Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-20
ASSESSORS OFFICE
MR.. DARNEILLE SENDS REPORT
TO COMMISSIONERS.
Makes Personal Statement Regarding
Recent Investigation and Recon-
mendations by Committee.

Hopewell H. Darneille District assessor,
has submitted 10 the Commissioners his In
dividual report relative to the recommen-
dations made by the examining committee
with reference to the Office of assessor.
Mr.. Darnelle presents arguments against
the adoption of almost all of the recon-
| mendations for changes in his office.
With reference to the suggestion of the
examining committee that the assistant as
SCISSORS ought to make their notes in field
books with pen and ink instead of lead
pencil the assessor says that the members
of the board of personal tax appraisers and
the board of assistant assessors of real
property are PERSONALLY liable and RESPONSE
BILE for each and all of their acts from
the time they begin their duties until they
make return to the board of personal tax
appeals or the board of equalization and
| review, as the case may be. Mr.. Darneille
says that the data contained in the field
books used by both the board of personal
tax appraisers and by the board of assis-
tant assessors of real property. is merely
the private memoranda of the individual
members Of such boards; and books are
In the nature of private memorandum
books, used by the assistant assessors for
the purpose of refreshing their memories
as to the work performed in the field.
These books not official records and for
the manner in which they are Kept the as
sistant assessors are alone responsible.
Mr.. Darneille also declares that il would
be entirely superfluous and that no salutary
| result whatever would be accomplished to
stamp the returns of personal property i'm
! medately upon their receipt by the asses
sors office.
Audit of the Books.
Mr.. Darneille, in eoncurring In the COM
mittee's recommendation that the audit Of
the books in the assessors office be con-
| tinuous. and that sufficient force be pro-
vided to keep such work at all times up to
date, makes the following statement:
II heartily in this recommended
ton, and have frequently so expressed my
self. both verbally and in writing. / am
still of the opinion that some office other
| than this should be intrusted with the
auditing of our books. ! believe that a
| commission should be appointed to audit
the books of the collector of taxes and the
assessor, and l hope that in the near future
Congress may be prevailed upon to make
an appropriation for that purpose, and thus
protect the District and its officials from
imposition by interruptions persons"
With reference to the recommendation Of
the committee that the board of assistant
assessors and other tax boards keep min
utes of their meetings, the assessor says:
This is an impracticable suggestion. The
nature of the business transacted by the
boards mentioned is such as to necessitate
innumerable sessions. For instance, the
board of assistant assessors for real estate
and the board of personal tax appraisers
during large part of the year go into the
field every day and spend the majority OF
their time riding from place to place for
the purpose Of viewing real estate per-
sonal property, as the case may be, with a
view of assessing the same. These trips are
in reality meetings of the boards. and it is
obvious that it would be impossible to keep
minutes of what is done on these eXpedi-
tions.
Preparation Of Tax Bill.
Mr.. Darnelle characterizes as 1.-The most
impract icable recommendation with respect
| to the tax department that the committee
has made the recommendation of the COM
mittee that before each taxpaying period
tax bills for all accounts on the ledgers
Of the assessors Office be prepared and
handed to the collector of taxes, and that
taxpayers be required to call upon the col
lector of taxes for their bills, instead
as is the custom, of procuring such
bills at this office.
"A system somewhat similar to the one
proposed was tried several years ago." says
Mr.. Darneile, and found to be utterly i'm
possible of Accomplishment. 1t resulted in
innumerable criticisms and complaints In
objectionable inconvenience to taxpayers
and in such confusion and delay in the col
lection of current taxes that the Commits
sioners, after 1t had been in operation for
a very short time, directed Its abolition.
ANY one thoroughly acquainted with the
methods of furnishing tax bills to property
owners and their representatives, the pay
| ment Of the same and the general work of
the tax department can see at a glance the
impracticability Of such a scheme.
THE arguments against it are too nu-
meroUS to mention, all of them being ap-
parent only when it is attempted to put
such a system in operation"
Mr.. Darneile declares that the commit
tee in it's report made several inaccurate
statements with reference to the business
methods in his office, and he corrects in his
report the inaccuracies mentioned.