Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-07-18
LOCAL NEWS.
THE MESSAGE OF THE MAYOR

we lay before our readers to-day the annual
message of Mayor Wallach, which was SUBJ
mitted to the Councils on Monday night, in
which will be found much information in
relation to our finances, city improvements,
and other matters of interest.
MAYORS OFFICE, CITY HALL, July 16, 1866
10 The Board 81 Aldermen and Board of Common
Council = Gentlemen For your information
ana guidance, and TO enable you to discharge
properly the duties that have devolved upon
you, it is essential l should furnish you, as /
dId 10 your predecessors, statement Of what
has been done during the past year, the con-
dition Of the funds and resources Of the city,
and what. in my opinion. will be necessary
for the general and specific purposes of the
corporation during the present year / may
here remarS, that while the growth and pros-
peri'y of our city, and the development OF in
dustry and enterprise on the part of our fel-
iow-eitizens, as we'll as our health and conye-
nencP, have required increased facilities and
improvements, necessarily entailing upon us
an unusual burden, in the way of special tax
es. there has as yet been manifested no indis-
position on the part of property holders to
promptly meet them.
This Willingness should not, however make
you forget that the city itself earns no money.
and Is entirely DEF rendent on, and supported
by the earnings OF its citizens, and the best
municipal government Is that which exacts
the smallest portion of these earnings, and
gives the greatest equivalent for what is ex-
acted. while any want of consideration and
caution On your part in passing bills invoiy-
Ing the expenditure of money, inevitably tends
to an increase OF The city's ndeb'edness and
consequent financial EN- barTassment
That the income OF the city for the present
Will be greatly less than for several wears past
and VIII DOT exceed, if il reaches what was
reaiiZed previously TO the rebellion, while its
expenses are necessarily far greater than those
OF that period, is fact / would seriously i'm
iress on your minds, that You may appreciate
the necessity for either exercising a rigid econ
omy or deyIsing some way of increasing Its
TF- - Ftr.Ef
to NEE this eXIgrncy, is to pass no bill unless
when funds are hand 10 execute H. or
What,-as 1t makes each council responsible
Tor its own acts, and If eXtrayagant bear the
burden themselves, and not leave the cause of
blame 10 their success orS,-may be still better
mature no new work until that already pro-
yiGcd for Is done.
Particularly would | suggest to Won the nro
pr!ety OF great caution in exercising the DOW
er lately conferred by Congress on the corpo-
ration, 10 make improvements Of a certain
character without the consent and at the ex
pense OF the pi operty owners.
There should in such case be but one rule
and that imperative, to exercise that mower
only with the consent of a majority of those
whose property is TO be taxed, unless when
demanded by public convenience or necessity
DEBT
The subject which will naturally first attract
your attention, and is deemed of the creates.
importance, is the finances of the city.
The amount Of outstanding certificates on ac-
count of the funded debt is. S793OOO 20
" dteI sloch 11O,OOO 10
s943,OOO 90
Fodfing Debt
Note at the Bank of Washington, under act
Feb q. 1854, and Sept %. 1854 $500 90
Note at First National Bank, given
under act Sept 90, 1864 49,. - 25,OOO GO
N.te at same Bank. given under act
April II, lsG6.... ................ $4,000 OO
Reward for apprehension of assas-
sins OF President Observation-Disclosures. 20OsO 90
InieInaI revenue tax 49,. ....... i2,G0i 62
Bonds OF Washington and Alexan-
dria Railroad Company ........... 39.siO 20
Amount In arrears TO Corporation
employees =. . 2...........2 2IsI0 30
Amount que 10 contractors. $1,000 20
Aggregate floating indebteness 500 oai %
The funded debt, though apparently the
same as last year. has, in reality, been reduced
S6,il5. that amount of our six per cent stock
having been purchased and is now held by
the CITY for the use of tine school fund
1t will be seen, in comparing that year with
the present. that two items of the former, viz:
i ote at the Bank of Washington for $4,000 and
the amount due for bountes to drafted mem
tstimated at Si5.6CU, but really Sl9,05O amount
ing 10 S29,C5', have been paid; while an in
uebtedness of S25,UOO, in executing the law pro.
vidIng for the Improvement of the canal for
sanitary purposes, and tor which i was au-
thorized 10 anticipate the revenue to the ex-
tent OF SI3,OoO, has been incurred, and the
floating deDt increased
The excess is mainly attributable to the fol-
lowing causes:
LIST. The error in estimating the amount of the
internal revenue tax. ,2,6g4 61
ID Amount required TO purchase six
per cent stock for use of public
Sd. Excess over appropriation re-
quired for bounties. es........... 1850 GO
4th. Amount in arrears to Corpora
ton employ ................. 24SiO 30
s47,3ss %
This statement exhibits the gratifying fact
mat had not an error occurred in the ad yer.
nsement OF the tax sales, compelling post.
pon ement OF the receipt of the amou ut usually
available from that source from May to An-
gust. and the necessity for the Improvement
of the canal had not existed, our floating debt
year. In addition, the Corporation has aeon,
mulaied properly
For the public schools. ..... S63 Ola 16
TOT !he ETe department. ............ 64,951 63
For the Police Department. ......... 3O,O17 IS
For material for new Centre Market. 10000 GO
sl67, 1883 IA
An amount which, when what is in arrears
and due to Corporation employees, and the In
ternal Revenue tax is paid, the former SO soon
as the money ian be realized from the tax sales,
and the latter so soon as Congress shall pass
The, bill now before them re.imbursing this
Corporation moneys advanced to the general
government, nearly equal to the whole float
ing debt.
The receipts for the last year were as fol.
From axes. .S375,00O 90
rom lice ehses:..... ...s........... 176,O97 81
FROM n0ucs Omcers.... 3S,2 ,22S 13
From Water Department. ..... 5I.567 ss
From permits for excavations. 25ie ne
From fines to School Fund. . Ions 0e
Reimbursed by the United States for
Improvement in front of their pro.
perry y................."... 30,54l So
S675, 1s9 81
. EAPENDiTuRks FOR THE SAME PERIOD.
From The General Fund. &o67. SAL q
From the School Fund. nd.. 7a6sz "a
From the Water Fund ., 5I5s6 "a
From the Metropolitan Police Fund 33'437 %
rst sra..:.. .....-............... 26,94 "a
Secono Wro. ..................... So, ,i05 IL
MIRO waru:....... .....-............... 41,472 80
ouItn ward. ....-................. 70,04l 10
Z Htn w arc ...-..-................. 1870 ~
? A'h WaIo. ..................... 20,437 ~
Se'enth !" ara no....................... 19,4S6 1S
S67S,72O 95
augmented business OF the Corporation renders
no%is y Necessary mat you should by act Of your
n Ger 10 supervise the accounts and hooks NJ