The Washington herald., 1911-03-01

berS talked TILL WeII-nlSn exhausted aDOu
the city tax rate and the needs of Alex
andria, the city council shortly before l
o'clock tonight passed upon the tax rat
question, knocking out the report of th'
finance committee by vote of 10 to
and adopting a flat rate of Sl75 on tn,
800, with a penalty OF per cent added
after July for delinquents The ole
. rate was $50 on the 800, with a dis
count of per cent off for prompt pay
ment. The taxpayers of Alexandria will
therefore, under the increased asscsSmen
just made, save only about So cents or
the S.0C0 on city taxes. and in order tC
do this they will have to pay their taxes
on the day they are due, which will be
July /. With the increase of State taxes
they will, on the whole. therefore. pay
more than ever.
1t is said that the new assessment, AT
the rate OF $l.75 fiat, will yield the city
about $4,000 more than il received in for
mer years. Those fostering the move
ment, among them many members of the
chamber of commerce. assert the money
will go for street improvements. In
creased salaries, it also is asserted. will
be paid members of the police depart
ment. and other improvements will be
! wrought.
The report of the finance committee
when presented to the council this even
ing provided for a rate of $1.75 on the
$1OO with a discount of per cent if
taxes were paid by July l. 1t was fur
ther provided that a discount Of per
cent be given if they were paid by Sep
tember |, and a penalty of ; per cent
| added If not paid by December !. 1911:
and on all bills not paid by June l. 1872
damages in the sum OF per cent be
added
AS soon as the report had been read
| by the clerk Councilman Leadbeater
moved to amend the report by making it
read 81. 10 fiat. which of course, elm
mated any discount and his amendment
provided that per cent be assessed and
collected as damages If the taxes were
not paid by July l.
/ Councilman Smith offered as a substi-
/ tute to the amendment that the rate be
made Sle5 fiat. with a penalty Of per
cent if not paid on time.
After nearly every member OF the Coun-
/ Gil had had something to say about the
! city, its needs and what could he done
! with the money received vote was
! taken on Councilman Smiths substitute
! which was lost by a vote of 10 to
| Next Mr. Leadbeater's amendment came
along for a fiat rate of H.75 on the
| 500 and il was adopted in A hurry.
as amended was then adopted. Those
voting for the report as amended by
Mr.. Leadbeater's resolution were +. S.
| Leadbeater, c. r. Yates. R d. Brum-
back J. Y. Williams, J. +. Birrell, r. L.
Monroe, A. D. Brocketl. J. T. Harrison,
G. 3. Swan, and Thomas Chauncey
Those against it were Hubert Snow
den. II. r. Burke. Howard W. Smith, r
NJ. Graham, c. B. Marshall. and F. C.
Spinks.
The matter of passing OF the report of
the finance committee was, under the
law, laid over in the board of aldermen
and will be taken up Friday afternoon
at o'clock at a special meeting of that
body.
Councilman Burke favored standing by
the report of the finance committee. 1t
was explained by Councilman Marshall
that the reduction proposed by Council
man Leadbeater would be a saving of but
J6 cents on the $1,000 to the property
owner. and he quoted figures which he
had prepared regarding the subject
A long speech was then made by Coun-
Gilman BrOckett. who declared that ap-
proximateIy 8 per cent of the increase in
the assessment just made fell upon men,
bers of the chamber OF commerce.
Councilman Spinks took the floor and
enumerated the improvements made dur
ing the past years under the old rate of
taxation with a low valuation. reCiting
how street sewers had been built and
the price of gas reduced. He called at
tention to a petition presented by him
asking for a fiat rate Of $l.65 on the 500,
which, he asserted, contained about %
names, which was about - per cent O. ;
the taxpayers of the city. and he claimed
all of the names appended to the petition
were secured in less than two hours
Others who spoke were Councilmt
Williams, Chauncey. Smith, Birrei..
Swan, BrumbaCk, Snowden, Harrison.
Monroe, and Gates. The majority Of
those who spoke, as indicated by the
vote taken aftcrward. favored more reve- |
nue. for the city in the shape of taxes for
improvements. During the evening sew |
eral small tits occurred.
Robert NJ. Graham was unanimously |
elected a member of the council from |
the Second ward, to fill the vacancy |
caused by the death of Councilman Louis |
w. Brill. He was escorted to the council |
chamber by a committee consisting of |
Councilmen Smith and Williams. He |
made a brief speech of thanks.
How to follow the work thus far accom-
plished by the Laymen's Missionary |
Movement was discussed among the mem
bers of the executive committee of that
movement this evening at a meeting held
in the rooms of the Young Peoples Build
ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. The supper committee was in at
tendance, and the affairs in connection
with the recent supper held when the
movement was formally launched were
settled.
Arrangements have been made for
meeting OF the missionary committee of
Christ Episcopal Church, which will be
held Thursday evening after the services
at that church, when methods for bring
ing before the church the needs of the
church at home and abroad will be dis
The old city Jail of Alexandra, Va,
which is being remodeled at an expendi-
ture of $4,000, is now nearing completion,
and will be turned over to the committee
on public property to-day
The jail when completed will be one of
the most up-to-date in this part of the
with a capacity for more than
LOO prisoners. This Improvement had it's
1rigin with c. B. Marshall who was at
one time chairman of the public prop
erty committee, who worked out the
plans with L. C. Dunn. city engineer OF
Alexandria. According to the laws of
Virginia, the prisoners OF the various
classes. black and white, will be segre-
gated.
Capt James Marmaduke and members
who will compose the crew of the ferry
steamer Alexandria, are in New York
for the purpose of bringing the boat
here. 1t is expected the boat will leave
New York tomorrow. to be towed as far
ae the Canes by a ting