Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-12
OTHER PUBLIC UTILITIES
Commissioner West Directs Inquiry
Regarding Omissions From List.
COMPANIES NOTHING TO SAY
Service Pipes and Gas Meters to Be
Hereafter Included in the
Assessment.


Aso direct result Of the statement by
a., -, .,ss,s.,,- 49,, ea.,lrdav that the
" -, -. -, ,r,,,,;,,,
service p'i'S an" s'7 -
to the local gas companies III use III
the District have esCapcd taxation. the
details Of which were printed in The Star
,f Yesterday Commissioner West who
is acting as president of the Board of Com
i''9S'',''N' i'S "SN," ''' an ,I -
ii"ii '"' VI '"e -, ,,.,,,
'AN NO ,,.,,.,,,,i.
~ " " - t, l..,
=, +, .',...,,.t,,,, Of tho
,,,I .,,t .,xiT,,.., ~ IN. ,-.,rin,is local
nutNc utiIiti.s
.,,-t ", &c vow, much in
vs. -,
Rtftsteu IN TINS ne" "'Ne'"P''''"' III w"
OF the fact that the local government has
been a loser financially as a result of the
omission TO tax the thousands OF service
,i,.s md ,,.,, meters in the District
IN -. 80 fI,.,.. ,rr,a,.,.,.s th,. tax
frnnr v,ri,h tnr thrr. vars viii amount
g. tr.i,JI,- r-n,-n ie =, a l.,raa measure,
DIN ~ CnIn,,,s.i,.urr W'st' although he is
fncIne5 ~ CIV. th,. rrrdit tn 0th.-S When
m, SIT. mis- Yer mad. put,IIc of the
' si. reaitI md Cthrr holdings al the
1a,,rg.to,r, i,ao ipht Cnmnany as recent
" sworn r., ana fIIrnisi,d To th. court in
-, -, - Ir,I.a,,, - 5ourIe irs
capitaI stock Cnumissinner West noticed
MAJ the figures a al not correspond to
tbnsa an tLr hooks nf me assessors office
Te advised the hoard Of assessors Who's.
distinct dury fl : To discover cases where
prope-tN has escaped taxation. to take
oftirfal cognizance Of The evidence and il
US IIror trIs s,,carsti,,n nf ,,onun1ission-r
West that the omission was noted and the
conclusion reached that the District gov
eminent has been A heavy loser
NO ACTON py companies.
The members of the. board of ass .ssors
b5 a.i,.ad no ,,,,,,ioo,i,, fr,, IT,
Two gas companies up until noon To-Day re-
gardlng their Increased assessments. 1t
10 believed by the members of the board
bn.,.,,a- 49,, ,ba oa,ci.le -, ,h, ,,.s ,or
porations will at the proper tine file pro-
.es's against 'he ACTON on the part oi
srss,nert "
A Star reporter TODAY asked William p
Orme. secretary of the Washington Gas
Light Company, for an expression regard
my Il's ne" Itteloi,fnehI, Du' ne refused 10
Iean nr,sident nf the comnanv is AZ nraS
ent al Saratoga Springs. \. y. The Of
ficials of the Georgetown Gas Light Com
pan! were likewise silent when asked for
an eNPi eSs4"i ot views
ihe ohlcIaI eApidha'oh OF TINS increased
assessment ana me history OF omission as
mace by l. w w HrlThh To-Day Is as foI-
lows
ChHef the Jaw IL is incumbent upon tie
oodIu OF assistant assessors 70 aIlA va!ue
~
fumhld suDJect 10 taxation and to make
return Thereon To the assessor whose duty
~ 10 20 eh'er such assessments upon the tax
81 ~, o c.9., ,,,roo,, 1,,, ,o.,, ,r,.;,,,
pS 81 appiofeu 1u'H l. ~, pioNIulhs ioi
PeIs"h"t .aAauoh III 'he bls'i4c'' gas com
pahIeS are taxed per cent per annurn
upon men sioss tanniIsS. rms Jaw aiSo
tax the real estate owned by each gas com
pan! sha!i oe taxed as otnei feaI estate Is
The Washington Gao Tiyb, Co.nnanr u,oS
for the wear 1907 assessed 81 Ops IA DOR
Il tax of 81. H. 90. and the Georgetown
company $4,000 Cor a tax OF Ss4O.3OJ upon
realty eN'iusi'e Oh mains
Basis OF Taxation.
In addition to these two items of "n.rson
atty and realty covering land and build
ings)" the two companies have ND until
the present dale been assessed for mains >.
the assessment for the WASHINGTON com
many, h.ino Sc12 -o- 5or = So. = 90 .,,- ,.,,
va ~ " "''-''"
anu tha' lot the georgetown company be
S2l,da tor tax of 1922 80. The board OF
assistant assessors having no uersoraI
knowledge Of the amount of maine a., ~
nv the gas Comnanias .acb - -, ; Gu
AT their assesSm.pt +, ~ -, 49, 90
Tnent vybich has -, e r. ~ a SAT-
mitted by the connaniee annHsu,' rs sup,
statements. however did not fncI,Id. 60
ice Mines and noa,ara ~ ~ tii0luue sei'-
the hoard aTteT caref,'I ~ me 4pi'oh OF
pronertias are tavahia - So so4I' .tteSs
taxsfinn -Tbs hIard - ~ eStapeu
dat n, ang,,s+ IN 100 . u'iuei
assessor an IT,, ~ e. 49, neu 10 me
Waahinyton GasI ioh, $1,000 $1,000 aeahs 81 .Le
ae"St H'e georgetown Gas Light Com
resulting tax.s , 49, anu meters. Inc
womb h, 500 ~ I'm :, .mese assessments
"' "' Si'''V ana sl''+oH respectively.
Another Provision of Iaw
In ad5i,,or ., a.,
"" " muse asStssInen ts FOR 1908
'.ie poa'u mas submitted an assessment for
similar amounts against the co,,r.,ios 60
the years 1905 and 1907 ,,raar . .,,.i
of Law which rood a. - Pi'NiSioh
9TH, a, t1 -
'h' s"'u ooaru OF assistant asses
sors shall learn that any property liable
to taxation has been omitted from tho &c
sessment for any previous wear ar v.ars -
has heen so assass.d No. 81 vi
reassess such nron.rtv for aeoh -, - -