National Republican., 1874-06-01

uary 81, 1874, T,Io4 %
For year ending June 30, 1874, account
For year sa,dlng June so, 1874, account 80 :
= buildings, to Dsce3Rsr 81, ls7s, 2,s9 70
For yesr ending JuneBo 1s74, account
From GPininsf 10 1saaafz cours hne:, : i asa n is
Total receipts to February l. 1874. Ioo,sa. %
EXPENDITURES.
For year ending June 80, 1872, teachers
and contingencies, 29o,lH eS
For year ending JuneSo, 1873, teachers
and contingencies, = 81 : 2263 90
1878, teachers and soutingshcies si,oao 70
For month ending January 81, 1874,
teachers and contingencies, $40 4s
buildings, 7,s4O %
S 1sI3, school buildings - ls,o3s IS
For school buildings under contract,
For school buildings in thse0unty, m,sss -
Total expenditures on account of
SCHOOLS, - - 5S,3o7 50
E1cess Of expenditures over re- =
-a.zT eeipts' - - - lI&I53 -
ceipts and expenditures on account OF schools
from the Organization of the government OF the
District Of Columbia, to the 1st Of February ls74
- - .-1fxoRGH E. BAKER,
= u r-- Comptroller District Columbia
COMPTROLLER, DIsTSdGT sIE OF S G0LSSnsTIh, A,
Beyond the ingenuity Of argument, beyond
confusion or perVersion, this great fact stands
prominently forth, that the District government
has expended for educational uses Sl73, 900 in
excess Of the revenue collected for school pur-
poses. When in the course of the investigation
this became indisputably manifest, the effort
was made, In more circuitous manner, to show
that the District authorities were IN dereliction
In respect to not having given certain credits to
the school fund. But the manifest and feebler
form Of indirect and constructive accusation
involves the abandonment Of the original
charge Of nisapplicatlon Of q portion Of the
revenue collected from taxes for school pur-
poses. Nor can the right to existing credits be
maintained. For the payment of Indebtedness
of the old corporation, including the debt for
educational purposes, the District government,
not being for six months in receipt of revenue
from taxes, was obliged to borrow money and
advances to the District were obtained from the
First National bank Of New York. Out of
loans thus effected, the sum of $3t5 900 was
paid for school purposes, under obligations OF
the corporations, which the new government
was required to discharge. Under an act OF
the Legislative Assembly of June 20, 1871, az
account was stated between the District of Co
lumbia and the old corporation of Washington
in respect Of the obligations of the latter paid
on the part Of the latter to the former.
OF the sum thus found partial payment was
made In cash; and for the residue certain bonds
expressed on their face to be city of Washing
ton bonds, were transferred to the District au-
thorities. The money was in turn paid by the
District authorities to the First National Bank
Of New York, the real creditor in the transac-
ton, thus reducing to that extent the debt;
and to secure and obtain forbearance for the
ST afihe ind hfadp 20 he haa he
bonds referred to were hypothecated. They
are still thus held, the Indebtedness being I'M
discharged. II It had been practicable to
wholly discharge the debt due to the bank,
and to sell the bonds, then the school fund
would have been entitled to its proportion of
the city OF. Washington securities. But, In
point of fact, the bonds we're hypothecated to
obtain further forbearance from the creditor
and secure loan, out of which the school
fund had received more than the usual propor-
ton between schooltaxes and those for other
purposes. Therefore, until q final settlement
shall have been effected, the debt to the New
York bank discharged, and the bonds sold or
released, It will be utterly impracticable to
spportion any part of the proceeds Of the secu-
rites, or to transfer any portion of the bonds
themselves to the school-fund. The modified
tration of school matters consists merely In
the complaint that such spportionment, impos-
sible as 1t is, has not been made. The proceed
iRgs Of the District authorities in negotiating
the loan, out of which payments were maze
both of the arrears of salaries due from the
old corporation to the sehoolteachers, and also
for the erection of school buildings, as well as
the action of the officials in hyrothecating the
bonds to secure the debt thus incurred, were
not merely for the benefit Of the school teach
ers and the sehoclsystem Of the District, but
were also in literal accordance with the enact
ments of the Legislature.
/. In It's primary form the accusation against
the District government Is calumnious. In its
modified and argumentstive form IL Is unten-
able. The vhdication of the authorities con-
sists in the admirable school system now under
9sintspsnss, a99 II the great fac. that for the
education Of children the present government
has expended s1ZS, 900 more than the revenue
It has collected from school taxes. The war
and It's results brought 70 the capital of the
nation thousands Of smancipated freedmen, and
the burlen Of the education of their children
has been borne by the tax payers of this Dis
trict. Furthermore, 81 per cent. Of the
children educated in the free schools of the
District are the children OF employees Of the
General Government, paying no taxes here.
Justly, therefore, the twenty-third section Of
the organic act recognizes the obligation Of
Congress to provide donations for the main
tensnce of the school system of the District.
Had the obligation thus confessed, had the ex-
pectation thus created, been even partially
realized, the salaries Of school teachers would
never, under the District government, have
fallen.in arrears. Is reproaeh to be visited on
the authorities whose expenditures for educa-
tionsf uses have so lsrgely exceeded the
revenue for school purposesi Does no part Of
the responsibility rest upon that Government
which promised just donations and then with
held themi
arHE MANNER AND SPIRIT OF ApMry1srRA-
-1 TIoy BIZ THE BOARD OF PUBLIc WORKS.
After this unjust accusation concerning the
disposition made Of the revenue recsiyed from
school taxes, s'the manner and spirit In which
the general system Of improvements was in
augursted" Is made the next subject Of CON-
plant In the argument of the leading counsel
OF the msnoriaiists.
The two matters which are In this connec-
ton made the chief subjects Of criticism ara,
frst, that the Board of Public Works departed
from the plan submitted TO the Legislatiys
Assembly on June %, 1871, and subsequently,
introduced wood and copcrete pcysments 20 9
greater extent than was Contemplated In that
project; and, secondly, that contracts were NOT
let to the lowest bidder after advertisement
but were awarded at rates IN aeeordanes win
general scale OF prices fxed BY the board,
But for the action thus complained OF me
Board of Public Works not only had judiciai
sanction In the decisions of the Un;tea States
courts, 50 far as concerns the legsIJ oi US
proceedings, but had received also implied ou'
repeated approval by Congress as 70 tne sApe- y
Board Of Public Works with reference 70 tho
plan referred to was elucidSted a futly d Toe
Investigation ordered BY the House Of ksprs-
1 I'd"