Evening star., 1877-12-29

lntnts ana repairs IN the county from June J.,
ISL TO July i. Isl. The excess of expendi-
lures, over and above the amount of s16, 40.
tsss0. 4S3.5I,) cannot be made chargeable to the
private property of the citizens OF the District
Congress has distinctly said as quoted above,
that the District of Columbia shall not be made
liable for any such expenditures, so that, there
the amount sc Of s haSty G 0S Sased sadea apon
the expenditures that have been made accord
ing TO law; To distribute this lawful expendi-
ture OF s16.4D between the county and the
two cities. the roads, &C.. upon which the ex-
penditures were made, are to be divided into
four classes, the general rule being that the
city of Washington shall pay one-half of the
expenses of such roads east Of Rock Creek as
lead to Washington, and that the city of
Georgetown shall pay ne-half of the expendi-
lead to Georgetown, and that the county shall
pay the whole cost on cross roads. By express
statute, however, March Sd, 1871, the city of
wa Washington dn on was charged with nine-tenths of
leading to Washington, and by act OF Congress
approved March Sd, 1893, the city of George
WaS required to pay the whole cost Of
known as the Canal Road and the New cut
Road.
II is not necessary to the present purpose to
make complete distribution of thfs expendi-
ture OF Sa6.490 between the county and the
cities: by separating the expenditures on the
roads item by item. charging to the county
the whole OF the expenditures on cross roads
and One-half on such OF the roads as lead
either to Washington or Georgetown. on
either the Washington or the Georgetown
side oil Rock creek, and also One-tenth of the
cost OF the two turnpikes. the other nine
tenths OF these turnpikes being charged to
Washington.
1t is sufficient to assume that about one-half
OF the lawfYl expenditures on the county
roads Is to Ne charged to the county. This
amount is slO3,2i5.
so, 1887 of unauthorized expenditures. re-
mains with the gracious wisdom of Congress
10 determine. Congress has allowed bonds 10
be issued for the payment of these unauthor-
lied expenditures. but ii surely cannot intend
TO cODfiscate the property of the innocent and
helpless citizens of the District because the
0fhcers OF the government have violated the
laws of Congress.
IL is to be presumed that, having already
paid portion of this sum of $50. 0.4iS.17, under
the act OF January ), 1873. to the amount of
90, % the balance of $7S3, ,5434S will also be
paid by the United States.
As has been shown above the county being
chargeable with Sl0i25, on account of eX-
penditures on roads &c, we would determine
the amount of improvement bonds charge
able tO the county. il any, by stating the whole
account between the District government and
the county from June !, ISL, to July !, 1877,
charging the county on the one side with the
amount due by the county to each separate
item OF account: 1St. The General Fund: ID
The Police Fund; 3D.. The School Fund: 4th
The amount chargeable to the county for in
ierest and redemption of Chicago Relief
Bonds; 9TH County proportion of authorized
expenditures Oh roads.
Alter stating all the items chargeable to the
county, and then, on the other side of the ac-
count. allowing the proper credits we will find
whether the county is under any indebted
ness ness on account of bonds of the District of
school fund, average for six years. ..... $3.50
Police - /" " :" 7S35
Average per annum on above items. 1896
Total on above items for six years. .ss22 $50 90
Amount road expenses chargeable to
Chicago Relief Bonds (7S3 OF sl2i ,Ooj s.sss 30 30
Total, chargeabe Oh all items for six
years. .siSi, ,7Oi 30
The county. during the same six years. is
entitled to the following credits:
Amount taxes paid June. 1871, to
Amount credit of the Levy Court on '''' ~
settlement by the Auditing Com
Amount county balance Chicago Re. ''' ~
lief Fund uneXpended. ...... l,9}5 %
Total credits. .s557, ,si3 40
Balance to credit of county July l.
We find. therefore that so far f from l'I the ne
county being indebted for sinking fund and in
terest on account of improvement bonds of the
District OF Columbia that after stating all the
r.
paid its Indebtedness to tile amount of over
sl23OOO; and that while the average liability Sf
the county during the six years has been about
SAla -, tne average revenue actually collected
amounted to about $g2,y16-an average excess
OF about Sai.5OO per annum.
The amount of revenue to be derived from
the county In the future, will he as follows, as
based on the amounts heretofore actually re-
quired, and in view of the fact that the county
can only he chargeable upon items of expendi-
nnrftn
benefit:
The general fund.- per annum sSOOo
The school fund, per annum. m............ $500
The police fund, per annum ... 5000
Reads, &C., Zone half) )............. 26OW
Annual revenue required. ...........s $1,000
The balance OF $l23, l39, as above, could be
made good i'm 3 IS bonds which could be applied
TO the opening of new cross roads and similar
improvements in the county.
There Is large amount of real estate i'm the
county devoted to public institutions, which
pays no tax This property, amounting to
about 100000, which added to the amount of
some 81, 10000 of taxable real estate. upon
which tax rate of IS cents on the slOO would
give revenue of $4,000.
1t will be seen from the above statements.
that although the data are imperfect, they are
close enough to the facts i'm the case to Show
that the needs OF the county demand full
and complete examination of its affairs, and
that they should be settled on the basis of
Justice.
The county has not only paid its Just dues
but they have been Overpaid; and i'm spite of
constant and urgent representations reite-
rated from year to year. nothing has yet been
done to give relief, but, on the contrary, fresh
exactiOns have been made.
Ii IS only fair that all real estate in the
county, not used for church and cemetery pur-
poses, should contribute its share towards the
general burd n, deriving, as every part of il
does. as full benefit from the expenditures
as IS received by any other part Of this kind of
Ajax upon personal property is unproft
able as a source of revenue. and Is also injuri
Gus to the material interests of the county. as
1t keeps away capital, without which the in
terests in real property cannot be developed.
Ii the whole amount of real property were
to contribute its proportion, a tax rate of IS
cents would be sufficient to raise a revenue
OF $4,000 per annum, which is the proper
amount for the county to pay into the treasury
of the District, and is really as much as the
county can afford to pay
Respectfully submitted. (Signedl-E. j.
Middleton, jr., j. p. Klingle. b. ID. Carpenter,
John Saul, B. 7. Swart, Z. &. Dean, w. a
Christie, 5. NJ. Golden, Committee on County
Statistics.
AN ENGLISH OPINION OF AMERICAN OARS
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eff oh mil for IN