New-York tribune., 1873-05-10
A COSTLY GOVERNMENT.


THE CONTROLLERS ESTIMATES HLEGAL-A DrYt
CIENCY OF A MILLION DiPESDING-RETRRSCH.
MENT DEMANDED.
tFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUS.
WASHINGTON, May 8.-The enormous esti
mates lately put forth by the Controller Of the Dnc
of Columbia are still the subject Of animated discussion
Important evidence concerning their ieg siy Is derived
from the following clause in The organic act OF ts
District:
Nor shall lands or other property said Disrxts
liable to a higher tax, in any one year. Tor all general
objects, territorial and municipal, thaa two dollars On
every hundred dollars or the cash value thereof
two per cent tax on tho present valuation OF the
property OF the District which has been increased abou!
80 per cent since the newGOyernment established.
will produce q gross revenue Of SI9lOO)O. which will Do
considerably reduced the customary rebate for prompt
payment allowed. and there is the usual amount that
it is found impossible collect But admitting that ths
District taxes would two per cent on the valuation.
the amount asked FOR by the Controller Is Sjlt9J IS
greater than the revenues OF the District can possibly be-
and il we add the districts proportion OF the expense
Of work already contracted for by the Board Of
Public Works saying nothing of the $252,OOo which
the Board has been counting to help pay IT. debts or
the sum that will be required to pay the current ex
penses Of the Board. salaries OF snbordnaes &C. va
have s7593O3 3s the amount by which the sum needed
TO carry on the District Government for the next yeai
exceeds its possible II the DISTRICT should pay
che quarter OF million that the Board OF Public WORKS
claim and which the Governor admits TO be due on the
four million loan, the deficiency will be increased 10
round million. This deficiency cannot be proyldedid id
by the issue OF new bonds Congress has forbldiei
the District to get into debt for more than
ten million dollars and the Of bonds now outs
lust about that sum- Now that the District authorizes
have been forced let the people know just how ths
District does stand, financially, the taxpayers arc Oe
ginning 10 get little light and to become convince
that If the new District Government has not already III
the year and IL months of its existence. become bAnE
rupt it won't take many months more OF the pFeeo'
kind OF management to make it wholly lnsolyent.
The whole principle which the District Govern
ment is organized, that Of taking the entire right 70
manage their municipal affairs away from the people
and centraizing it in the hands OF the PIesldeh1"
false and has borne its natural fruit The only deen''
that was made for 1t when the organic act was oeo'
Congress was that It would be economical Mr. Burt0a
c. Cook, Chairman OF the House Committee on tue NF
trict of Columbia in urging Its passage SAID OF ae 0'
corporation:
There are lsl. 900 people Ia the District The eo.td
the municipal government in salaries and incidental et
penses is $4,000 year, or 81 so for every man Ngu
and child in the district This is the thing ~n.H ~n.HJ
Committee have endeayOred 10 avoid. Ine pr0possss
government is intended TO be simple, harmoniV~
economical government
The extrayagant old corporation appropriated SSoS
for the improvement OF the streets o. the city, the ecu
nomical new Government has spent $1,000 100 III 'e''
than two years. The eXtravagant old corporation sp
$4,000 year for salaries and contingent expenses wv
economical new Government asks for SS5s5s9 Is loF v"
same purpose saying nothing OF salaries and contngD
EXPENSES of the Board OF Public Works. The oxtIa'S
CANT old corporation oppressed the people with tn
Of a 30 for each man. woman and child In order 20 pp
these salaries and contingent expenses; the economies
new government proposes 10 take from the people
a head for the same purpose. Does any oo1y gV s,sa
maj more 10 pay the speciai ana miscellaneous eN?en
of the city year. and IN addition 10 Az "Ie oro
from 10 to rs per cent OF the market value Oh sHC
they grumbei Who would ntf ...,
The unsound condition OF the finances Of the ls"N@
as shown by a comparison OF the Controllers eS'li,
with the revenues OF the District Government l.'
caused more uneasiness among the tax-payors OF a.
ties than any exposure Of the eXtraYagance OF 'ue
~ Pnbc Works or their disregard for All law tha' %
vet been made. Even the editors OF the ne"Sp'P
which are owned or controlled by the hinH =.
alarmed aud are loudly calling for Fetrenehmeu'
LEGISLATURE on the other hand, one oraneh o NH''s
anpoiuted by the President. and the other eeo'eu
diotation OF the Board OF Public WORKS, seems =,
no idea OF economy One OF It's hrst proposVOn' n
pass a bill authorizing the Board TO issue s'OV'O'
of bonds 20 be paid by the District .,,a,
"a. Cri1, in An editorial says; "Tnese OoN
ora % ma issued 10 make the net sum N"'
,rom the 100000 loan. The bonus IO q,
or,,e a Ooo 600 have been Issued, ana the PfoPH
ths Dstrlet is pledged for this payment prncPD'
49,, p, some means $4,000 was paid 20 nesouSS snS
,nnsn hondsan immense But 1t was ssS a an
now proposition Is made 10 saddle the loan from
ISitonal 100000 bonds thus lnereaslbs h nrooery
az ono oco 10 a. OOO aud rnortgagng tne tnepaeI by
=, the people 20 refund the money ,pd dbs loan.
or ,hs Hoard Of PuDhc Works. incidental 70 nrsto sS
J so far as the discount paid h correct qbe prop
x nendIture to be paid out Of the sOy ,ia,y of any
oson Is without parallel IN tho hhsn ~ n tbe c0un.
Ssate Territory or municipal government ~ By
try The scheme Is novel a. ina. =, might add that
,ncreasne the Indebtedness" The ~ ~Cre ,ha i.sue Of
,bs IeelsIaturc has no right 20 aalh0rAo % the
these new bonds without suO%iLRS "S TITS prchbe
people at t1e nSrs cnc ast the Committee OF
Ron or WAYS and Means dOnt seena W Ao0"
about.