New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-22
OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FINANCES.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FINANCES.
CONTROLLER BAKERS REPORT ANALYzED-TABIFs
THAT MEAN NOTHING AND TABLES THAT MEAN
MIsCALCULATIONb R MIsMANAGEMENT--A BONDED
DEBT OF OVER S9,900.0c0 ADMuTED-HAs THE
DISTRICT EXCEEDED IT'S DEBT LIMIT
PROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE fRIBusE''
WASHINGTON, Nov. f9-Mr. George E. Baker,
Controller OF the Of Columbia, has lately pub
Ished his annual official exhibit Of the financial cOnd
ton of The District and as there Is no Doubt that Is
faithful transcript from the books in Mr. Bakers ONCE
and throws little light upon the financial management
Of the Shepherd Territorial Government acareu exam
nation and analysis OF 1t may help to snow
inst how far the District Administration Is
guilty OF tho abuses OF which 1t has re-
Gently been 30 freely accused But before beginning
such an examination it proper ID remark that the re-
port to which have referred docs not explain either
directly OF Indirectly any Of the affairs OF the Board OF
Public Works IN connection with the operations OF when
the serious charges have been made 1t only deals
with the and appropriations for the expenses Oh
the District Government proper branch oil the GOV
which has been criticised for ts eXtraVa
gauce than for eged dishonesty and Is entirely inde-
pendent OF the Board OF Public Works except that the
Governor is en- 0Gicio the President OF the latter
Controller Bakers exhibit comprises seven tables,
covering nearly whole page OF The NaiiOnn ReDnb-
iicun. The first two, denominatei a. and b. are
osteusbly Statements of balances existing Dec. 81,
1872 OF appropriations made at the First Regular First
and Second Special aud Second Regular Sessions Of tue
Legislative Assembly OF the District OF Columbia eN-
pendtures on thereof and balances to eredlt
Sept. Is, 1875" These two tables mean nothnS; thoS
show neither assets abitie, OF the District and
is impossible to Had out from them whether the DlStrct
has paid up all claims for which appropriations were
made previous the meeting OF the last legislature OF
whether it on ths old accounts Sll9h2ll H. as
these two tables appear showwhat part OF that sum
is represented by OF appropriations ana what
part by unllq udatod claims against the DISTRICT
[ said that these two tables mean nothing
| the Organic Act OF the District, IN the section
giving to the Legislature power to make appropriations
provides that all appropriations, general ana special
requiring money To be paid out Of the District Treasury
from funds belonging 10 the District shall end with such
fiscal quarter" the FIRST after the adjournment OF the
next GUAR session OF the Logislature Ihat time eA-
pred on first of October 1873 50 that any 6aIanceso
appropriations not paid out before that time are no
longer available, aud new appropriations must be made
! for any old claims not then Cancelled. Any complete
and satisfactory statement VI the District finances wi
show how much Of these balances 10 credt OI those
who have claims against the District VIII have to be
met al sOm6 future time. IL the whole or one-ha
or oEe-quIIer Of them actual debts OF the DISTRICT
then the District Government is to-day in'"yent ana
the debt Of the Dstrc. already exceeds the legal limit Oh
! slOOJO,O0O
Table &C" isa Statement OF appropriations made by
the Third Legislative Assembly OF the District Of Co
lumba, pay ments made Hereunder and balances TO
credit thereof, sept 10 1919" From this table 1t APP
pears that the Total amount OF appropriations made at
the last session Of the Legislature, including those to be
paid in cash and those Tor which bonds were to be
Issued, the enormous SUN OF s3I56,o'0 Is. OF this
there Il to be paid in cash, during the current year,
gl03i9 49, and this latter does not include any OF
tho expenditures OF the Board of Public Works. the
larger part Of the expenses of the Board VI Health the
salaries Of the Governor Secretary, four members OF
the Board Of Pablic Works Ave memOers OF the Board
OF Health aud II members of the Legislative Council
The amount Of money expended b. the Board OF Public
Works alone this year will be than six millions OF
dollars. The salaries paid out " the United states
Treasury to about $4,000 The amount OF money
paid out Of appropriations iroI1 July to
sept 49, l513 only slIjlO 49, IL this Is economy In
a District containing about 10000 Inhabitants, how
much money would exlrIyagant Administration
/ speudl
The next table purports to show the of tho
District for year. and 10 compare them with
! the appropriations to DO paid out N them. The tax
levied the property real and personal IN the City OF
Washington is 81 GO9j g Georgetown It Is s254o %,
and N the county, sj20id p, making total OF sLSsS
PSI o. Adding TO this amount s2JOOl0 which it Is esi
mated Will collected IN the form OF licenses, 1t makes
the entire OF the District for the current year.
a. S252 The amount OF cash appropriated at the
last session OF the Legislature including deficiency APP
propriations $2,1lOS49 7j This makes deficiency
surplus OF revenue over apprOpria OF 0595 o. To
arrive at this result he counts into this years Income
toe taxes that are in for the fiscal years
ending June 90, 1872, aud June 80, 1873, which
amount 20 :328l9j "a, and which If collected are
no part OF this years income. 1t seems TO
mo that the airer way would be 10 set this amount
against the liabilities OF the District ltaned in state
nents "A" and b." for which appropriations will
have he made at future time. Again, he makes
no allowance for failure to collect any part OF the
LEVIED this year At least 10 per cent must be de-
duced for this item will swell the deficiency TO about
s200O, and only be mado up by collections OF back
taxes. How difficult 1t will be to collect during the hard
es OF the present year taxes which IL impossible
to collect year and the year before when they were
dle any OF your readers can Judge
The last table the amount Of the bonded debt OF
the district aud this Is matter about which there
has been much controversy copy it in full:
TIE BONDED
Debt he Dstr Of Columbia dtf hs
a Corporations " Wasag0a and GsoTgsfoT" ces!1 SOV
l.. 1873