The Washington times., 1903-09-01
Scores Assessor DarneiIle
on Account of Secret
Taxation, Insufficient No.
tiCe, and Lack of Hearing.
HE WANTS FAIR PLAY
Tells Commissioners Dis
trict Desires No Turkish
or Chinese Tax Gathering
Introduced Here.

William Henry Dennis. Washington
attorney, and H. H. Darneille, the AS
SCISSOR for the District. are at odds. and
the Commissioners yesterday afternoon
received a long letter from the attor-
ney. severely arraigning the admin
istration of the board of personal tax
appraisers. of which Mr.. Darneille is
chairman.
Some weeks ago Mr.. Dennis was taxed
for certain furniture which he claimed
belonged to other rnrsons. When COM
plant was made to the Assessor, Mr..
Darneille reported that Mr.. Dennis at
tempted TO convey the impression that
he did not own any furniture in SIS
Thirteenth Street northeast, while the
board had reliable information that he
was the owner of furniture in said
house" To this charge. Mr.. pennis
makes the following reply:
These appraisers first insert into my
letter to you a statement that is not
there, and then contradict such insert
ed statement. in the attempt to reflect
on my veracity. AS a piece of sophistry
on their part, this is beneath contempt,
but I commend it to your notice as an
exact sample of the kind OF sharp cour-
tesy 90 every citizen or taxpayer has
to expect from the personal-tax office
if he (or she) dares to question any of
its edicts. This report. with the above
passage duly displayed, was published
! IN the newspapers over a week before
1 had the honor of receiving copy on
it from you, though know this was not
done by your wish.
Explanations Ignored.
Il had explained the details of this
matter fully to the personal tax officials
and they refused to give any considera-
tion to it. 1 asked them to go or send
to house SIS Thirteenth Street north
west (the tenant having LETT and see for
themselves as TO what was there. and
they refused This is why l applied TO
you.
According to the logic OF their rul-
ings, If a person leaves so much as an
old valise or umbrella. too worthless TO
carry away. in one of the largest hotels
in Washington, he is liable to be as
sessed secretly for taxation on the value
of all the furniture in the hotel, and he
has no redress.
by what right do these two appraisers
assert of me in regard TO the alleged
furniture in house SIS Thirteenth
Street: Upon this furniture he failed alb
solutely to make return?' (Iow much
spiteful emphasis there is in that word
'absolutely,O They must know perfect
ly we'll that the blank schedules they
sent out last year did not even provide
for (much less, require) the reporting
of personal property as being at any
particular place. / made my return on
that schedule according to my Judgment
of values and my understanding as a
lawyer of the meaning of the new stat
ute. I was notified in November, 1902,
that my return was rejected and that
I was assessed a tax of 81 on a valuation
of S6667. including penalty; but nothing
was said in that notice of the location Of
any articles assessed. Wrong or right.
the tax was too trifiing to dispute about,
and / paid 1t as soon as IL vas payable.
This report now alleges ihat sec
onG notice Of assessment, of Si20, was
duly mailed to me in an offiCial cr-
velope,' though no date Of mailing II, or
CONTINUED on Tenth Page.)