New-York tribune., 1875-02-15
THE DISTRICT POLICY.
WHAT LEGISLATION WILL BE BEST.

WISTER-<SOHE OF THE MEASUhhS "hiN' WV
GREss OUGHT TO PASS WITHOUT DELAY.
fFRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRibuNhI
WAsuIyGTOy Feb. 11.-One of the most lm-
portapt subjects on which Congress Will be obliged 10
egsate this session ia the future governments OF tne
District Of Columbia. The Morrill, bil whicn mas peeh
discussed intervals In the Senate ever since the open
ing OF this session, a long and complicated docu-
ment II possible that IL provides system OF gov
ernmen for this city and District nearly perfect as
can DO embodied In single bill. IL was' as
Is generally known. very carefully prepared
by an eminent New-York lawyer, and is with
out doubt the best measure OF the kind that mas
ever introduced into Congress, but, as Senator
Morton said in tho debate upon It, 1t 10 doubtful II any
except It's author and. perhaps the members OF the
Special Committee, has read It, II 1t Is passed at
all It must be faith and not because majority
or even O largo minority Of the Members Of Congress
are able to comprehend It, The present session Is too
short and its closing days will be full Of confusion
aud excitement 10 admit Of any careful legislation on
this subject and the danger OF hasty legislation In e.
the District has than once been Illustrated
Hardly any bill Joint resolution affecting the District
except OF last June providing for the temporary
of the District has been passed In the last
three years which has not had "job" in it.
But legislation In regard to District affairs Is
absolutely necessary this session. The present COM
mission ought remain power until they shall nave
time to settle up ars OF the District and present
I Congress
cannot done this session, and the transfer OF the
Government to hands while the old accounts are
eth open and old contracts aud claims are unsettled,
would open the door for unlimited frauds When tho
new Government comes into power, Congress and the
Taxpayers Washington ought to know to cont just
what tho District debt Is. what contracts
| are outstanding, how much their completion is
TO cost and the amount and character
OF each unaduscd claim An act should therefore be
passed retaining for at least the present Comnis-
son personal integrity and acknowledged aDilty
OF which people have great confidence, and 1t should
be required to make Congress at It's next session.
careful and compete report the affairs of the Dis
rict.
In order that the government OF the District be
carried on during the year. and that the Commits
soners may meet the obligations OF the Dlstrct which
may arise during that tn Congress ought to provide
evying OF proper tax upon the property OF tne
District and to appropriate enough money in addition
to make up deficiency that may arise after the taxes
! have been collected bill TO accomplish this has been
| prepared aud viii soon pass.
The appointment OF the Board Of Audit consisting OF
Controllers Brodhead and Tayler. and acting ndepend-
ontly OF the District Commission has proved to be
mistake. The theory which they were selected was
that they in whom the people had the great
! est confidence, and who would examine every claim
submitted TO them with so much care THAI only jnst
ones would pass practice it has been found that
they have auditors only in name Nobody doubts
their honesty ability but from the fact that their
duties at the Treasury Department occupy much OF
their time ior from other cause, they have not
given as personal attention to the District ac-
counts as the occasion demanded Almost the entire
work Is done by clerks. and the Controllers some
times do not go to Office Of the Board OF Audit
for several days in succession, and when they do so
there they just long enough to afx their sigma
lures certificates which the clerks have prepared but
not long enoug familiar with the character
NJ tHa 1,fp eyrI oh
plains the passage OF many doubtful claims Ike that
OF The National Republican OF this city for printing as
news daily report OF the investigation during tho last
session OF Congress. The looseness with which this
business OF auditing claims has been conducted Is stTK
ingy illustrated by the fact that last Summer Controller
signed In blank two books OF certificates ana
| left the city to remain away two months.
by q ront resolution approved Dec s2l 1874. this
Board OF Audit continued, until otherwise pro-
vied by law with all the powers and duties specified In
the original act and with ton to the members
OF the Board proportoned. according to time
to that granted in said act and payable as therein pro-
yded" The resolution further extended the time for
presenting claims until Jan. co. and In addition author
| lied the auditing OF an entirely new class OF
claims never contemplated in tho oct which
created the Board. Among tho claims orr
ginaIy submitted to this Board were those
included in seventh class. namely, all unadinsted
claims for damages that may have been presented 10
the Board OF Public Works pursuant TO an act OF tho
Legislative Assembly OF the District OF Columbia en-
titled" &c But the Joint resolution OF Dec 81. 1874.
authorized "persons having sustained,damages to real
estate but failed present the same TO the Board OF
Public Works for audit and allowance within the timo
above limited" Jan. 2o, e.. This was provision not
asked for or recommended by the District Commission
ers and slipped into this joint resolution, probably
| without the knowledge Of dozen mombers Of either
House. Under it very largo sums have been and are
| being allowed for damages to real estate and the
daI,t
| rally increased.
The passage OF tho above resolution illustrates the
danger referred to- OF legisatng in regard to
District affairs without careful consideration
In the first place. the resolution continued In power the
Board OF Audit which at that time had proved Itself to
be an expensive failure The work which was assigned
to could have been much more satisfactorily and
economically performed by the District Commissioners
than 1t has been done by the Board. For instance:
With from five ten clerks the Commissioners could
have settled up the financial affairs OF the District much
| more rapidly than the Board OF Audit has done with
thrtyfve clerks all Of the time and forty-eigh clerks
during large part OF the time. Again, the salaries paid
10 clerks by the COMMISSIONER from 80 to so per
cent those paid by the Board Of Audit for the
same kind OF service and, lastly, the evidence which
claims are audited In the hands Of the Commissioners
who give their personal attention 10 the District bus
ness and would be much moro likely to discover and
stop fraudulent claims The expenses OF the Board OF
Andit for clerk hire alone already amounted to
about sa5 OOO there to be doubt when 1t will
| complete its work. No seyerer commentary could be
| made upon the management Of the late Ring than
this fact that has cost $35O0o In clerk
hire and required the services OF 40 months to
balance up books aud that still the work 1t far from
| complete.
In the second place this resolution opened the door
to large class OF claims against the District Govern
ment which fully considered by the Joint Com
Of Investigation at the last session of Congress-
| and which they did not think 1t wise to allow.