The Washington times., 1902-04-12

The annual election of officers, includ-
ing report by the treasurer and some
of the standing committees. occurred at
the monthly meeting Of the Brightwood
Citizens Association last night. Mr. Louis
?. Shoemaker was unanimously elected
president for the Tough time and the
occasion was taken advantage of by sew
eral members of the body TO express the
satisfaction of the association with his
services, and he was presented with a
mammoth bunch of La France roses as
token of the regard ana esteem of the
members.
After the election of president the fol-
lowing officers were chosen: First vice
president Wilton J. Lambert: second
vice president. N E. Robinson: third vice
president, August Burgdorf; fourth vice
president, DR.. Henry Darling; secretary,
John r. Keene; assistant secretary,
Charles W Ray, and treasurer, n. E.
Robinson.
Protest Against Assessment.
One of the important resolutions sub
mitted under the head of new business,
which called forth considerable discussion,
was that of Mr.. c. c. Lancaster, relating
10 the new triennial assessment, as fol-
lows:
That we solemnly protest against the
agitation by few people of the District
in advocating an increased assessment
and taxation of suburban and agricultural
land, for the reason that said lands have
been paying taxes since the foundation of
the city without any return for the same
n r1,rtlic ip1prnyaOCnfc Srrh the
ing of streets the construction of sew
ers and water mains, and the expenditure
of money on country roads, whereby said
lands have been practically Improbable,
and yield little or no revenue to the own
erS.
I'VE solemnly declare that after a full
and careful examination of the facts. real
estate both in the city and suburbs is as
sessed and taxed in excess of the legiu
mate demands in comparison with a large
number of manufacturing cities through
out the country, and we give public no.
tice that any increase of taxation or as
sessment on our lands in the suburbs will
be vigorously contested, and every legiti-
mate means used to prevent the consum-
nation of such an unjust and inequitable
burden which will amount to practical
confscation."
This resolution called forth extended
remarks from Messrs. Lancaster, W. J.
Lambert, and others, and was finally
adopted. A subsidiary motion authorized
the president of the association to ap-
point a committee of FIVE to call upon the
Board of Commissioners and the Board
of Assistant Assessors, and to lay the
views of the association before each.
To Investigate Debt.
A resolution calling upon Congress to
investigate the Indebtedness of the United
States TO the District of Columbia was
offered by Mr.. Louis P. Shoemaker and
adopted. The resolution reads:
whereas Congress is about to increase
the revenue of the District of Columbia
by a levy of additional taxation on real
and personal property, because of the
fact that additional funds are required to
meet deficit created by authority of
Congress in making improvements of
local and national character, during the
last few years. and
Whereas Congress has without the
consent of the land owners Of the District
and over the protest of the Commission
ers departed from the spirit and letter of
the organic act of 1873, and
Whereas it has even gone far enough
TO establish national Improvements by and
acquiring territory for the beneht OF the
nation, and imposing the cost thereof /
upon the few taxpayers Of the District of
Columbia, thereby overtaxing the regular
revenues and wiping out our reserve;
1T is, therefore, respectfully submitted
that the necessity for increased taxation
does not at the present time exist. Cur
rent revenues are sufficient for current /
expenses. Extraordinary improvements |
are not made elsewhere from current rev.
enues and this should not be attempted |
here.
Therefore. be il resolved by the Bright
wood Citizens Association, in regular