National Republican., 1874-06-01

cord. On pa re 1853 Of the Governors answer
will be found balan.e-sheet showing the as
sets and liabilities Of the Board Of Public
Works. Its aggregate liabilities amount 70 \
"a, ,oo2, ,95S.76, and from this sum there Is TO b
deducted an aggregate of sS,2i7 ,6S9S0 con
sisttng OF securities on hand amounting TO
$ooS l7s SO; assessments due and unpaid, con-
stituting liability on the part of individuals
TO the board, and amounting to 81, ~; 5000;
and the value Of property on hand, reported
BY the superintendent Of property as s11s,-
l5045; so that there remains the sum OF
VI 1886, 200 .38 as the Indictment Of the Board
OF Public Works. Add to this S9, AZ, ,l39 81,
above given, and there Is an aggregate OF
SIC, ,s07 400. 90, representing the Indebtedness
OF the old corporations, incurred before the
present government came into existence-the
Indebtedness, bonded and floating, of the Dis
trtct municipality and of the Board of Public
Works. And If It be desired to proceed still
further to ascertain the total Indictment, not
merely of these organizations, but that against
the property of individuals, and not constituting
otherwise an indebtedness in consequence Of
the improvements, the information can be OBJ
tained Try referring to page 428 of the testi-
mony, where It will he found that the total
amount in sewer-ter a ,ates is 2,120,OO0, and
that Of special assessments for improvements
S5,2l7 ,56l 40, making an aggregate of 81 ,337,-
58l 40, from which are to be deducted those
b
to 81 ,645, ,251 "a, leaving s5 1896, ,20963. Others
have been paid since that time, thereby reduc-
ing this amount. Add, then, this Indebtedness
which exists only against the property Of indi-
viduals to the Indictment OF the old corpora
tion, the District municipality, and the Board
OF Public Works, and there is an aggregate Of
Sic, ,499, 1889. The computation furnished in
the argument in behalf of the memorialists is
erroneous, because It includes as part Of the,
Indictment expenditures already paid, aud con-
seque ntly- not constituting an existing indebt-
ment. On pages 194 and 1875 Of the testimony
will be found comparative statement Of the
the debt in the aggregate and per capita, the
the expenses and public improvements of the
principal American cities, compiled from official
records, presenting favorable showing for
the District of Columbia. -
This comparison is criticised by the counsel
for the memorialists, because there is taken as
the basis Of the Indictment of the District the
municipal indebtedness of something over
SO, ,OOO, 900, whereas II is contended there
should be added the Indictment on account of
improvements, not merely of the Board of
Public Works, but also against the property of
individuals, and this aggregate is exaggerated
by counsel in the sum of about So, ,00O, 900; the
amount of Indictment of the old corporations,
the existing municipality, the board, and
against the property Of individuals, being, as
above stated, sic, ,499 ,719 90. But it is mani
board and the Indebtedness against the prop
erty of individuals on account of improve
ments to the debt Of the municipality of the
District, unless the same addition shah be
made in the cases of other cities. And if this
be done the showing will be still more favora-
BILE than that shown on the pages of the testi-
mony above cited. For in other cities the
whole burden of special Improvements falls
upon the property of the individual, whereas
in the District of Columbia but one third is as
sessed against It. The debt of the District,
presented by the sum Of IS, ,121 $50, really
includes that portion of the expenditure for
improvements which was made from the gen.
erai fund. If, therefore, the basis suggested
by counsel be adopted throughout the compari-
son, then the showing in respect, not merely
10 results accomplished in the way of munich
pal improvements, but also in respect to the
amount of debt per head Of the population of
the various cities, will be more favorable to
the District Of Columbia than appears in the
testimony, which is as follows: