The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-15
Assessors Making Up the
First Street Books for
Investigation.
RETURNS CONSIDERED FAIR
Trial for Perjury in Cases Where IN
derestimate of Value of Property Is
Clearly ShOwn-The Stringent Law
on the Subject.

The preliminary steps of making the
personal tax assessment have now been
taken The thirty days provided for under
the act. IN which residents of the Dis
tTict may file their lists OF personal
property, ended on August Z, and with
them the rush n the office OF the assist
ant assessors. From August Is the filing
Of the lists has proceeded slowly, but IN
each case 20 per cent is added to the
valuation Of the property as a penalty.
For example, if ones property Is valued
al $500 the sum is 10 $72O, which be-
comes the basis OF assessment
Under the operation OF the law there
have been fled about 1900 lists by the
owners Of personal property in the Dis
trict- These lists are now being sorted
and arranged with reference 10 making
up the accounts and the transfer of the
names 20 the books, As preliminary to
this work three field men have been en-
gagged il collecting data for the street
books, as they are called.
Beginning with the business section,
the field men have been along each
street and nave recorded each place of
business and each residnce by number.
For example the field men have been
through Seventh Street from end to end
OF each side, and have recorded all the
numbers on that street indicating
whether each Is place of business or
q residence Similar work is being done
for every street in the city and District
Making Up Street Books.
With this data the street books will
be made up. and by streets the number
OF each house, store, etc, in the Dis
triet viii be recorded by number. When
this skeleton is made out the lists fled
will be taken up by clerks and entered
under the proper number in the street
books Thus viii be made out COM
plete list of the taxable property by
streets, so far as the voluntary returns
have been made. The lists will be sort
ed first into four divisions correspond
ing with the four divisions of the city.
and then into smaller divisions CORE
spondlng with the streets IN each sec
ton At the same time the lists viii
be examined with reference to the re-
turns made, and records will be made Of
those which are thought by the asses
soFs 70 be uudeTvaIueds
When the book are in readiness the
assistant assessors will begin their field
work OF visiting those places OF business
ana those residences where the returns
are not considered satisfactory. Tbav
VIII make examination Of the propertv
listed and satisfy themselves of the cor-
RICHNESS or otherwise OF the return.
Returns Thought to Be Fair.
If the return is found satisfactory the
matter ends If not, the valuation viii
be increased or diminished according n
the Judgment OF the assessors. It IS
thought that the listing Of the property
by the owners has been consistent with
the fair cash value Of the Law. and
that there viii be little revision need
ed. IN Isolated cases, of course. there
Vii &c some change OF the papers
IN cases where returns have NOT been
made, the Assessors viii know If the
1act oy the street books, and there eT
animation VIII have 10 be made. and the
assessment levied according 10 the fuJg.
ment Of the assessors.
Several months must necessarily
elspse in the performance of this field
work II VIII begin as soon as the book,
can be made I'd, and as the field Il
worked over the ledgers will be writ
ten in the office preparatory to mailing
up the accounts for the collection of the
tax next Nav