Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
ADVERSE REPORT MADE
EXTENSION OF TIME FOR PAY
MENT OF ASSESSMENTS.

| In a report to Chairman Babcock OF the
| District committee OF the House yesterday
| the Commissioners recommended unfavora-
| Bile action on House bill 20597, which pro-
vides for the extension OF time for the pay
| ment Of certain assessments IN the District.
| This legislation has particular reference to
| the extension and improvement of 10th
street northwest, and the bill has been in
| troduced at the instance of several property
| owners affected by the improvement and
| against whom assessments have been levied
In the form Of benefits. They declare that
| the improvements where their property is
| concerned is only ION paper" and they do
| not consider 1t just for the District to re-
quire them to pay the assessments until
| the work In question has really been COM
| pleted.
The question of these assessments has
| been the subject OF much discussion and
| long controversy. Last week the Commits
| sioners granted a public hearing TO the
property owners interested in the question
| and considered the views Of the latter rela
| tive to why this extension of time for the
payment of the assessments should be
| made, before submitting their adverse re-
| port to Congress.
Substance of Report.
| In their report the Commissioners explain
| the question and give their reasons for not
approving it, as follows:
| Sixteenth street was extended In &C
cordance with the acts of Congress ap-
proved March g. 1899; January 30, 1900 and
June 6, 1900 The proceedings of condemna-
ton were instituted April q, 1900, the YER
| dict OF the jury rendered May q, 1901, and
the proceedings We're confirmed by the court
| April 10, 1902. The total amount awarded
| as damages for land taken was S729 952 -,
and the total amount assessed as benefits
\ he cal,
| street referred to in the bill that Is north
| ward from Oak street the damages award
| ed amounted to $40, 423. 20, and the assess
| mentS for benefits, Sl2,624 20. OF these as
sessments but $500 remain uncollected.
| The assessments are against property in
| the name of Benjamin W. Holman.
| The first appropriation for the improve
| ment of the street within the lines of the
| condemnation was made in 1893 This was
| 100000 for roadway improvements and the
street was improved to a point little be-
| yond Oak street in Mt. Pleasant. Fifty
thousand dollars also appropriated for
| a bridge over Pney branch on the lines of
| the street and $4,000 for extending the i'm
| proved street
Failed to File Objections
ut will be seen from the above that a
| period of one year elapsed between the fill
| ing of the proceedings and the approval by
| the court of the verdict, during which time
objections could have been raised by prop
| erty owners against any assessment, which,
| however, does not appear to have been
| done. Also, that tLr-e has been already ex-
pended an amount equal to the assessment
| for benefits. The money appropriated not
only benefits abutting property, but also
| has an effect on values north of the i'm
provement The jury in making assessment
| of benefits had no evidence before it of
| any contemplated improvement and had,
| therefore, reason to consider such i'm
provementS in rendering their verdict. AS
| matter of fact, lie appropriations have
| been liberal and prompt, and the gradual
| Improvement of the street has been fully
equal to what might have been anticipated
by any jury. ;.
! improvements had been appropriated for
| and made, at the present rate of progress,
| at the time the benefits were assessed, the
| assessment of benefits would have been
| much larger, even for the portion of the
| street north of Oak street, which has not
| yet been improved. 1t has been the prac-
| tice of Congress for number of years to
| provide for the opening or extension of a
street Independent of its Improvement, and
| to base assessments for benefits on existing
| conditions as to improvements
Method Adopted.
Under an act of Congress passed since
the extension of 10th street the benefits are
! subtracted from the damages where both
damages are given and benefits assessed
against the same property, and only the
| balance paid damages. At the time 9Th
street was extended, however, the damages
| were paid Immediately and property own
| ers had five years in which to pay assess
ments
1.-THE situation In the case of this street
| is not at all different from that of the many
| other streets which have been extended in
| the last four or five years in the District of
| Columbia and the Commissioners know Of
no reason why any special consideration
| should be given to this street"
Lincoln's Birthday Anniversary.
ArrapgemeptS. hay heen made nv Farra-