The Washington times., 1902-05-29
Senate Committee lnveS-
tigating Practices in
Other Cities.
OBJECTIONS 10 THE SYSTEM
improvements Now Go by Favor
Change in Present Law Contemplated
-Abutting Property Holders May Be
Made to Pay. =.

The District Committee of the Senate
has been conducting a careful investiga-
tion into the methods of assessing the
cost of paving streets in different cities
throughout the country.
| II is probable that as a result of their
findings change will be made in the
! system now in vogue in the District,
which the committee states is followed
very little in other municipalities.
The Present System.
The District system assesses the cost
of paving all streets equally upon the
District government and the United
States. II does not assess any of the
cost on the owners of abutting property.
The following summary gives the re-
suits of the investigations of the COM
mittee as to other cities:
Baltimore-First paving is done by as
sessment on abutting property owners.
the cross streets being paved by the
city.
Boston-First paving is done by the
city, and the estates benefited are as
sessed to the extent of such benefit.
Buffalo-First paving is borne entire
1y by owners of abutting property.
Charleston-First paving is borne by
the city.
Chicago-All pavemcnts of streets are
put down at the expense. of property
owners by special ;assessnent! levied
for that purpose.
Cincinnati-The cost of improvement,
excepting per cent. and the cost of in
tersections is assessed against the abut-
ting property.
Cleveland-The paving is put down at
the expense of abutting property, ex-
cepting ono-flftieth of the entire cost of
paving and the cost of street intersec-
tions. which are borne by the city
Detroit-The original paving of the
streets is done at the expense of the
property owners on the street.
Indianapolis-Th cost of the original
paving of streets is borne entirely by
the property holders.
Minneapolis-The total cost of all paw
ing, curb. and sidewalk is borne by the
property abutting. except the street in
New Orleans-Property owners pay
from one-fourth to one-third of the cost
of pavement; the city pays for street
and the remainder Of the
cost Of paving.
Omaha-Property owners pay the cost
of paving. excepting intersections OF
streets and for paving frontage property
not taxable.
Pittsburg-The cost of original grad
ing. paving, or curbing is assessed
against the abutting property.
RichmoDd-Street pavement from curb
TO curb is paid for by the city in full,
as is also the curbing
St Paul-The cost of all street grad
ing and paving is assessed directly on
the property benefited - usually the
property.
St Louis--One- fourth of the cost is
charged against the abutting property
per front foot and the remaining three |
tourths against the property in the dis |
trict defined by city ordinance In each |
particular case.
A number Of arguments are made
against the present system. The most |
important of these is that the paving
Jf streets now goes more or less, neces- /
5arily. by favor. the people Of greatest .
influence aud push securing improve
nents first.
II is argued that If a portion of the
'ost Of such improvements were charged .
against the property to be most bene-
tied the development would be much
more likely to be equitably distributed,
Streets would not be paved until there
gas an actual need and when such need
rose the paving would be done
Favors Taxing Property Owners.
The District Committee is inclined
o favor a system which will tax owners
# abutting property. The details OF
ystem have not been worked out as
ct, however, and 1t Is probable that no
eglslation will be passed during the
resent session.
The difficulty with such a system will
e in fixing the half-and half payment
( expenses between the District and the :
'nited States. IL is thought by many
-iends of the District In Congress that
o plan should be adopted which will in
ny way encroach on this principle of a
vision OF expenses, especially as to I
treet paving. when the title to all !
treets vests in the United States and c
OF in the District.