National Republican., 1876-04-06
NECESSITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT
The Present Cost Of Its Administration

The Present Cost Of Its Administration
The District Commissioners yesterday trans
mitted to Hon. A. II. Buckner, chairman of the
Committee on the District Of Columbia of the
Houte Of Representatives, the following commu.
nication:
1--WE respectfully submit the following an.
swers to the ten interrogatories, of the frs.
series, propounded to US by your committee,
which relate to our execution Of special duties
imposed upon us by acts Of Congress and our gen.
ersl administration Of District affairs.
$50 the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth inter
rof atores, which relate to matters under control
Of the engineer or connected with his depart.
ment, We shall not be prepared to make full an.
swer before the completion of the tabula.ed
schedule required BY the second series of YOUR
interrogster and which will present in de.
mept.
For convenience of reference we place each
1nterrogatory before our answer to It. giving 70
both the number used BY you."
ABoLIsH1Ns AND CONSOLIDATING OFFICES.
The first interrogatory is as follows:
II. Whether they have abolished any office
consolidated two or more Offices, or reduced the
number OF employees In the service OF the DIS.
trict government since the passage OF the act OF
June 20, 1873; If so, what ot1ces have been so
epOlleucu anu 10 Wlat extent thew
have reduced the number of employees Of said
District, both In number and amount OF reduction,
and II any othcfals I'LL more than one office
specify names, rates and amounts received BY
such,"
The Commissioners answer thereto: Immsdi.
ately on entering upon the duties OF our ofiee
unoer the act OF June 90 1874, we abolished all
the offices Of the late Bosro Of Public Works and
the following Offices Of the District of Colum bia
Taper Of water mains printer sSres dsn sne
uty collectors Of taxes. deputy auditor secretary
and treasurer of the fire department, treasurer
Of the public schools Of WashinRton, treasurer
and secretary Of the public schools of George.
toWp, treasurer and secretary Of the public
schools Of the county of Washington, scsven-
retsry, messenger to the register OF Wills super
intendent OF garbage masters, twenty-five gar
Washington, pbyiicsns and apothecsrIes 70 tSs loe
poor, superintendent Of lamps, two Commission.
srs Of the Washington asylum, secretary and
tres urer OF colored schools and three trustees
TO the poor Of Georgetown.
THE OFFICES ABoIIszEp.
The duties Of the ofice of the auditor of the
Board of Public Works were transferred To the
office Of the auditor of the District Of Columbia;
those Of the assessor and collector of the Board
of Public Works TO the Office Of deputy CON
troller: those of the register OF the District OF
Columbia to the otiee Of collector Of the District
Of Columbia: those Of secretary and treasurer of
eolorec schools to the Office of comptroller of the
District Of Columbia; those of seaIer of weights
and measures Of Georgetown to the marketmas.
ter OF Georgetown; those of superintendents of
public schools OF Washington, of Georgetown
and of the county Of Washington to the office of
superintendent Of public schools.
No additional com-ssgsutiuu was allowed to any
ofthese officers for or on account of the additional
duties thus transferred to them. On the contrary,
the cficers upon whom these additional duties
were devolved received salaries each of which
was twenty per cent. less than the salary paid
prior to the Soth of June, ls7i the salaries Of ali
officers and employees Of the District govern.
ment, except teachers In the public schools and
officers and employees in the fire department.
having been reduced twenty per cent. by act OF
June 20, 1874.
THOSE CONSOLIDATED.
The following Offices have been consolidated:
dent student of the Washington asylum consoli-
dated as residentphyslcan, "a visiting ply sician
has since been appointed, y four inspectors and
measurers Of wood consolidated into three, three
boards of trustees Of public schools, comprising
forty trustees, into board Of trustees consisting
Of ntneteer.
The difference in amount of annual pay OF off.
GERS and employ ees Of the late Board Of Public
Works, as evidenced by the pay rolls for the
the old eovernmeBt,S and the annual pay Of the
etfcers and employees Of the present government
Of the District of Columbia, as evidenced by the
date of your inquiry,) is S271,761 so. There has
been fUrther reduction since the month of JAN
uary in the pay rolls Of otticsrs and employees to
annual reduction Of S29o, ,3s9s0.
REDUCTION OF FORCE.
The sumber Of officers and employees under
the District government and the late Board Of
there being 23s employees less in ofice now than
on the Goth Of June, 1874. This statement does
not include officers and employees Of the fire
the same as under the former government, NOR
day laborers under either government.
COMPARING PAY ROLLS.
