National Republican., 1876-04-06

vas paid In cash q. the rate Of 81 500 per annun.
frst assistant was increased q 400, and the sec
ond assistant to 81 900, and they have been paid
in cash at thoss since the LIST OF April, 1875.
| and they have been employed In office work, not
| field work nor measurements OF work.
VIM Forsyth 10 the ,1rveyoT Of the District,
erbment. The surveyor has Dos received any p1y
| in money, ponds Otherwise IRON the District
efees Of assistant surveyor and additional assist
ant surveyor of the District Of Columbia were
abolished, and there have not been any persons
hllipg those positions, and no payments have
been made on account thereof in any form or
shape. either BY the District government or the
board Of audit.
ADJUSTING AND EQuALIzINs THE SALARIES.
The third interrogatory to the District Com
"a. State what they have done ,Iucs the pss-
sage Of the act Of March 3, 1875, towards reduc-
Of ali ofieers or snpioyees, payable from the
funds OF the District government In whole or in
sns Ss,,
further, II any officers or employees have been
paid from different sources, state proportions,
for, and for what periods such payments were
The Commissioners transmit in answer
schedule showing that, under the act referred to,
such changes have been made towards reducing
adjusting and equalizing the pay Of officers as
TO effect q saving Of S62, 35210 annually. The
officers and employees have not been paid from
different sources but In cash, out Of the revenues
Of the District, by warrants on the United States
Treasury.
COST OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT.
The fourth interrogstory is as follows:
~. What has been the annual cost CT said Dis
trict government, exclusive of the payment OF
last fiscal year Of the District, from December /
1T4, to December /, 1s75?) Compile and state
In detail the payments on account OF each de-
partment or bureau or board Of the District gov
eminent, including engineers department and
pay made to employees Of the board Of
pay of each official In each Of said departments
or bureaus, asylums, jail, SC; also, number, pay
and qualifications Of lsporers and other tempo
all of them are paid IN whole or in part out OF
the funds or bonds of the District; What new ap-
pointmeDts they have made to Office OF persons
not in office under the District government on
June 20, 1874; and what, if any. removals from
ettice have been made since the aforementioned
The Commissioners answer that from December
], 1874, to December ], 1875, the expenditures
were 81 si4 IS, and give the items-s229 s95 &C
being on sccount of indebtedness incurred prior
to June 20, lsi4 They give list OF removals
and appointments, and state that the treasurer,
Dents were appointed BY the late government,
and the engineer is appointed by the President.
OPINIONS OF The COMMISSIONERS.
The fifth ibterrogatory is:
"5: State whether, in their opiuion. the number
Of ofhcials as we'll as the pumber OF boards or
bureaus, could not be reduced without detriment
to the public service; and If so, state what re
officials, or by the abolition Of boards or consou
datlon Of the same, and what changes should be
made either In the reor9anizstion of said boards
or in the reduction of the number of officials;
and in what way, II any, reduction can be made
mept.'
The Commissioners say: Our answer to the
first interrogatoIy shows that large reductions
have been made under cur administration and
no further reductions suggest themselves 10 us
as desirable beyond those recommended in our
previous reports. We continue of the opinion
that the sinking fund commissioners can be iu.
diciously abolished, and their duties transferred
TO the Treasury Department OF the United
States. As to the abolition or consolidation OF
of the opinion that both the Board of Health and
Metropolitan Police should be under the dtrec-
tion OF the executive authorities Of the District
government, the same as the fire department.
We have no oficial connection with either the
Bosrd Of Health or Metropolitan Police Board,
which places Us in possession Of information In
them, and can, therefore, make no suggestion
either as to diminution or increase Of the number
now on their rolls. We have no suggestions of
further legislation required for reduction Of the
present expenses of the District government. As
occasion requires further reductions may be m ade.
1t is probable that economies and improved meth
DDS Of accounting might be effected by extending
the supervision and control of the executive au.
thority to such charitable Institutions as are sup
ported in whole or in part by contributions from
was invited to the subject of the reorganization
of the public charities of the District In our last
annual report, page 10.
QUESTIONS YET TO De ANSWERED.
lhe 6Ih, 1Ih, Sth and oh interrogatories, the
Commissioners state, will be answered with the
interroR atorles Of the second series hereafter.
They are as follows:
or sewers, been made, or any money expended on
about roads, streets, avenues, parks, canals or
sidewalks; or certihcstes or bonds issued there
for since June 20 1874, that either were not nee.
essary to the execution Of legal obligations or
contracts existing at that date, or to the protec
ing or commenced and not Completed at that ate;
If SO, state and specify what Improvements have
been go made, in what parts Of the city, who were
paid, Tin s. bonds or otherwise, and the amount
so paid, now due, or to become due to such con-
tractors; further, state whether there was any
mepts, and II so, in what cases, and whether the
lowest responsible bidder was accepted In such
cases.
AZ. If any new work has been given out withou.
Advertisement under so-called extensions or
smodifcatiops' Of old board contracts, state the
cases with original estimates under such con.
tracts and actual cost under such alleged exten-
sions or notifications, and whether the same
were given out To the lowest bider.
"S Specify plainly nature and cost Of any works
now In progress or contemplated, and proposed to
be paid in 3.t5 bonds with date and number of
contra cts and names Of contractors.
"9 Have works reported to Congress in De-
cember, 1874, as to be done with cash payments,
since been paid in 3.65 bonds; If so, what were
and what are the actual expenditures in 3.6j
bonds."
THE AUTHORIZATION FOR SALARIES.
The tenth interrogstory is:
'lO. Was the $4,000 appropriated for the un-
paid workingmen and laborers employed on the
streets and improvements prior to June 20, 1874,
which is reported by you as exhausted, devoted to
the payment Of said laoorers. and are any Of the
claims Of the workinRmen and laborers stfll un-
satisfied :? Il SO, state to what extent they are
The Commissioners say that the $4,000 sppro.
priated for the payment Of the worknsmen Of
contractors and The Board Of Public Works was
devoted to the payment OF those employees OF
contractors who had balances due them on SETTLE
ment. The contractors were required TO furnish
the rolls unoer oath, and the rolls were audited
fed 10 be due the contractor to the amount Of the
sum certified, and the board of audit was notified
of the amount paid, In order that It might be
accounts. They say: "All claims Of workingmen
under the Board Of Public Works and late Dis
tIiet government which were satisfactorily proven
claims of workingmen under contractors Of the
late Board Of Public Works have not been paid
We are not informed, and have no means Of
t "a
CoNTRACToIs' CLAIMS AND BOARD OF AUDIT.
The eleventh intsrrogstory reads:
I'll Were any sums Of money claimed to be due
BY the Commissioners or board OF audit, out Of
sums due the contractors, or any Of them, and
Of Public WORKS on the sd Of june is7i ~ Il 30.
state the names Of such contractors, the amounts
10 retained, and for whose benefit retained"
The Commissioners, in reply, give . List Of con-
tractors whose worktnsmen were paid from the
t76oco appropriation, and the amounts In each
case. OF the sums sudited e2l7.36 was wlthhel6,
and the warrants cancelled on proof being given
that the men bad been paid. No sums ofsmoney
claimed TO be due from contractors TO the work
hgmsn were otherwise retained by the Oommis-
sfoners ont Of sums due the contractors whose &C.
counts had not been settledon the 23d OF jane,
ls7l. The contractors' accounts were settled By
the board Of audit, and We are not informed Of
the amounts retained BY than out Of sums due
the contractors on claims Of workingmen, or of
fha unmee of thu cootrnotora from Whon tha mama