Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-26

The following is the report OF the Commits
>ionciS OF the District ot Columbia. submitted
to tEe President OF The United States to-day:
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF
TIRE DISTRICT or CoIINET.
WASHINGTON, November 26. ISIS
10 The President:
selected 10y you 10 he Commissioners under
tie act Of Congress prOyidag permanent form
of government for the Distric; Of Columbia ar
pftIed June II, 1875. we entered on our duties
on July !St last. and organized immediately as
haTG by the election Cf a president. Il now
/ becomes our further duty under the act 10 pre-
sent TO you for transmission TO Congress our
hrSt report.
Tie Commissioners of the RiStrct OF Colrl,n
h!a, aPponted under the act OF Congress al,-
proved June 20. 1874, made four annual reports.
bilEging down the record of their transactions
however. only 70 November |, 1874. The re-
ICrtS Of the heads OF the several departments of
TIE District government. SuOmitt.d herewith
tNinht The Transactions from November l, tS.1,
Ia June so. 1873. and complete the record OF The
lclmer commission government.
1t is proposed hereafterto Slibmi; both reports
an,. estimates 10 correspond with the fiscal wear
Observed by the United states
The condition OF the streets and sewers of The
city presents the most serious question fha
commissioners have had 70 consider, embracing
tutlayS OF an imperative character which The
present revenue OF the District is Inadequate = Ia
meet otherwise than Dy extending the work
tuCGgh several years Of time, while health
convenience. progress, and the maintenance of
property values are dependent unOn lis being
promptly done. Under ordinary circumstances
Tie treasury Of The District, Oh The present basis
OF taxation, wGGld bc 3bl, 10 meet all reason
able demands for Improvements: but the extent
u1 rotten wood paVementS and the evil OF over
i0M h0in the sewers have grown 10 proportions
btyCId the scope Cf current revenues
Ike commissioners. in obedience In fhe rn-
Gu!elEcnt OF the act OF june J. lo,s submitted
20 TIE secretary OF the Treasury estimates Tor
Ire fiscal Years ending June 3e 1919 and Tupa
50 1880 For the former OF these wears fu,,
estimated expenditures were made to fan with
IN the estimated receipts: bGt for the latter
year the estimated expenditures inclGdinr y
surpiemental estimate. exceed the estimated
receipts by s1,339as II. Great embarTaSSmpD1
has been caused by tie necessity 10 present
Sucn eStlmaeS. and thcy have been submitted
OILY in the expectation that some way mighI
be devised by Congress, through Temporary
ADVANCE or otherwise 10 enable the DiStric; to
remove the rotten p3VCWeiitS. aud To construct
q system C1 auxiliary sewers. The work in
cljded III these estimates would place the pres
eht paved StlCetS and the sewers in Il thorough
~ SCCd and substantial condition, rendering
the scale OF expenditures thereafter much less
than that embraced in the estimates for these
Two Years, and would place the finances OF the
District in such condition that Oh the present
basis OF revenue $5Go.0o5 per year could be sat
apart, if necessary, 10 repay the advance sug-
gested as way out OF this difficulty.
IN THIS connection. We Ncnture To refer 10 the
exhibit which has been prepared under the
direction OF the Treasury department. showing
an the expenditures made from the National
treasury for national and District PURPOSES
within the District OF Columbia from go to ls.6
From this exhibit il appears that the total eX-
FeEdlture by the United States government
within the District since the foundation of the
capital city to the year ls16 has been
s92, ll2 395.s7. OF this amount S993lf $50 6s was
expended fer local government purposes and
iPf purposes IN which the people OF the District
had Joint interest with the United states; bHt
tie general government realized about - 900 $50
as far as we can learn. from the sale of lots in
Washington. Making this deduction. il appeaFS
mat the whole expenditures paid uirectlY from
the United states Treasury amount 10
S21.3l 95o.6G. This sum embraces besides the
mol sD1h N Lion I.s.Ir
eEf fenditUreS for improving t.t.. public grounds
capitol ard Presidential ncuded-the Rotan-
iSal Garden. toSetherwith their keepers watch
men. laborerS. and all Other current expenses.
