Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02

| be licensed, and as to proposed plan ior
| more intelligibly numbering and designat-
| Ing the lots and land in that portion of the
District outside of the city, has the Com
missioners' approval.
Compendium of tax law, etc.-The asses
sor appends to his report synopsis or the
methods of taxation in the District OF Co
lumbia, which will be very useful for ref
erence purposes.
The past year has been a very busy one
In the assessors office; much good work
has been accomplished. and great deal
done to modernize that branch Of the gov
eminent to accommodate taxpayers and to
facilitate the collection of taxes.
Collection of Taxes.
The collector Of taxes, In his annual re-
port for the fiscal year Of 1902, presents
statement OF collections on account OF
taxes, etc, aggregating s4,14s. 1881, and
shows the balance Of unpaid realty taxes
to be $40 .93s52.
Delinquent taxes.-A statement OF the
collection of delinquent taxes by sale for the
past five years, aggregating $55s,5SSO2. Is
also given, commenting on which the col
lector says that 1t Is safe to assume that
only small percentage of this delinquency
would have been collected but for the au-
thority conferred by the act Of Congress ap-
proved February %, 1898. He anticipates
no diminution in the amount to be realized
from sales of delinquent property except by
thinks that nearly If not all Of the delln-
quent taxes will be collected In this way,
as the amended act In relation to taxes and
tax sales authorizes the sale of property
bought in by the District at private sale,
which will largely augment the amount of
property sold annually.
Increase of force, etc.-The necessary In
crease In the work of this Office incident to
the large Increase In the amount of property
disposed of at tax sale has heretofore been
cd fnr NV m a
and in order to avoid impairment of the nee
| essary facilities to accomplish this work in
| the time allowed by law he recommends the
renewal of this appropriation and gives rea-
! sons why only clerks thoroughly familiar
with the business Of the Office should be EN-
ployed. The act of Congress approved Feb
ruary Is, 1902, fixing the rate of interest on
arrearages of taxes, ETC., he thinks Will be
of decided benefit to taxpayers and to the
District, as it will result In the payment of
a large amount Of arrears.
Auditors Office.
The report of the auditor contains re-
sumo of the financial operations for the
year. showing the total amounts received
and expended and the condition Of the ac-
count between the United States and the
District of Columbia at the close of bust
ness June 30, 1902.
The auditor calls attention to balances Of
former realty tax levies, which for various
reasons are uncollectibe, and suggests that
authority be given for their cancellation
with power to reassess and collect the
same. He advises a change Of method in
depositing Police Court fines to meet de-
ticiencies In the police and flremen's relief
funds, and urges the placing of the latter
upon a sure financial footing. He recon-
mendS the enlargement of the power Of the
Commissioners in granting leave Of absence
with pay to per diem employees whose con-
tnuouS employment, rendered necessary by
the exigencies Of the service entities them
to rank with annual employees in the en-
joyment of this privilege.
The Commissioners concur in these rec
ommenda lions and are gratlf1ed at the high
state of efficiency attained in the auditors
office by the introduction Of improved meth
DDS and the application of civil service rules
in the matter of appointments.
Board Of Education.
Enrollment.-The maximum number of
pupils enrolled in the public schools of the
District Of Columbia was 4s 432 80 SIS
white and 1914 colored-an increase of
LOCI, or I'll per cent, over the enrolment
of the previous year.
The average enrolment was 4O,65s or g. 10
per cent above that Of the previous year.
The average number Of pupils in daily
attendance was 81 996.
The night school enrolment was 2,750-
l,o26 white and 1.124 colored The vaca-
ton school enrolled 4s4 persons. lie pu-
Pills were housed In 139 school buildings.
Teachers.-Eight hundred and eigfty-fve
white teachers and 43S colored teachers
were employed.
Expenditures.-The day schools cost ST.
719, 155.O6; the night schools cost 9,2S2 O2;
the vacation school cost S097. 26 total cost,
81, 129, 434.34. The cost Of tuition per pupil
including supervision, based on the average
enrolment, was $2245; the cost per pupil
Tor all expenses except repairs and perma-
nent improvements, based on the average
enrolment, was s30.67
Sessions.--Ihe day schools were open 176
days The night schools were open 81 nights
Inc vacation school was open % days.
Increased school NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the year the public school accommoda tions
have been increased by the completion and
occupation Of the following new buildings:
One twelve-room building (the Matthew g.
Emery; four eight-room buildings 0he
William B. Webb, the Josiah Dent, the
Sayles j. Bowen and the Thomas P. Nor
gam; four four-room buildings the Tacoma
the Petworth) for white children; four
eight-room buildings the Elijah P Love-
joy, the James G.. Birney, the John M
Langston and the William syphax) for COL
ored children; thus adding a maximum seat
ing capacity Of $3.50.
To these should be added the Mckinley
Manual Training School, with class room
capacity OF $50 and shop room for 800, and
the Armstrong Manual Training School,
with class room accommoda lions for 3O3
and room in the shop for GAO.
Congress has also authorized the con-
struction OF two additional eight-room
buildings, one in the third division and one
at Trinidad, In the sixth division, and four
room additions to the Brookland and Cranch
schools for white pupils; two eight-room
buildings Ghe Henry P. Montgomery in the
ninth division and the Abby s. Simmons in
the tenth division), and a four-room build
Ing at Reno for colored pupils. These build
ings will be occupied in September, 1903.
The completion Of all the buildings named
will furnish seats for GAS pupils, and will
practically eliminate the halliday school
above the second grade, and materially re-
duce the number of such schools below
that grade.
The estimated enrolment of the two
manual training schools indicates that
neither Of them will be adequate to ac-
commodate all the pupils who desire to
avail themselves of their courses, SO that
the necessity for immediate provision for
the extension of both buildings at an early
cay Is apparent
The original plans of the Mckinley School
We're made before the organization of the
present board of education, and contem-
plated the erection of a main building at
cost of about S125.0 600, and an extension
to cost about 500 900. The rise in the
price of materials and the cost of labor has
been so great that it is now estimated that
the addition as laid down in the architects
plans can not be put up for less than