The evening times., 1901-03-06
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Commissioners Pleased With
Congressional Appropriations.
Mr. SIHcforIand Says There Is Reason
to BE GratefuI-0piniOn as to How
Bills for Taxes May he Procured
From the Office of the Assessor.


From the Office of the Assessor.
The Commissioners are we'll pleased
with the treatment the District Govern
meut received at the hands of Congress
! in the way of appropriations. While the
! Municipal Building project failed and
soma other improvements which are
| much needed were Mt provided for. Con-
| gress appropriated something over $i.009
1 600 more money for the District than was
I contained IN the last District Appropria-
| tion bill.
| The Commissioners are disposed to look
/ at the matter in the light of the agsre-
| gate rather than to consider simply spe-
I Cjfic items which failed te be included in
| the list. The Board has 40 criticism to
| offer, but on the contrary is satisfied with
results achieved.
/ Commissioner MaefarlaHd speaking to-
/ day for himself and his colleagues. said:
The District of Columbia certainly has
| reason to be grateful to Congress for its
/ just and generous treatment at the late
! session. More was done for the District
/ than by any former Congress. Every
| thing of importance that the COAnis-
sibners recommended in their annual re-
I port was provided for except the District
! Euilding. and We have good hope of get
/ ting that at the first session of the next
| Congress. While Congress did not grant
! all the estimates OF the Commissioners,
| II gave us, taking all the appropriation
/ bills together. aboat $l.e99.OOo more for
e! the fiscal year than the appropriations
| for the praseRt year,
! This is all the more remarkable and
! praiseworthy. because when the Cemmis-
sieneTs went before Congress in December
/ they we're face TO face with an estimated
! deficiency of over million dollars caused
| by the appropriation Of TIVE millions Of
I District revenue yithin three years To Pur-
| chase land for street eXtenziOns F'ortu-
| nately instead Of cutting down the appro-
| priatiOn congress accepted the reC0mnen-
dation OF the Commissioners that il should
provide for the deficiency which it had
! created. and make ADVANCES from the
/ Teca StiTy. 50 that whatever appropriations
/ it deemed necessary might b- made with
/ out regard to the deficiency. Under this
I arrangement Congress made the best ap-
/ preparations that nave ever been made for
! the District They provide not only for
( the expedition of both the filtration plant
! and the sewage disposal system, and the
( completion OF tha AQueduet tunnel AMI
! new reservoir. but for the preparation of
( plans for the municipal hospital. site and
/ the preparation OF plans f2r q new aims
{ house and the construction of a new
( mCrgue. besides many needed Increase in
/ the Police, Fire, Health, and other depart
/ meRts
! Congress also gave Us the District
| code. provided for the elimination of
! Steam railroad grade crossings and for
| new terminal facilities, including new sta
I tiCnS, ard passed the biil for the reorga n
! necessary measures recommended by the
! Commissioners The District Building bill
| was brought into the best shape praetie-
/ able. and Was nearer paSSa gt. than is gen
| orally understood and the project was
/ LETT IN very favorable position for the
/ next Congress The Memorial Bridge pro-
| Ject Is in >7ery much the same situation
] The AnacoSIia River improvement meas
| ure, which went down with the River and
| HarboF Bill. VIII also stand good chailGae
/ il The next Congress
Nothing that Congress did was mere
/ valuable to Ehe District than its cordial
participation ia the CentenniaI celeDrst-
ent that Congress was impressed on that
J occasion with the progress the city IS
/ making along All lines. "
| Andrew T. DUAL, the Attorney for
| the District, today submitted t the Com
! unissioners his opinion upon the comrnll-
nieation OF Robert 7. Slater, who copl-
plained TO the BOARD some time ago
! that he vas unable 10 obtain certain tax
hifis from the Assessors office, uRiess he
! first made affidavit that they would be
paid The complaint and the report of
the Assessor upon the matter we're re-
Gently published in the Times.
In sitting the proposition contained in
Mr. Skaters communication the Attorney
says that the requirement. Of an affidaL-
yJt is based upon = regulation enforced
by the Assessor ia order 10 cuTtail the
great waste of time and labor in ma king
out pills that are never paid, thus in
IerfcTlng HIIh the great volume of chr
rent work of his Office. Mr. DuyaH
quotes q statement OF the Assessor as
wisdom o. a
cuiFement, that in the past few years
| fhGllSau ulds OF bills for arrears Of taxes
| haze beeH made fer persons who di3 sot
intend 10 pay the ssuae- and tEat in many
cases the were neNtE paid. nd IN other
cases they h/yc been used : the basis
for obtaining dscrees % the court can
Cellng taxes.
'-The object OF the regulation. says the
Attorney, is To- manifest the bona fides
Of the application ia the interests of tlIe
public revenue and the plblic time The
affidavit of intention TO pay the taxes
within Il certain time is made free u5
charge and the regulation, therefore, I'M
poses 40 expense whatever upon ting ap-
plicaut.
1T does not seem 10 me that this is
an unreasonable requirement. The pUr-
pose OF making out TAX hills against prop
eTty Is to obtain the payment of the tax
Is. ard an applicant for biIls for arrears
Of taxes would appear 10 have no just
ground for complaint when thSls required
to give evidence of his purpose and in
tentioH iR reference theretO-'
The Commissioners today ISSUED orders
conceruing work to be done under the
provisions Of the assessment system, the
same having been dHly advertised:
To set Rew cGril and lay cement side
walk on the east side OF Third Street
northeast. from = Street northMard TO
the aorth line OF lot % square 776. at an
| estimated cost of S{Z9s, to be a assessed
against lots /, p. IS, 80, n nd % square no
on the south side Of = Street mort heasf
fTOm Fourteenth Street east ward a dis
tdnce or IZu feet from the east building
line of said Fourteenth Street at an es-
unated cost OF S4Ip 70 be assessed
against al jotS IN SqLS re lo52. abuttiue; an
SGid + Street between the limits named
Ou both sides OF Detroit Street from
Twelfth street 70 Thirteenth at an esti-
mated cost OF $T,4GI. to be assessed against
All lots in block . and block g. South
BTDOkl3Hd. abutting on said troll
Street between the limits named
To reset curb and lay cement sideyy;tIL,
Dn both sides Of ~ Street northwest from
fifta Street to Sixth Street. AT an esti-
mated cost of SAG4, to be assessed against
ali lots in square $50 and 4Sl fronting on
sad \ Street between the limits named
Tu reset curb and lay brick or cement
sidewalk on The south side of ChiCa zo
Strsssst northeast. from First Street east
ward 10 the east line of lot Is sousr.
~. at asE estimated cost of 500 10 be as
sessed against lots 50. 164 g. I65. s.. G6 81
6s ~, ~, Il. - z, TE. 75, ana 76, square 70
William TindaII. Secretary, of ths. Board
OF Commissioners, today Informed d G