ire construction and maintenance Of hospitals
lnflIlnlrleS. and jallS; the support Of prisoner
at Fenltehtlaries; the cost OF courts; the whole
expenditure OF the Washington aqueduct: all
appropriations fer bridges. Improvement o.
streets and avenues: for tic Washington canal
and Milling up OF the same. the jail and court
house at Alexandria, the city han iii Washing
ton. tGeedmen,S hospital, ami n4Ger9uS other
purposes The only expenditure for public in
SfftutonS not included, in " hich The ne0Dle nf
the District have any interest, t. the HoSnitai
for the insane: and the reason for THIS omission
is, that the District has paid for the malnte-
nance of its patients.
i statement Of the amount OF tax assessed
upon property in Washington from the wear
1sC0 10 1876 has been prepared b. the officers of
tne District, the aggregate amount, as reported.
Delng. $32, COZ 255 20
Add collections for licenses rentS.&c 4 OIs 626 l2
Add water department rents. 626, ,SSS 81
AdQ expenditures 0y GEORGETOWN 500.
Add expenditures by county,. 1000 600 90
Add expenditures by Alexandria.
prior TO ls46, date Of TetroceSs'on
TO Virginia. .;;..--:;:..;...-;.--... 1,e5o,ooooo
debt bt-..s.....'........1,'.' .. .o' 1858. 10000
Add outstanding 365 bonds ....... la.S4s,s5o.oo
Total expended by people Of Dist .ss5 sse, 800 a
Deducting the amount OF the bonded debt
above stated from $65, ,56a.3,014. there still re-
mains an absolute patd-rp expenditure by the
10 of rin.ah hfpfr ri1
Expended by the United states 273l1 $50 &c
II an equal division OF the expenditures for
the local government between the United States
and tie District of Columbia is a lust one as is
now admitted, then the United states is in
equity debtor to the District of Columbia as
above shown.
our purpose in displaying these figures is to
invite attention 10 the claim tie District now
has TO he assisted by the general government
and 10 urge this claim upon the attention of
Congress III connection with the plan of relief
from The burden OF pubic debt which we pre-
sent here, as Well as TO The need for an advance
OF money 10 put the cities OF the District in
profe order The debt once placed UpoD the
foGtlHg referred 10, the streets repaired, and
sewers enlarged as contemplated in the eSti-
mates submitted, the propOltionate yearly an
preparation 10y the United States would bn
thereafter diminished.
The burden OF the public debt weighs heavily
Payment OF Interest alone abSarbS about one
thlid OF receipts from all sources. including the
Illty per centum contributed by the United
States. To this sum must be added a large
amount for sinking fund to pay the principal.
Thus more than One-third OF the reTenue OF the
District year after year, goes TO the public
debt as now funded. Three hundred and forty
thousand dollars per annum are required TO pay
Off the District debt within the time of the ma
tufity OF the larger portion, and a further sum
OF Sl,WtC per annum TO pay of the three-SiXty-
hHe bonds, payable more than forty-SiX years
hence; in all, payment OF $i49,0G0 per year on
the sinking fund account. IL Is not practfca-
be, in view Of other current requirements, TO
set apart such an amount from the present rev
enueS. Renewal Of bonds must therefore fol-
low when those outstanding mature
The 3e5 bonds form nearly two-thirdS OF the
indebt ednesS for which the District revenues are
made to provide. These are obligations OF the
nited States.
Tie act Of June II, ISIS, commits the United
States to the payment OF fifty per centum OF the
expenses OF the District government. Interest
and sinking fund for the three-siNty- five bonds
and the funded Indebtedness OF the District
form large part OF the expenses. Any measure
that relieves the District OF portion OF the bur
den OF this debt relieves the United States 10
the same extent. This consideration has led us
tosubmit herewith a plan OF relief, which lessons
the yearly requirement on account OF the debt,
While securing It's eytingutShment within "a
fixed period, and I'm no way adds TO the respon-
slbiiity Of the United States. This plan con-
templates loan by the United States to the
District OF ffty-year four per cenIum bonds, to
be used in refunding al said outstanding in