Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-07
DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
The Commissioners Submit Their
Report to the President.
NEW LAWS RECOMMENDED.
The Commissioners Urge Capt. Lusk's Plan
for Sewage Disposa,-The High License
System Again Urged-An Appropriation
Asked for . New District Building.

The District Commissioners today submitted
to the President for transmission to Congress
the report OF their Official doings for the hscal
year ended June 80, 1891. The report gives q
summary Of the operations of the various de-
partments Of the District government, as SET
forth In the annual reports of the heads OF
those departments, heretofore published in The
SrAR-
summary Is given Of the report Of the au-
ditor, printed In detail elsewhere. showing that
the receipts Of the District for the year, taxes
of all kinds, amounted to q, 569, 205.73, which,
together with uuexpended balances and the
amount credited to the revenues Of the District
on account Of 4S-inch and 14th street water
mains transferred to the water fund, brought
the figures representing the revenues Of the
DISTRICT up to %, 034, 727.01. Tho appropria-
lions for the year amounted to S5,S39, O32sf,
the 80 per cent paid from the treasury OF the
United States being %. 919, Sic. -. The balance
In the treasury juno 80. 1891, available for ap-
preparation, was sll2, 2lo64.
WHAT THE DISTRICT OWES.
The amount Of the bonded debt Of. the Dis
trict June so, 1891, was s19,500, 800. The only
floating indebtedness Of the District consists of
accounts unsettled, because they are not COW
cred by antecedent appropriations. 1t is very
ANAL in amount and consists principally OF
Judgments OF the courts renuefeQ suDseQutDt
TO the passage of the current annual appro-
priation law and of the obligations incurred to
meet minor emergencies. The District on
June 80, 1891, owed the United States
e6S1 ,501.s7, on account Of the advances
for the constructing Of the water supply
account Of advances for forty-eight-inch
water main and 18th street water main
and connections. The first is payable in
nineteen and the latter in twenty-five equal
<. -, ,,xAar a
per annum, out Of the revenues of the water
department
ASSESSMENTS AND TAX COLLECTIONS.
The Commissioners urge the repeal of the
provision Of the law now requiring the assessor
to furnish the collector with duplicate of the
general assessments on the first day Of Novem-
Der each year. stating that the requirement is
an infeasible with the present clerical force,
and even il Il could be readily met, would be of
no practicable service. The assessor, they say,
should be required to make out all tax bills.
The act of February 6. 1879. requiring the col
lsctor to make out certificates as to the condi-
ton Of the tax accounts of property, should
also, they urge. be amended SO as to transfer
that duty to the assessor, who is in charge of
the records containing the data upon which
such certificates are based. 1t is urged that
authority be given for the reassessment o. the
taxes and assessments rendered uncolectible
under various rulings of the court
because Of technical errors. and which
rulings cause q considerable direct loss OF
revenue. encouraging taxpayers 10 be dilatory.
by holding out the hope that they MAY ulti-
mately evade contributing their just share to
the support OF the government The Commits
sioners approve the recommendation OF the
assessor that a law be passed prescribing that
no deed be recorded by the recorder of deeds
unless IL il accompanied by a certificate OF the
scribed in the conveyance. Tie Commission
ers are not yet able 20 express any view as to
the probable outcome Of the general triennial as
sessment now in progress by the three assessors
appointed under the District appropriation act
Of March 8, 1891, but, they say, from the high
personal and business reputation of the gem
tlemen charged with that duty. they anticipate
y result. much more equitable and satisfac tory
than the present assessment The Commits
sioners approve the assessors suggestions re-
garding the revision OF the license tax law and
urge that the revenue from licenses, and es-
Pecialiy from liquor licenses, might be largely
increased.
THE HIGH LICENSE SYSTEM.
Either of the bills on the subject of liquor IL
censes submitted by the Commissioners a: tho
first session of the Fifty-irst Congress and not
acted on would. the Commissioner, think, eff
feet a great improvement on the present law on
the subject, both with respect to increase of
revenue and 10 the better regulation and sur
VIGILANCE Of the business. The Commissioners
repeat what was said in the last annual report
in favor of the high license SYSTEM which
the two bills referred to were designed to es-
tablish. and add: Within the past year there
have been some terrible examples of the bane-
ful effects Of the oyerrun of alcoholic drinks
in the District We are still hearing of the
good results of the high license system else
where, and are the more anxious to have its
benefits in the District"
The suggestion of the assessor regarding leg
islation 10 regulate the insurance business is
approved. and the report says the Commits
sioners will submit to Congress at its present
session drafts Of bills embodying their views as
TO the necessary correctional legislation.
TIE PrBLIc SCHOOLS.
The Commissioners say they are glad to be
able 70 report tine continued prosperity of the
public schools- During the decade ended 1880
the population of the whole country increased
something more than "a per cent; the increase
In the growth OF the District during the same
time was a little more than 20 per cent. whereas
the increase in the attendance on the public
schools Of the District for the same period was
. little more than SO per cent
The growth Of the schools during the past
year was little less than 5 per cent, showing
- the Commissioners believe, the continuance
OF . healthy progress Of the schools as well AZ
OF the confidence Of our people in their useful
ness and efficiency.
We are educating at public cost about 40, 900
children In the day schools and are giving in
struction In the night schools TO about $500
persons
The experiment Of furnishing text books
free to the pupils Of lower grades Of school 10
being tried the current school year. This ex-
pertinent will be guarded with care and
watched with great interest The Commission
ers have given their indorsemen Mt to the move
ment by making estimates to continue free
books where they have been placed and for ex-
tending the experiment to higher grades as to
the necessary correctional legislation
THE ARMY AND NAVY CLAUSE
In speaking Of the police department the
Commissioners second what Maj. Moore said
respecting the limit put upon the source Of
supply for the force by what Is known as the
army and navy clause. and say:
This law was intended to benefit the sur
vivors Of the Federal army in the late civil war,
but II has long ceased to have any such effect.
Physical strength and activity are SO indispensa-
bic as qualifications for the force that the regu-
Iatons have Tor many years prescribed the age
OF thirty-eight years as the maximum for appIi-
Giants Tor appointment upon the force. The
applicant who is appointed at that age could
have been only twelve years old at the close Of
the war.
The endorsements which have attended the
enforcement of this statute cannot be oyerstated
~ It substantially restricts appointments 10 re-
Gently discharged soldiers or sailors many Of
whom enlist with the sole purpose OF receiving
an honorable discharge to make them eligible
Tor policemen The Commissioners reiterate
the recommendations made by them and their
predecessors that the law be repealed"
Respecting the telegraph and telephone