Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-01
nisfrict Finances.
TREASURER 6IIFIIIAN 70 THE DISTRICT CON
Al4cIONERS.

as follows: =
1.-The 4th section of the act Of Congress An
proved June go, 1914, entitled IAN act or Ri,
government of the District Of Columb 4 ard 70,
other purposes" as statutes, iii pr v anu i ,o
of the taxes therein authorized u. be levied fo,
the fiscal year ending June 80 1915. one-rourfl
shall be applied to reimburse the United State.
for its advances on account OF interest and Il
pay deficiencies in various funds for the tisca
year ending June 30, 1874, and that ..all the re
mainder OF said taxes not required for the afore
said purposes shall be distributed for the pur
poses and In the proportions provided by the
act of the legislative assembly of the Distric
OF Columbia, approved June %, 1919. entitled
An act imposing taxes for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1s14." The aforementioned act i'm
posed tax OF g on each 500 OF the assessed
value of all taxable real estate in the cities OF
washington and Georgetown. and ION like
property In the county OF Washington outside
OF the limits Of said cities tax Of ST. 80 on eaci
SlO0 of the assessed value of said property II
proV1dedthat 1.-The amounts assessed for inter.
paid over as soon as collected to the com mis-
sioners OF the sinking fund, TO be applied by
them TO the payment Of interest on outstanding
bonds and the redemption of such portions
thereof as can be redeemed with the money
herein assessed and placed under their con-
troll for such purposes, and that p
of property should be applied to the sink
ing fund of the District OF Columbia The
second section OF the act OF Congress- ap-
proved March 3d. 1916, entitled can act for the
support OF the government OF the District OF
Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1876, and for other purposes, Us Stat. sol pro-
vfdes that THE amounts collected under the
provisions Of this act shall be distributed for the
purposes required under the various acts i'm
force In the District OF Columbia, upon Just
and fair appOrtionment, to be- made by the Com
mssiOners Of the District Of Columbia or their
successors in office. Prorided, That before any
Of said fund shall be expended said appOrlion-
ment Shall he established and published by
said commissioners at least six times cOnsecIi-
q If no pf
Columbia: and said published aDpOrtiOnmpnt
shall stand as the law for the distribution of the
funds herein mentioned The acts for the sup
port OF the government OF the District OF Co
lulnba for the two succeeding fiscal Years con-
tain similar provision. II appears from the
publications. made in accordance with the pro-
visions. that of the tax OF $50. levied for those
years. the following amounts have been set
aside for the sinking fund. Of the funded debt
OF the District Of Columbia: For the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1SI6 II cents: for the fiscal wear
ending June 80. 1871, cents; for the fiscal year
ending June 20, 1873. ! cents and mills. !
nave the honor TO request that YOU WilLinforln
me-lst. BY what method OF calculation the
above distribution was made. I'd What
amount was collected on account of the sinking
Iund OF the District OF Columbia during each of
Tue years ending respectively June 30. 1873;
June 81. 1876: June 70. 1875, and June 80, ISIS
sd WHAT disposition was made of the amounts
50 collected.
ANSWER OF THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS
This communication the District Commits sion
erS answered as follows
- We have the honor to acknOfy1p1u,, the r.
ceipt OF Your letter of the 24th Instant relating
10 app0ItiGnmcnt OF taxes for the sinking fund
account during the Years $50. 40, :, and IS
ana REFER YOU 80 far as respects the INQUIRY as
To the methods OF appOrtiOnment prior 10 July
|. 1873. to the several reports Of the commissions
'rS OF the District during those years. From
THESE reports we gather that far as tie tax
levied under act of June 90, 1874, is concerned
the commissioners paid in reimbursement 10
me tnIted States for advances and payment of
deficiencies in various funds. as required in the
act. q sum larger than the entire receipts from
The tax levy. and consequently there was no
remainder 10 be apporttOned for sinking fund
OF Tor any other purpose. The appOrtiOnment
inlde FOR sinking fund for 1876. Isl. and 1873 as
cited by YOU. would have produced a total sun
Of about SijD,000 for the entire period embraced.
IL appears that various acts OF Congress. for
each OF the years named required the payment
out OF receipts from District taxes OF certain
specific sums. These embraced support of no
lice, health department. Pennsylvania avenue
pavement. insane asylum reform school. and
other purposes. The distributions. therefore.
We're made to provide for such special PAYMENTS
and Tor the interest on the bonded debt before
making distributions for other purposes. \
clause IN the act providing for the interest on
me 800 bonds authorized the Secretary OF the
treasury, under certain conditions, to
withhold from any OF the revenues of
the District OF Columbia. a SUN sufti-
cieht 10 refund TO the United states any
advance made on that account We assume
mat 80 much OF the receipts from taxes as were
INttESnsiiS W tIlfS contingency was
toned either for the interest direct or for Den
eral purposes. The revenues of the District in
neither year proved sufficient to authorize no
secretary or the Treasury TO refund the United
states their advances. AS a matter of fact
however the commissioners paid off during The
year embraced III your inquiry indebtetlne IS
FOUND existing on June ~, 1874. amounting to
Slsts2,6:9". or which amount there was Of
bonded debt S52D. Is aud q further amount
OF outstanding securities known as water Ger
tllicaleS OF slel,33t63, making total amount
appiied IN payments TO the sinking fund proper
H Stol ,63, 50. The remaining payments amount
ing 10 81 Zi6. 639.Di. were for REDEMPTION OF ylr-
onS pledged stocks and certificates ana floating.
indebtedness for which no securities had b,rn
pledged or issued. Thus it will he seen llc
Commissioners actually paid ON account of the
sinking fund nearly five times more than their
appOrtiOnment called fOr, besides paving 81
236,6s9.U. OF general Indebtedness For infor-
nation In regard &c provision for the sinking
1und Tor both the District debt and 365S we
refer yon particularly 10 page 10 OF the report
OF the Commissioners of the District OF COI,l,n
bia- dated November 1st. 1914"