
treasurer.
William Il. Keyworth Dead.
William Robert Keyworth son of the