The evening times., 1897-12-06
COMMISSIONERS REPORT
Submitted TO the President and
Transmitted to Congress.
THE CHANGES THEY FAVOR
Earnest Recommendation That the
District Government Be Placed
Under the Protection of the civil
Service Law--Street Cleaning by
Hand-The Militia.

IIand-Thc Militia.
The District Commissioners annual re-
port to the President was submitted TO
Congress today, with the Presidents mes
sage. 1t compromises the review of the
whole work OF the District government
during the past wear, and the recommenda-
tions Of the Commissioners for future plans
and improvements.
Theeu:.ineering department sreport made
by Capt. Back, has been published hereto
fore. The remaining departments are re
viewed / v Commissioners Ross and Wight.
Commissioner Ross, as the president of the
board, l;is prepared the statement Of the
revenues and expenses OF the District, ani
the funded indeDt tetiness, His departments
include. alsJ, the superintendent or charities,
the hathing be3 eli, the public schools, ami
street clearing. Commissioner Ross has also
prepared a statement OF the vie VS. OF the
Commissioners with regard to civil service
reform. strongly recommending that the
District government lie included within the
PROTECTOR. of the civil service law.
Commissioner Wight's departments in
clude population, the police, the fire de
partuert, the excise board, liceu ses, the
municipal building, and The health Office.
The paragraphs of Commissioner Ross
report ON appropriations and revenues are
as follows
The appropriations for the year which
Were pa yabe out OF the general revenles
ana Incluucd all but those for the water
department, were S6,5Il ,522.69. The re-
ceipts froIh Ia Xes and other resources ap-
plicable u the pa yment of SAID appropr1a-
tons tinclnuinG the amount contributabl bic
by the United States rs its share OF the
District expenses, and a surplus OF $685.
1850 OF District revenues OF former years)
were 81 10, i59.iS. ---
The expenditures of the water depart
ment. which We're wholly payable out of
the revenues received from water rents and
taxes, We're S3O0,ol5.9l. The revenues of
said department, including repayments and
balance of former years amounting to
S6o, I1.s6, Were 1873, ,1SS.69.
The funded debt of the District Of Co
lumbia on June30, l S37, was 81 6,656.i2o.
No portion of it was incurred under the
present form of government. The treasurer
of the United States, who is Charged with
its management, reports it to be as fol-
lows:
rat" oT Interest anu total amount is DIS fol-
lows:
or Tn. District of Columbia
Water stock, October l, 1901, per cent,
$4,000.
Water stock, July /, 1903. per cent,
$4,000.
Fifty-year funding, August l, 1924, 1865
per cent, ST i, IA 100.
twenty wear funding, July l, 1899, per
cent, S752, 700.
Ten year funcing, July /, 1901, $50 per
or the late corporation of Washington
Thrce-year Emery, July 80, 1873, 1.3
per cent, 500. oo,
Thirty-year Funding, November l, 1902,
6 per cent, S5i 90.
Added to this are the stocks and bonds
of the corporation Of Washington and OF the
District Of Columbia. on which interest mas
ceased, and for the payment of which
funds are in the Treasury, amounting to
S6,.cL.lS, making the total of the fund
ell debt of all kinds Sl6,G56,4201s.
Seve. al para graphs are devoted t. other
debts. On J uly 1895, the water depart
ment owed the United states $50 ,54E.2
for the construction of the tunnel, hut all
that reI; ined of this dctt, due u July l.
1897 has been liquidatcd by the Treasurer
of the United States. The floating indebt-
edres,. includes liabilities which could not
have heen anticipated ard included In tii-
estimates, such az the Judgments OF the
courts, and of the outstanding obligations
connected with special assessments for
work done under contracts with the late
board of public works. The drawback GER
tificates, which were issued as evidence
OF oveI charges under contracts OF this
board, amount to $l0,9T3.99. They pay
no inter est, but are rcceiva Die I'm payment
or ta.'e es. The amount of special assess
ments due which are an offset to the dra w
back certificates is 1S9, 9,459.33, exclusive
of accrued interest at 10 per cent for an
average Of twenty years. Ths cash balance
of collections on account Of special assess
ment. il the Treasury is S6,643.23.
Under the head of assessment of taxable
real estate and personal property in the
District OF Columbia, July /, 1897, the
report says:
Washington City
Taxable on land .......... 1,s39,oi1
Taxable on Improvements. 1o,793, l25
S15s,53aa.366
Outside of Washington City
Taxable on land at 81 90 $10,IO2, ilS
Taxable on Improvements
at 81 l.oU O,.Soi ,tbU
S17,O54,3iS
TaNaD!c on ianu at Sl-.-.-- S4,ol l,-Oo
Taxable on Improvements
at 81 .............--.--..- 1,l55'ioo
S5,663,6oO
Total assessed value of
taxable real estate. S1S1 ,2o6, 2S1
Personal Property
Washington CITY,. $500, Alb
Washington county.... 1911
Railroads, taxed on gross re-
ceipss .......'.............. 1915
S9,7S0,65S
Grand total. S19l ,036, ,9i2
The rate OF general tax for tue year was
fixed at 81 80 on each 500 for all tax
able personal property, and for all real
property, except that used solely for
agricultural purposes, the rate OF which
was 81 per 800 of assessed valuation.
The Commissioners repeat their recon-
mendation for the enactment OF the legis-
lation proposed in Senate bill No. 916,
''In relation to tax. sales in the District
OF Columbia" which is designed to re-
quire as u condition precedent to the is
sne of Il tax deed that all arrears of taxes
ON the DrnDerty fnyolvQd shall he Datd.