Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-08

District OF Columbia Sinking Fund.
LETTER OF TREASURER GILFILLAN TO THB DIS
TRICT COMMISSIONERS.
TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES, !
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 1881
Gentlemen:-I am In receipt Of your letter Of
the 30th ulttmo in response to mine OF the 24th
ultimo, in regard to the amounts which, by law,
should have been appropriated to the sinking
fund for each of the past four years. Referring
to my letter and the law cited therein it is ap-
parent that a certain proportion of the tax col
1ected upon each one hundred dollars OF prop
erty was for those years, annually devoted to
the sinking fund, that it was miSdemeanOr,
under penalty Of dismissal from Office, to divert
from its legitimate object any money levied Or
collected as taxes from the people OF the Dis
trict, or even TO make any change whatever by
transfer from one fund to another. BY law, the
funds SO devoted were TO be delivered to tue
commissioners OF the sinking fund, to be by
District. Then was set apart for the fiscal year,
1876, eleven cents Of the tax collected on each
one hundred dollars; for 1877, two cents; for
1873, four cents and seven mills.
To my first inquiry, "By what method OF cal
culatiOn the above distributions were made"
you reply by referring to the several reports Of
the Commissioners during those years; have
had the reports you mention carefully exam
ined, and find no allusOn to the method by
which the proportion OF taxes was set apart,
and would be obliged if you would name the
nation may be found.
To my second inquiry, "What amount was
collected during each OF the last four fiscal
years." you reply "about sl5O000;" which, be-
side being very vague, is astOnishingly small,
when it is considered that there were probably
1896, 1852 81 OF taxes collected during those
sones acS S1o to SRs e tae or 1
81 OO5 l4 for 1877, 81 1856 o. for 1915, esti
mated, 81 $4,000 the tax year not being closed
made Of the amounts so coiiected,S You do not not
allege that any portion thereof was paid over to
the commissioners OF the sinking fund, as the
law directs, but aver that the District Commits
sioners actually paid on account OF the sinking
fund nearly four times more than their appor-
tonment called for, besides paying 81, 236, OF
OF general Indebtedness
the commissioners of the sinking fund Of the
District of Columbia, and in reply to my in
quires, honestly made for information and for
the best interests OF the District, am, by order
Of your honorable body, invited to look for that
information where it Is not found to exist; am
told, when l ask for the amount realized each
laws OF the United States, and of the District,
and after public advertisement Of the yearly ap-
pOrtIOnment, that the amount devoted to the
sinking fund for the four years was 'about
Sl5O,OO0,' and am then treated to recital OF
financial transactions of the past, not definitely
warranted by law, by which it is made to appear
that although the sl5o,Ooo was not legally de-
voted to its specific object, yet something over
Sl.9O00O0 of debt, bonded and floating, was
wiped out about that time. l wish no contro-
versy on the subject. find that for sixty years
there has been one long attempt at a sinking
fund for the District; that for forty years there
have been commissioners OF the sinking fund;
that the bonded debt is at this time over
$22 0GJ, 600, and yet there is to-day no sign OF
shadow of a sinking fund. although there are
many provisions OF existing law In regard to
outstanding bonded debt OF the District
requiring annual contributions to the sinking
fund. This state of things Is not business
Permit me to say that, under District laws
confirmed by Congress, and the stipulation On
the part of the United States in the act of June
nth, 1875, that they will appropriate from the
public Treasury fifty per cent. OF the estimated
general expenses of the District including in
terest on the bonded debt, and the amounts
legally due the sinking fund, the District has a
fairer opportunity before it than any munich
pal1ty ever had, with wise management OF its
affairs. to reduce the weight OF taxation, the
bonded debt, the rate of interest thereon and to
tighten the burdens of the people. 1 believe
the country at large, as we'll as the people of
the District, are looking to those to whom
these these interests are committed under the laws, to
OrlnS ABOUT the above results. Very respect
fully, JAS. GILFILLAN Treasurer L. s.
Hon. Commissioners Of the District Of Columbia
THE GERMAN-AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK
Good NeTs for Depositors.-The statement on
Which the receiver OF the German American
National Bank (if. b. L. Keyser) has been at
work some days, has been SO far advanced as to
warrant tbssbelief that it will be ready for pub
LEGATION by VAe early part of next week. Much
vi lIe WOrK Is now being verified, and some
parties engaged in the bank say that the indi-
cations are that the bank will come out mucn
better than some of the public expected, and
that there need be no surprise If the receiver
should be able to pay to depOSitOrs dollar for
dollar, and that at no distant day.
Mr.. Samuel l.. Mattingly, the cashier OF the
Savings Bank, has his state
ment well advanced and will present it to a
meeting or the directors tomorrow eve ling:
and 1t WILL it is stated show that the affairs are
not In 50 bad condition as was at first SUD-
posed, and that with little time.they will be
able to pay up in full.
The RESULT OF THE ELECTION viii not affect
the prlce Of clothing at the Boys Clothing
House of B. Robinson d Co., 900 PENNSYLVANIA
avenue, as they will continue In the future a,
in the past, to furnish the best goods for the
least money, and from the largest stock in the
District.-AdCt.
MARRIAGE LICENSES have been issued to w.
F. DiggS and Susie Dixon; Louis MilOcich and
Theresa NJ. Ratio; Richard H. Skinner and AIDE.
line Porter; Charles w. Mason and Laylnia
LemOre.
BUILDING AsSOCIATION.-At the 5Oth meeting
OF the Second Washington association, last
night, 81 600 was sold at an average premium
OF so.
To THOSE who desire good wearing clothes
for their boys, at low price, we can recommend
the American meltOnS offered by A. Sa&s & Co.
Adrt.
GOLD MosEs'-THE LARGEST TREE.-A section
frnn N &C., r>,f.,