The times., 1899-02-10
Ncw York Cotton Market.
TO REVISE THE RECORDS.
The commissioners IrGc the Nccc'
.ity of u New Law.

ne the
.ity of New Law.
In view of the duplication of records in
the assessment and collection departments
OF the District government the Commits
s.oncrs have drafted bill, which they
transmitted 10 Chairmen Mcmillan and
BabCCck, of the Senate and House District
Committees, yesterday, and under the pro-
visions OF which parcels of land i'll the
District of Columbia will be distinctively
designated for purposes of assessments and
taxation
The bill is regarded as a highly impor-
tant one at the District Building where
it is realized that its approval by Congress
will greatly facilitate the assessment and
taxation of real estate in the District OF
Columbia II is for this reason that the
Commissioners have urged the chairmen OF
the district Committees in Congress TO take
early and favorable action on the measure
with a view of having II enacted before the
present session ends.
The draft was prepared by Commission
composed of Z. T. Bushnell, of the Office
of the Auditor for the State and o,h'r
Departments of the National Government.
]. I. Petty Auditor for the District of CO.
lumbia; David L. McComb superintendent
of Sewers. and Dr. William Tiudall. Sec
retary to the Board of District Commis-
sioners. These were appointed by the Dis
triet Commissioners and consulted with
Matthew Trimble. District Assessor: Il e.
Davis. District TaN Collector: w T. Rich
ards, Assistant Engineer Of the District
Engineer Department, and Captain LOCKER,
District Surveyor.
They were instructed TO make
thorough Investigation into the records.
During the examination of the record of
the assessment and collection departments,
the Commission found many cases where
two or more lots in the same square have
the same number, and many others where
The descriptions OF lois were alike. or so
indefinite as to nvalidate sales for arrears
o; taxes made according to such reco 'ds.
These designations are the descriptions o.
the property given in the notices of sales
and the defects in them were found to be
principally responsible for the emo nous
list OF taxes in arrears. as they are the
main dependence of delinquent taxpayers
in suits against the enforcement of such
sales
The draft of the proposed measure ex-
plains in full the system by which it is in
tended to designate parcels of land in he
future. 1t provides that each city square
must bear number or designation which
will distinguish it from every 9th r
square. Each lot or parcel of lot will SO
bear distinctive number. Each b ock in
each subdivision. each lot or parcel of land
in each such block, and each piece or par
eel of unsubdvided land in the Distsi I
will also have distinctive designation.
AS far as practicable the numbers given
each of these squares, blocks, and parcels
are to be in regularly increasing numeri-
cal sequence and order beginning with
the lowest possible number, and in The
case of lots the numbers shall commence
al the same relative location in each
block and continue in regular order.
The bill will impose upon the Commits
sioners the duty OF requiring u record OF
all designations OF lots and squares to be
kept in the Office Of the District Surveyor.
and in order to enable them to institute
the system the draft provides for an ap-
preparation of s. 600 to cover the expense
of the necessary work.
Another section provides that the desig-
nations on the records OF the Assessor
when the parcels of land become subject to
sale for arrears OF taxes and assessments
shall be the official designation of such
/ parcels and lots for the enforcement of
the collection of all such arrears OF gen
eral taxes and assessments for the tax
year in which the designation is given
and until such designation has been
changed by law.
Furthermore the draft provides that be
fore any instrument Of conveyance of land
in the District shall be recorded in the
Office Of the Recorder OF Deeds the instru-
ment must bear certificate from the of
ce of the District Surveyor showing the
proper designation of the land conveved.
The Commissioners will be required TO
cause daily transcript and entry made
on the records OF the Assessor of the desig-
nations of all lots and parcels OF land in
! the District appearing in instruments OF
| conveyance received for record in the Office
of the Recorder of Deeds, and also the
| designations Of all lots transferred by pro-
/ bated wills.