Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-25
.OEL|lQUENTS PAY UP
Threat by the Collector of
Taxes Has Effect.
VISITORS CALL WITH CASH
Official Sends Forth Force of Bailiffs
and Clerks.
POSSESS POLICE AUTHORITY
Assessor Says He Means to Gather
IN Crorio1 Aeoaeeyoap&. A A~a.,,-x
POSSESS POLICE AUTHORITY
Assessor Says He Means to Gather
in Special Assessments Amount
ing to Nearly 100000.

Following the declaration yesterday by
Charles c. Rogers. collector of taxes.
that he means to exert every effort to coll
lect unpaid personal tax bills and pro-
poses to employ stringent measures, de-
linquents have been hurrying to the Dis
trict building to pay up"
The publicity given the proposition has
already produced results, according to
Mr.. Rogers. Thirty-three persons who
owed the District for personal taxes ap-
peared at the collector of taxes office
yesterday afternoon and squared their ac-
counts All today residents have been
visiting the collector and placing in his
erasure of their names from the delinquent
list
Won't Take "No" for Answer.
Collector Rogers equipped his three
bailffs and five clerks with police badges
this morning and started them out to
make collections. The force will do its
work with the resolution, Don't take mo-
for an answer"
Mr.. Rogers said today that he is very
hopeful Of the results and predicts that
by the end Of next week more than so
per cent of the outstanding bills will be
collected.
Assessor Gets Busy.
There are unpaid special assessment
taxes amounting to nearly 100000 some
of them dating back seven or eight years.
pointed assessor of the District. says he
proposes that they shall be paid.
Mr.. Richards announced today that
ISiy fpfv he hoc hoo
lining the books and records of his Office,
and was astounded to find such a large
amount of unpaid special assessment
taxes. They are, for the most part. due
the District for street extensions. and
those assessed are the owners of property
benefited by improvements made by the
District. That there are so many of the
bills unpaid Is in no way due to any lack
of activity on the part of the collector OF
taxes office. according to Mr.. Richards,
but because some officials doubted the le-
gality of forcing the collection, as in the
case of delinquent real estate taxes
Advertising Property for Sale.
1t has been the &C ntention Of the as
SCISSORS office that the District is without
authority to advertise the property for
public sale, as in the case of ordinary
real estate arrears. and for that reason
nothing has been done, and the number
of unpaid special assessments has grown
each year.
While making an examination of the
books in the assessors Office, Commits
sioner West discovered, on the records of
the arrears division, the long overdue
special assessments for street extensions
Inquiry as to why the taxes had not been
collected was met with the response that
the office had been advised that assess
mentS for street extensions We're in a diff
ferent category from other taxes, and
that property against which the assess
ments had been levied could not be adver-
tised for sale unless some other general
or special tax was due on 1t. Commits
sioner West thereupon directed the asses
sors office to prepare for him a state
ment showing the assessments for street
extensions.