The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-01
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT.
An Enquiry Regarding the Pay
menf Of District Taxes.

The Question Raised of Paying All
ut One Time or in Two Install
mcnts-The Commissioners Prcpnr-
ing Their Estimates for Congress.
In a recent letter To tho Commissioners
Thomas W GiImer has raised the ques-
tiou Of the payment of taxes in one IN
s,allmcut after the fiscal year ending
June so. 1902. His letter is I'm the nature
Of AN enquiry as To the Interpretation of
the law and a. request for "a ruling upon
tho subject 10y the Commissioners.
"Iu the matter of the collection OF
taxes says Nr. Gilmer THE act Of June
O. 1871. provides that for the fiscal year
beginning July l. 1901. and thereafter.
taxes on real and personal property may
Doe paid ia two iUstaIlments provided that
all Of The taxes for the fiscal year 1901
should he paid i'm May, 1901, and as "A mat
ter of fact they were SO collected
Now the question arises whether the
taxes for the fiscal year ending Jun" 81,
lgu-. should De collected an in November.
1901. or i'm May. 1892. The majority of tax
payers would greatly prefer 10 pay all IN
May. as was done last year Opinion
upon the subject is som what divided,
but il is quite clear that the majority
q
As ! understand the statute quoted
above. The taxpayers will nave the option
either to- pay I'm two iustallmeuts or 20
pay all of tho taxes next May. You will
note that the law provides that the taxes
may-uot must-by PAID IN two install
meuts. The natural inference would bv
that il is optional with The taxpayer. OF
AT least that YOU may permit payne mt TO
hD postponed until next May
III YOU should hold that Une-han Of the
taxes for 1872 must Poe paid ia November.
1901. taxpayers should ice notified consid-
eIaaiy ia advance. SEQ that money may Dt
reserved for that purpose"
Speaking about the matter this morn
ing. Commissioner Ross stated that ne
thought u was geuera..y conceded with
out further legislation The tax would be
required To br paid in two iuStaIlmt nts.
| lie stated that the change was made for
| the fiscal year referred 10 for the pur-
pose OF giving the Assessor time TO in
stall his new syst, III of bookkeeping. and
that the understanding WAS that after
I the one year the collection of taxes would
revert 10 thu former practice. Mr.. Ross
stated that the matter would probably
/ be referred 10 the Attorney for the Dis
I tTlCt for an opinion, and that the Com
| missioners would De guided thereby.
After today the Commissioners will re-
/ fuse to receive visitors during tse morn
| ing hours, and viii devote themselves for
| the next two weeks 10 the preparation Of
/ the estimates 10 Doe forwarded 70 Con
| gress. The Commissioners have now re-
} ceivcd the estimates from all the offices
| Of the DISTRICT for thu expenses Of the
| fiscal year ending June 60 1898. These
/ estimates have been made out I'm con-
ueCtiOn with the annual reports. and in
/ all cases the increase or decrease in the
! amount asked Tor is explained in the body
] OF the reports.
The work OF the Commissioners there
/ fore viii consist OF going over the ,sti-
| mates presented by their subordiuates
/ and in allowing or disallowiug the items
! set down. This work is always done with
/ great care, as the desire II the Board
/ always has been 10 give every office all
/ tho appropriations pOsSlol, under the cir
/ cumstanceS. IL Is understood that the
/ policy which was attended with SO good
/ suits last year viii be followed again
/ That was 10 present 10 Congress full
! statement Of the financial needs Of the
! District 10 the present time and To leave
| To- the committee Ot Congress the TCSpOu-
| Sibility of Amending the estimates The
/ ing gained an presenting estimates O,neT
| Than the actual needs OF the District. in
! Guiding liberal items for improving
| streets, extending sewers. and the new
municial building, with such schoOIhouses
as are needed
Last year the estimates submitted for
| the fiscal year ending june 90 1892. aEEre-
! gated $S.'H| 1884, and the appropriations
| for the same period aggregated s. $50.
| 51J-l. OF Nl.y4S- lN4 80 short Of what WAS
! asked II is expected mat the estimates
/ this year viii Dee somewhat above those
| OF last year. and that they will reach The
| sum 81 ts.4N.H1 il D. hoped also that tho
! appropriations may be somewhat larger
@ D H.H H..~