Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-23
DISTRICT FINANCES.
Money Received and How It Was
Disbursed Last Year.
REPORT OF AUDITOR PETTY
Difficulties in the Way of Prompt
Disbursements.
CHANGE RECOMMENDED


ments for the fiscal year which ended
June 80. 1894. The auditor says of these
| statements:
"A Is All exhibit Of the revenue account.
| showing, first the cash surplus on hand
| July /, 1893, together with the receipts
| from taxes licenses and all other dis
| tinctively District of Columbia sources of
revenue. and cne-half Of lapsed app-opria-
| items accredited back to the general fund;
secondly, the amount appropriated there
| from to meet the payment of one-half of
the expenses of the government, and,
| thirdly, the balance remaining to the
credit of the District at the close of the
year.
"B is general statement of appropria-
lions. 1t shows, first, the total balance
| OF appropriations uncxpended and subject
| to reQuisition July /, 1894, the aggregate
amount appropriated for the year under
| various acts of Congress, and repaymonts
| to appropriations for the same period;
| secondly, the amounts advanced therefrom
| by the Secretary of the Treasury upon re-
| QUESTIONS, and, thirdly, the total balance
Of appropriations subject to requisition in
the treasury Of the United States June 80,
| 1894.
&c is a classified, statement Of expendi-
| lures, consisting. frst OF payments by
the Commissioners in checks drawn upon
| the treasurer of the United States. with
whom, under the law. all moneys advanced
ondly, of acquisitions approved by the
| Commissioners in favor, respectively, Of
| the officers Of various charitable institu-
| lions, and the treasurer of the United
States. as ex-officio commissioner of the
sinking fund, on account of principal and
interest of the bonded debt.
ID is a summary of the account which
| the Commissioners, in their capacity as
| disbursing officers, keep with the treas
urer of the United States. 1T shows the
| deposits made by them of the amounts re-
ceived from acquisitions upon the Secre-
| tary of the Treasury on account of the
general expenses of the District of Co
lumbia, checks drawn against the same by
them, and the balance, subject to their
check, remaining with the treasurer June
| 80, 1894.
&c is a statement of the water fund
revenue account, showing, first, the balance
on hand July i, 1888, and the collections
| from rents and water main taxes during
the year; secondly, the amount appropri-
| ated therefrom for the expenses of the
service; and. thirdly, the balance on hand
| June 80. 1894, being the surplus in excess
of the amount appropriated.
IF is statement of the water fund
appropriation account, showing, first, the
| total balance of appropriations unexpend-
| ed July /, 1898, to which are added the APP
preparations made during the year; sec
ondly, the amount drawn upon reQuisition;
and, thirdly, the total balance of appropri-
atoms subject to requisition June 50, 1894.
&c is a summarized statement of the
~,
on hand July /, 1898, and amounts collected
and deposited in the treasury of the United
| States during the year; secondly. advances
| made to the Commissioners upon their re-
| QUESTIONS, and, thirdly, balances subject to
requisitlon remaining in the treasury June
| 80, 1894.
1.-The surplus of revenue beyond the
amount requisite to meet one-half of appro-
pris tons for 1894, payable by the District
| of Columbia, was, as stated herein, on the
30th day of June, 1884, S625, 2OT.I4, but as
| 100000 of this sum were required by the
| act of August Z, 1894, to be applied in eX-
| tinguishment of the debt incurred for in
creasirg the water supply provided in
| the act of July 10. 1882, otherwise known as
| 1894, may be more properly stated to have
been $50, 20L14.
The Police Relief Fund.
when my report was submitted in No
vember, 1893, the bond reserve of the police
relief fund had been reduced to $4,000.
| This sum- with the collections of fines, de-
| auctions from pay and sales of the His
| tory of the Police Department" barely suf-
feed by scaling down the allowances after
| June, 1894, from $3.50 to 1913 per month,
| to pay the rolls up to September 80, 1894,
since which date no payment has been
made. AS this fund is for the relief of
men who have been injured or worn out in
the service, and the widows and orphans
of those who have fallen at the post of
| 1t may be placed upon a stable basis is a
matter which, / doubt not, will commend
itself to your early and favorable consd-
Ell alton.
The Stars Relief Fund.
THE sum of s4.01943 was contributed by
citizens of the District through The Even
ing Star for the relief of the families of the
firemen killed at the Knox Express build
ing July 25. 1894, and turned over to the
nnr,liS hx fhn
Star for distribution. Secretary Tindall
and myself were appointed committee to
make the allotment and decided upon an
allowance of one-third to the widow of
Fireman Mastin one-siXth to each of the
two sisters Of Fireman Fenton, one-sixth
to I. Dennis Harper, the uncle of Fireman
ODonoghue, who reared him. and with
whom he had home, and one-sixth to
Dennis ODonoghue and his wife, the father
and mother of the deceased. Checks in
disbursement were accordingly drawn in
favor of Ida A. Mastin for sl,339.Sl, Kate
Nj. Fenton Tor $669.91, Annie NJ. Fenton for
S669.9O, 7. Dennis Harper for s6699l and
Dennis O'Donoghue for sGG990.
Difficulties ms to Disbursements.
''The constant growth Of official business
and the changes which occur from time
to time in the personnel Of the board, rem
der 1t increasingly difficult for the Com
missioners to exercise the functions of dis
bursting officers. 1t is often the case that
when vouchers for large amounts, due, 1t
may be, to contractors upon important
public works, who need the money in order
to meet their obligations to their employees,
have been advanced almost to the point of
payment, lacking only the approval OF the
president OF the board of Commissioners
that the latter is so engaged with other
equally exacting duties as to be unable to
sign the checks until too late in the day to
get them cashed either at the treasury or
the banks Then, again, in paying the
monthly rolls the Commissioners are re-
Quired to sign some thousands of checks
a task which interrupts their ordinary &C.
cupation for several days and frequently
engrosses their attention TO the exclusion
of matters in which citizens representing
the general public are concerned, and who
receive with scarcely concealed impatience
the information that their request for a
hearing must be postponed to "a more
convenient season. Whenever a vacancy
occurs in the board of Commissioners by
resignation or otherwise 1t becomes neces-
sary to Immediately close their accounts
and cover back into the treasury all bal
ances due from them to the United States,
no advances being made to their successors
until a complete adjustment of their ac-
counts has been effected. This requires
from ffteen to twenty days of unremitting