Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-11
APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Citizens Protest Against the
81
Method of Assessments.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
ALLEGED INJUsTICErTo PROP
ERTY HOLDERS IN SUBURBS.
Committee Of Fifteen Appointed to
Present the Matter to Both Houses
Of Lawmakers.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

and property holders Of the District of Co.
lumbia held an adjourned meeting in the
parlors at the Riggs House last evening for
the purpose of considering resolution to
be presented 20 Congress protesting against
the passage of House bill No. 114O0, which
provides for increased assessments on prop
erty in the outlying districts where I'M
provements are being made. The protest
is made on the grounds that the enactment
of such legislation would be ineQuitabie and
unjust to a portion Of the property holders
who, by provisions of the proposed law, 1t
is claimed, are assessed disproportionately
for benefits which do not accrue.
The gathering last night was in continual
ton of the objects as set forth at the meet
ing held last week at the Ebbitt House and
the tone of the assembly was one of sup
pressed indignation over the alleged wrongs
which would be inflicted by the enactment
of the proposed legislation, number OF
vehement speeches being made settlns
forth the injustice Of compelling a Few
property holders along the line of the I'M
provements to bear the cost of opening and
extending streets, when, it was claimed,
they would receive only minimum of the
benefit, and those who were the real bene-
ficiaries were exempt from the special as
sessments. 1t was freely expressed at the
meeting that District property owners were
being Disseminated against and 1t was
tnOugnL tnat congress ulu uol IuhS
stand the injustice that would be done by
passing the bill now before 1t.
Vigorous Protest.
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman w. H. Saunders, with Mr.. George
Simmons acting as secretary. statement
of the case which the taxpayers desire to
present to Congress, prepared by Mr.. Leo
Simmons, was read by Mr.. Thos G. Hen
sey. The statement protests vigorously
against the passage of House bill 114Oo,
which prescribes the method of assessment
of benefits and damages in cases of street
extension. In this memorial Mr.. Summons
states that House bill 11400 is vicious be-
yond measure, but it would be still more
inequitable if the amendment proposed by
the Senate District committee, became
part of the act and was passed. The state
ment recites that it is believed the bill was
not carefully considered by either Of the
houses, and that their attention was not
directed to its absolute unfairness 1t is
also charged in the statement that the bill
is simply scheme on the part OF syn,
dictate in Rochester, N Y, to gain control
of certain property in the District through
purchase at tax sales and to grind down
the people to the payment OF unjust inter-
est in the redemption of such property.
This statement has been sent to forty
five senators by the committee, which was
appoined at the meeting last week to take
immediate steps to prevent the; passage of
the bill during the present session.
A resolution, drafted by Mr.. John Ridout,
chairman Of the committee appointed at
the meeting last week, was presented by
Mr. Leo Simmons. but a substitute resolu
ton, prepared by Mr. Simmons, was unanl-
mously adopted by those present. The res
olution provides for the appointment Of
committee of fifteen to call upon the Dis
trict congressional committees and the Dis
trict Commissioners and, present the con-
tentions Of the taxpayers Of the District.
Text Of the Resolution.
The resolution recites that
by certain acts of Congress passed in
1899 assessments for alleged benefits have
been made and charged against abutting
property in connection with the extension
and widening Of certain streets and avenues
in the District of Columbia, namely, Rhode
Island avenue, Sherman avenue, 18th street,
10Th and Goth streets, Columbia road and
old 10th street, which assessments are ar
bitrarily levied for an amount equal to one
half of the cost Of the land and houses
taken and condemned in the extension and
widening Of said streets and avenues, with
out regard to any actual benefit to the land;
and a result thereof such assessments
are most oppressive upon the owners of the
property SO assessed and in many instances
amount to actual confiscation, and in the
matter Of extending and widening of GER
tain streets and avenues in the said Dis
trict, namely, Connecticut avenue, 14th
street Massa chusetts avenue and North
Capitol street, assessments whatever
were made or charged against abutting
property;
THAT, in the case OF the extension Of 10th
street. which by the terms Of the act of
Congress passed June g. 1900 the iury was
allowed and required to levy assessments
to the extent Of the benefits only, and by
reason thereof, and because of the discre-
ton allowed said jury in executing the law,
the assessments levied were one one-sey-
enth OF the sum awarded for the land and
improvements taken, instead of one-half:
ihat u Is manifestly unjust that one or
some OF our citizens should be required,
without regard to benefits, to pay so much
more than others, and because of the want
OF uniformity in levying said assessments
the same should not be enforced;
mat the assessments against the abut-
ting property of the streets and avenues
first referred to have been 1udicially decid
ed not to be collectable without further
legislation to enforce their collection:
therefore we. the property owners in
was the intention Of Congress to take our
property without just COMPENSATION or TO
bring such burden upon us, which would
a L TO conhscation. and asking only
That which is just between man and man.
deem 1t proper to call these matters to the
attentlon OF Congress and the Commission
ers OF the District Of Columbia"
~ was resolved. that a committee of
fifteen be appointed by the Chairman of this
meeting, Of which he shall be the chairman
10 present copy of these resolutions to
potn the Senate and House committees on
'io al .diiS VI tne District of Columbia n
urge in all appropriate wavs before s.;S
Commissioners and Congress that the col
lectlon OF said arbitrary assessments should
not be enforced; that some legislation tend
ing to reduce. adjust and ieqi1aIize such as
sessments De passed in order that Justice
might be done" - '"S'i@e
Views Of Those Present.
The resolution was Endorsed in vigorous
terms by Charles S. Bundv He said enc
nous damages and dement's had been as
sessed In the matter Of the" extension of
sherman avenue and that itSwas not the
. .au!t OF the jury, but because, of the fact
that the jury was WORKING under certain
rules laid down by law, and were circum
scrlned in the exercise of their Judgment as
10 what was right and just The construc
ton OF the public highwayssohe declared,
should be paid for out of thetpublic treas,
ury. and not wholly by people who owned
property in the immediate Vicinity of the
improvements nI1n because. DE said. it is the
downtown business men who are the
greatest beneficiaries from the openfne IF
street, and cot those who live along the