National Republican., 1881-02-22
ALDRICH'S REPORT.
cENsuRING THE COMMISSIONERS.
He Sustains Treasurer GilflIan's Charges, anu
Pours in Some Hot Shot on His Own
Account But His Colleagues
DiscIaim the Document.

investigation of Treasurer Gllnlians colnplaiht
against the District Commissioners, was given 10
the press Yesterday but members OF the Distrlct
Committee dsclaim that the called report repre-
sents the views of any one but Mr.. Albrich who
prepared it, it has not yet received the weight and
dignity of the official finding OF the committee
The report takes up each separate charge anu
treats it very extensively.
As to the first charge, that of withholding taA-
lien certificates the committee do not eonsluer
that the evidence presents any weil-oenheu VI
satisfactory reason for the failure of the Commis
sionerS to deliver the remainder OF the taA-hen
certificates to the sinking fund Office. Abiding 10
the Emery and Cooke" assessments, the repoil
remarks that it would not seem possible 1or any
refinement of legal sophistry to bring them Wlthln
the operation of the acts authorizing revision AS
to the opinions of the attorney for the Comnis-
sioners, the report, after quoting several Which
conflict says = It is evident that opinions SO con-
Trajectory and erratic afford no safe gude 1or eA
ecutiye action, and that they furnish no defense
to the Commissioners for disresarding the PLAIN
requirements of law.
THE LINTHICUM ESTATE ASSESSMENTS
Considerable space is devoted to the subject OF
the revision of the assessment on Water street.
Georgetown which resulted in the reduction OF the
assessments charged against the Lnthicum estate.
The Water street contract came under the head ol
extensions of contracts" the cost of these ex-
tensions in various parts of the city amounting TO
the sum of S20A 3S4.O4 As all these expenditures
were made the basis of special assessments, tnere
were quite as good reasons for overturning any
other of the numerous assessments into when tne5
entered as that OH Water street. As the case
stands ii appears that the only assessment Whlch
was annued on this ground was one affecting the
estate of which one OF the Commissioners Is d
trustee and two members OF his family the Dehe-
ffcaries The assessments against the estate were
reduced by the Commissioners from S2,52i.S 81
to S29OSo, or cighty-scven and half per
cent After narrating the proceedings taken
by Mr.. Robert Christy as attorney for the
Lnthicum estate and Others, 10 procure relet from
the courts and Congress, the report continues by
| saving that, although the attorney for the COM
| plainants had admitted that the decision OF the
| court would be against him, and although Con-
gress had refused to grant any relief the Comlnls
sioners of the District, the defendants IN the suit
| accepted tender of one eighth OF the sum Que as
| a compromise ofthe case. The report also shows
that the facts regarding the Water street contract
were Just the reverse of the facts given III the teStl
nony of the president of the Commission, as 1t was
| not Jumped" contract at all, there having been
simply an exchange of work between contractors
| MISTAKEN LENIENCY.
| The committee hold that the disposition OF
portion of the taxpayers of the District TO
postpone and resist the payment OF taxes mas
! been fostered, if not created, by the
mistaken leniency of the Commissioners IN WalV-
ing the penalties for payment, and In holding
| out the hope that continued delinquency would
result in continued legislative relief The Com
miSsoners are severely criticised for the looseneSS
of the management Ofth revision of assessments,
they having it is held Illegally intrused the en-
tire preparation and issue OF these drawback GER
tifcates to one of their clerks and allowed them to
be used under his signature. 1t also appears that
| no other officer of the District government than
the one who signs them, approves audlts, looks
! over or checks off the certificates and that
neither the collector Of the District nor the col
lector of special taxes, by both of wnom they are
receivable has any record of the number or
amount ofthe drawback certificates issued
THE CHARGES SUSTAINED.
The report sums up the conclusions OF the COM
mitteeas follows: THE charges, in the opinion ofthe
committee are sustained. The evidence requires
your committee to report, their conclusion, that
the charges of the Treasurer of the United States
against the Commissioners of the District of Co
lumbia have been fully proved, the evidence in
most instances reaching far beyond the allegation
that the revision of assessments has been con-
Quoted In loose and irresponsible manner, with
out proper supervision by the Commissioners; that
the Commissioners have, by their acts and omis-
sions, deprived the District of large amounts OF
revenue justly due TO it; that they have i'm
properly Disseminated i'll favor of the de-
linouent taxpayer to the detriment of the
interests of the District and of the con-
scientious taxpayer; that they have disobeyed
the requirements of the law, and have set up eva
siye pretexts for that disobcdience and thar, on
the plea of constituting the acts of Congress as
measures of relief, they have perverted them from
their true intent in order to relieve property
holders from taxes and penalties lawfully due: in
tt,fr-h
been guilty OF grave dereliction of duty, deserving
of ccnsure. While not disposed to relieve the mem
bcrs of the Board of Commissioners from their just
share of responsibility for their acts your commit
tee feel bound to record their opinion that ineff-
cheney and lack of responsibility are inherent in
the present form of government of the District.
A PLURAL EXECUTIVE
is fatal to efficiency and responsibility. History
abounds i'll examples of the failures Of forms o
government in which executive power is vested
in several hands, By whatever name they may be
| known. 4 government Of this kind rarely be-
comes efficient, except when some master spirit
rsurps supreme control. Ordinarily, responsible
ity is not merely diyded-it is completely lost-S
truth of which this investigation has given abun
: dant evidence When the responsibility for al
acts Is distributed among several, a keen sense o
il IS felt by none. Your committee also regard tbs
requirement Of the act of June II, 1873 that th'
Commissioners shall have been actual residents o
the District for three years prior to their appoint
ment as an unnecessary and unwise restric
ton on the appointing power. The people o
l the United States contribute one-half of tht
amount appropriated for the expenses of the Dis
trict The Commissioners officers Of the United
States and their selection should be subject Onl,
to the same restrictions that of other officers
l the United States. Besides, large proportion 0
the tax payers Of the District. although thorough
identified with its Interests, have chosen to retail
: q residence elsewhere rather than surrender tn
right of suffrage by becoming legal residents OF tn
/ District There is no reason why such person
/ should be excluded from the field of choice. You
) committee therefore recommend that the pTesen
! Board of Commissioners be abolished, and the
/ their powers and duties be conferred upon Singl
; Commissioner, to be appointed without regard t
: residence in the District, and to whom the En-
oineer and other officers of the District should
subordinate"
A: THE REPORT NOT OFFICIAL.
2 | Commissioner Dent stated last evening that tn
so-called report lid not represent the views Of tn
4 subcommittee but merely of Mr.. Aldrich, tn
!, other members of the committee not concurrin
!. in it. prominent member of the District Com
; mittee last night also disclained that the repo
t was official. saying that it was prepared by N
!. Aldrich, and the committee had not approved
y | -S-
Mortality in January.
d The statement of births, marriage:
It and deaths for the month of January, 1884, show
the total mortality in the District of Columbia fc
It the month to have been SO IAN increase of Il
:: compared with the corresponding month of la
i year. and less than the average number of death
for the month of January for the past seven years
or at the rate of 2267 per 1909 per annum. Th
mortality of the white population was 202, or
: the rale of 90 per 900 per annum while that
0 the c0lored was 1885, or at the rate of 27.6 Til
,-o-,, daily rnorsaifI- WAS 10 az the same rs Fl