The details are presented in Q comparative
statement Of the annual pay of the officers
and employees Of the late Board Of Public
Works and District government, not including
the executive officers, as evidenced BY the
pay rolls for the month OF June, 1874, and the
psy 81 hs Of aDd
lumbia, net including the executive officers,
as evidenced by the pay rolls Tor the moath Of
vice presidents office, SO, salaries amounting to
S55, ,323, with presen: Commissioners' office, en-.
ployees, $3.50. Inspectors office, II employees,
IS employees, S54, ,4e6; with present engineers
42, $i9,5e2. SuperinIendent's branch, 81 en-
ploy ees, $77, ,oo7i now abolished. Superintendent
Of sewers, employees 81, ,45s with present force,
"a tapper,) $l,G70. Contract office, employees,
s.. eco; now abolished. Inspector Of buildings, 2
ss@P9ysss siS;O WITH present force Ssns
now abolished. Superintendent Of roads, 8 en-
ployees, e. $50; now abolished. Superintendent of
sorcs kas sp WatcSHsn @ smpoysssp Slsa ptsssa
with present force, (7,) s3, $40 Superintendent Of
property, Is employees, sls, ,65l; with present
sessment, Il employees, (including surveyor and
two assistants on the work, no salary fees for
special services, assistants abolishedO tl47o5;
trolIei's force, s. sl6 217. Treasurer Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia and treasurer Of the Board OF
Dsres
the Beard Of Public Works abolished. Paymas-
tsr's ofice, employees. $sloo; once sbolished.
tors once Bosri Of Public Works. Is employees,
tls 500; with auditors oice District of Columbia
l. 600; auditor Board of Public Works sbolished.
ATTORNEYS OFFICE DISTRICT oFUoIuMBIA
and sttornsy Board Of Public WORKS, . employ.
with Rpsssssns, :, paS,s s
$500; with present force, Z, ts,7sa2o. Mafksts
uoiiectop Of fsxss, register, 10 smpioysss S7 800
with present force IN COLLECTORS oface, el17ss
(rsgtstsr's ofhee eoolishsd.} Oomptronsr's once
ssperinssndsns % of ssssssnsnis @ and tsE:s, x en-
Goionsfs once, snpioyes. Sa.OoO; vi.S Pressai
l now aboiished. Washington asylum, 6smploysss,
.iss pr;,:Ds sssSoiS sSs e ss % s::s
coal, 2 SsfOi once sboliahsd. Phyrcfsss % ths
POO. rD snd 9ssis.s, sii 20; WIN eneans Al sI
Superintendent OF garbage and q gsfbsss mas
tsrs, S2o,eoo; with amount allowed Board ei
Health for same service, el5.6oe sinking fund
Il COL1mlt1lous cmpioycot, WIN Pkcc03t
fcrce, s. n s92. Public schools, (supegintshdsnt'l
once semploysss, q, 200; With pfssens force,
; re sstsi undsr tAs old rovsrnnsas Is s.sl ,sss
20 which e added $40 par month for 26l msmosri
Of the police force, trsductaon Of yAnder set 9
| ConEress,) t3o.l2o, making . total Of e407 SIS
COST Of present RoysEpmsnf, tl9o, ,o5l. 30. NumbeI
OF officers, Sc, undsr formef goveTnmeak 81; do
under present, .15I; reduction, 20. Re1ucsten II
amount Of expenditures for salaries, oz71 ,7ol 90.
Under the old goyernmsnt the sxssutiye ON
csrs, IN number, paid bythN Vsits1 Bsstss, re
missioneri, paid By the District Of Columbia, r
ceiye ti6 600. Id xs
ISfafHrR hrDrorIes.. - y
Ths Oomhissipaers say: since Jsunary Arfhr
4 ther reduction has been made BY the discnszEe Q
twelve eDploykes Of the engfneefs ofdcelen'
| six In the eznls q buperintende q pssuu{lD u
and taxes, reducing the expsndftpfea fof eAla
fies tlso2s, leaving 13s employees n ofhce Msrcl
81, making total annual feducttnn Of t29o. 3e9.So
Il The water registrar fs also commtesfonor Of tn
| Washington Asylum, and receives - such e2o
| per annum for his services, . reduction Of $50
| per apnnm on the amounts formerly paid 70 ID
| commissioners Of the asylum. One Of the com
| missionefs OF the fire department q secretary 3
/ the fire department, and Receives oooo per snnun
| for his services ee such, In addittonto his Day
| commissioner OF the fire dspartment No othe
| ofHcers or employer Of the Dtstyiet governmen
hold more than one once fos which fhsy are psi'
| By the District governmsnt. a hst q hxtee