Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-01
BIG TOTAL OF TAXES
Summary of District ColIec-
tons the Past Year.
submit ANNUAL REPORT
Collector Rogers Shows Revenue
Amounting to $7,553,215.76.
INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR
Suggestions Made for Betterment of
the Service-Showing of Un-
collectible Assessments.

A'So -
$s36.3S6.O2. The total amount credited
to the general fund. which is strictly
revenue, is $6O49. 701.11. an increase over
any previous year Of 1864, S02 96.
A summary Of the collections Is as fol-
lows:
Reany taxes: d a52 SEQ SEQ O. q;
Special reimbursement taxes 764 s.
Penalties and interest a 409 g. g;
Total general fund Sc, 049. a01 u
Repayments to appropriations. 1874 ,49s. 81
Miscellaneous receipts, L. S........ 1881 Al
Aggregate. 81, 553, 215. Il
Special and Trust Funds.
In the special and trust funds is in
cluded the District water rents, amount
ing to $500. S9445. and the police and
firemen's relief fund, totaling about s11O,-
600. In the miscellaneous Of the United
States are such items of rent Of wharves,
sewers and gas permits and construction
Of the Anacostia bridge approaches.
The absence from the files of the office
Of the original report furnished the re-
corder of deeds of the sales of real prop
erty for delinquent taxes is cause of de-
lay and Inconvenience to the public, as
well as to this office. and its retention by
the recorder after the date have been re-
corded serves no practical purpose. With
the view Of returning to the former GUS
tom. which proved to be satisfactory to
the public and q good business proposition
for the Office. it is recommended that sec
ton of the act in relation to taxes and
tax sales approved July 1, 1902. be amend
ed. requiring that. within twenty days,
exclusive of Sundays and holidays. follow
ing the last day, of sales, written reports
and statement OF property sold, other
than that bought by the District shall be
presented to the recorder of deeds for
record. to be returned to the collector OF
taxes after being recorded There are
provisions suggested, also. regulating re-
demptions Of property sold for taxes.
Taxes on Water Craft.
AS an aid to the collection Of personal
boats. launches and other water craft,
assessing and collecting the same were
improved the revenues from this source
would be greatly increased. 1t is diff
cult TO make an equitable assessment
on this class Of tangible property, the
collector states. and boats escape taxa
ton by being out of the jurisdiction of
the District at the time tie. assessment
IN made. while others arc assessed on in
formation given the assessors, which, in
some cases, is misleading. Some seek
to evade payment of the tax on tech
nicalities. the name and other descriptive
marks, as we'll as the location where the
boat Is locked, may be changed. making
discovery Of its whereabouts almost an i'm
possibility, while inability to locate the
owner. though not an insurmountable bar
to the collection, adds to the difficulties
experienced in the pursuit of the same, and
especially is this the case when the
property is owned by club, or by more
than one person. 1t is recommended
that system which would greatly facili-
tate the efforts Of this office to collect
such tax would be to require owners to
register their boats. with the name. de-
scription, ETC., and issue to them an
Identification number, the same as Is done
in the case Of automobile owners.
Assessments Uncollectible.