Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-10
CHANGESIN METHODS
Report of Commission Concerning
Special Assessments.
CONCENTRATION OR CONSOLIDATION
Recommendations Made to the
District Commissioners.
THE CARD INDEX SYSTEM


The District Commissioners last month ap-
pointed a commission, consisting Of Mr.
Alexander Mckenzie, the deputy auditor;
Mr.. r. d. Simms, the superintendent OF
property. and Mr.. c. C. Rogers. the, dis
bursting officer, with directions and author
ity to inspect the operations of the special
assessment division and Its methods, and
to report what if any, changes should be
made to facilitate the public work. and
what If any, addition to or reduction of
the force employed may be in the public
interest. Pursuant to this order and the
oral instruction received, these officials
devoted such time and every available OPP
portunity to it's study and investigation as
their regular duties permitted, and today
submitted their report.
I'VE feel constrained to say in justice and
fairness" states the commission, that the
records of the special assessment division
are kept in a neat, systematic and busine S.
like manner, practically up to date at all
times, and that any information pertaining
to these records can be promptly given.
Orders of the Commissioners authorizing
any work or Improvement which, when
completed. becomes a charge or tax upon
any real estate, are sent to the special as
sessment division and entered upon nu-
merical index record by annOtations oppo-
site the number Of the square to be af-
fected by said work. This record is kept
that prompt information may be given to
any citizen desiring to know If any i'm
provements have been authorized or or
dered which may affect or become charge
on his property. We are informed that
these orders are not always received at or
sent to this office promptly. If this infor-
nation is of any value to the citizen de-
string it. and think it is. then it is i'm
pQ~tn hat n 6
sionerS of the character under considera-
ton should be speedily sent to the office
having charge of the record.
Notice of Completion.
1.-The next step in the procedure of bust
ness of this Office is taken when the notice
is received from the engineers department
of the completion of the work. said notice
giving the character of the work, the
limits of the Improvement and the cost to
be assessed on abutt!ng property. com
putation is made. the rate per linear foot
ascertained and the amount of assessment
on each piece or parcel of land determined.
This assessment is then forwarded TO the
Commissioners for their approval, and
when received back approved is entered
upon the records of the office Bills in
duplicate are then prepared, one of which
is presented with the notice required to
be served upon the property owner by law
and the other is attached to the return of
service and becomes part of the files OF
the office.
THE notices to property owners are
served by an employee of the office in per-
son on the owners or their agents and an
affidavit made by the employe of the time
and place and the person whom they
are served in each case. About Us per cent
of these notices served within thirty
day safer the assessment is entered on
record The average number of bills pre-
pared per piece of property affected by a
special assessment is three. according to
Mr. EanieTs estimate. All tax certificates
are examined and certified in this ONCE as
10 Specia! assessments.
1t is almost impossible TO arrive at an
intelligent and unbiased opinion Of the vol
ume CT work performed by given force of
employees. especially when a percentage or
the work is of mental character and does
not become part of the physical record
without an opportunity TO observe the OPP
Grafton of the work for some cons .derable
time. For the want Of time and IN the abb
Sence % opportunity to make this close OBJ
servatiCn owing to the demands upon our
time Of our regular duties, we have tried to
reach an unbiased decision by the means of
informal ion furnished to us by the special
assessment clerk. and of such other data as
we have culled from the records ourselves
Questions PrOpOunded.
This information was given in response to
the following questions:
No /. Number of special assessments
during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900?
-.
month?
NO. 3. Number of pieces of property af-
fected? Give the number in each month.
mo. 4. Did force in office work any time
after official hours? If so, about how much
and in what months?
NO D. Number of force actually en-
pIoyed on work of the Office.
From the information obtained in response
the commission submitted an analysis:
Accepting the members say, las a
standard for a months work the month Of
August, 1899. wherein we have thirty-sx
assessments. with the labor contingent
thereto affecting &c pieces of property
the largest number in any month during the
year; serving 4a3 notices to property own
ers: examining and certifying 439 tax GER
tificates and such other incidental duties
a. may devolve on the Office, with a full
force of employees engaged thereon during
the official hours only, We draw the fol-
lowing deductions:
The average number of assessments re-
ce!ved per month during the year is 2234;
the number received during August, 1880.
about 10 per cent more than the average,
36. the average number of pieces Of prop
er:y affected per month during the year is
4I3L the number of pieces included in the
work of August. 1859 TO or nearly So per
cent more than the average: the average
number of services of notice per month dur
ing the year, based on the theory that the
number of services is about "a per cent of
the number Of pieces affected, is 264l2: the
number served on assessments recorded in
August 1884 is .93, or Sc per cent above tie
average.
The Conclusions Reached.
Excluding Sundays and legal holidays,
there were 306 working days during the
year and twenty-sevea in the month of Au-
gust. If the regular force IN the office can,
without work ng overtime. perform a GER
tain volume of work-say. the work in con-
nection with assessments affecting IIG
pieces of property. including ca!cula. lions,
recording. preparing and serving notices,
and also the incidental work of the office
within twen.y-seven days. the same force
cJu!d at the same rate, all conditions being
equal. perform volume of work on assess
ments affecting S.134 pieces IN a year of BOG
working days The records show that only
4.a59 pieces of property were assessed for
improvements during the year under con-
siGeration. consequently the volume of
work actually performed in this office in
connection with these assessments is only
about 80 per cent of the capacity of the
force engaged thereon.
Credit, however. should be given for one
employe less in the force for large part