Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-05
Draft of Bill to Be Submitted to
Congress.
An ISSUE OF BONDS PROVIDED FOR
Reasons Given by Commissioners
in Support of Measure.
AGGREGATE OF THE LOAN

The District Commissioners have prcpared
| and submitted to the Secretary of tho
| Treasury the draft OF a bill proposing the
ISSUANCE by the District of bonds amount-
| ing 10 $,5oo.ovo for the purpose o: pro-
| siding a complete system OF sewage tis-
| posal. The draft of the bill has been sent
| 10 the Secretary of the Treasury in order
| 10 obtain his opinion 10 whether it is IN
| correct shape before being transmitted to
Congress.
| In The opinion of the Commissioners, the
| sewage Disposal is second 10 none as re-
| spects the heaItn and welfare of The people
| II the District. Tnoy recognize. however
| nat this scheme ANA that OF the extension
| OF The highways dppermos; in the
| minus OF the Ieople OF the District, but
they appreciate the fact th.,, the small
| 'iri topriations made lion year 10 year viii
| H"t remove the evils which resul. from an
| Incomplete system OF sewage q spOs.L The
| Soiditiohs Consequent are uai toIay. they
| t"iht out, bGt tayy Will be worse tomorrow
| ".o, at the present rate Of appropriations,
| the system wlll not be cOunaleIcl ;ntll
| iJ2s, If then. Therefore. the Commission
efs earnestly desire that Congress shall
| authorize, by the enactment of the lro-
| posed bond bill, such financial facilities as
| VIII enable them 10 begin the Work at once
ana carry Ii on 10 an early completion.
| HehcEts to Postcrity.
AS posterity will enjoy the benefits Of a
| complete system of Sc wage disposal sucn
| as Is Proposed. the Commissioners believe
mat posteliiy should bear ITS bart Of the
consequent expense. But ,hey explain that
| me burden viii not he gredL. The interest
| VIII he but Sluj,oJO annually on the bonds
which amount VIII be Increased 10y an an
nual sinking fund of, say sIub.o1p a total
| annual tax of S1o5u@. But is is i,rooosad
| mat the United states. .gHlch Will he as
| iiiuch peheiited as The Distract, shall bear
| KS proportionate Part OF The burden which
| would, therefore, Reduce the annual amount
| 20 re PAD by the people ii Tie District to
| $iu-,1v". AT the anon OF ten wears
.i!It amount, through .he offices of the
| SINKING lLId would De Materially reduced.
| The Commissioners ieel that TINS burden
WOULD hardly be fe!t by the people of the
The Commissioners propose IA the bill
| prepared by them that they snail ae al
| io"ec tne same discretion and aiihof.ty in
| me making oil the contracts ul.cr IL an
\ congress grants 10 The engineer branch of
| the army under Tie river ana Lir.,nr an
preparations That is they desire THAI they
| pe authorized 10 so INTO The oi.ea markets
\ ioi H,atefliis, and maze tue Il pr,Z Ione
eitHef by contract OF by day lauor as NAV
| seem best TO them. Ii such discretion and
| du'hoiity are gwen - them the Commis-
| siohers believe that the IAaamcrao.,. evils
| .tSsuiiHs from the rI,S system from which
| the District has often suffered will he
| hia"e Impossible, and comblla tons which
| are OF frequent occurrence in .uch =, nrks
| VIII DE prevented. Then. too. the Commits
| siohefs believe That the la boring l.cople of
| tne district VIII be better satisfied hy the
| granting of such authority.
Provisions of the Bill.
| The bill. as drafted by the Commission
ers, is as follows:
| "A bill TO provide for 'coma,eiinr the
| system OF sewage disposal and projection
| against Hoods ia the District of COLUMBIA
| and for Other purposes.
l BE III enacted by the Senate ami House
| OF he 4 NJ
| OF America IN Congress assembled
| lrat the Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia be, and they are hereby, au-
| thofolZeu 10 proceed, as may he
| practicable, with the work of completing
| the ssyiem of sewage disposal and pro-
lection against Hoods, lii accordance with
/ The general plan recommended by the
| board Of sanitary engineers in their re-
port to Congress upon the sewerage of
| the District OF Columbia in 1880 executive
| document numbered 4I5, Eifty-first Con-
| Sress, frSt session.: Provided that the cost
| OF completing the system of sewage dis
| posal and protection against Hoods here
IN provided for shall not exceed the sum
| of S,5OO,OOO.
The Bond Issue.
| Sec. 2 That in order to provide the
| money necessary to defray the cost ami
| expense of executing the works authorized
| by this act the treasurer of the United
states, as eX-officio sinking fund COM
| missioner of the District oil Columbia be-
and he is hereby, authorized and directed
| TO cause bonds of the District of Columbia
| 10 be prepared in the sum of S3,.'Do.OOo, in
| denominations of $jOU and Sl,UE, to be
| designated as District of Columbia Sew
| age Disposal BonGs;' said bonds 10 be
| dated July l, 1ss's. to bear interest at the
| rate of three per centum per annum, paya-
| BILE half yearly on the first days Of July
| and January of each year, and shall he
| redecmable at the pleasure of the treas
urer Of the United States after ten years,
l n nd nav in f,rt two ,l.,r aat.
said bonds shall be engraved and print
| ed at the joint expense of the District Of
! Columbia and of the United States; shall
| be signed by the treasurer of the United
| States ex-oficio commissioner of the sink
ing fund, countersigned by the auditor Of
the District of Columbia, and bear the
| seal of said District. They shall be num-
| bered consecutively and registered in the
| office of tie register of the United States
treasury, for which registration the Sec
| rotary of the Treasury shall make such
| provision as may be necessary.
| The principal and interest thereon shall
| be exempt from taxation by federal, state
or municipal authority and the faith of the
| United States is hereby pledged tina, the
| United States will, by proportional appro-
priations and by causing to be levied upon
| the property within said District such
| taxes as will do SO, provide the revenues
| necessary to pay the interest on said bonds
| as the same may become due and payable,
and create sinking fund for the payment
of same at maturiay; and the bonds shall
have set forth and expressed on their face
| the above specified conditions: and the
| principal and interest thereon shall be
| made payable at the treasury of the United
States
| Payable in Ten Years.
| ANY of the bonds hereby authorized may
| be called in for payment after the expira-
| ton of ten years from their date by the
| treasurer of the United States, at his dis
erection. The last Of the bonds originally
| issued under this act and their substitutes
| shall be first called in. and this order of
| payment shall be followed until all shall
| have been paid.
Notice shall be given OF the time on
| which payment will be made, and the in
| terest on the particular bonds so selected
| at any time to be paid shall cease at the
| expiration of thirty days from date of such
| notice. The Secretary OF the Treasury is
authorized to invest any moneys provided
| for the sinking fund In United States or
District Of Columbia bonds pending such
time as such moneys are required for re-
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