The evening times., 1898-12-05
ANNUAL REPORT ON
DISTRICT NEEDS
Statement to the President by
the Commissioners.
SENT TO CONGRESS TODAY
Recommends Enlargement of the
Fire Department.

Urges Legislation for n New Gem
trail Police station and Also
Municipal Building.
The annual report Of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia was today sub
mitted to President Mckinley and trans
mitted to Congress by him with his annual
message. The report is a voluminous af-
| fair and contains the record of the official
doings of the local Government during the
fiscal year which ended June 80 last.
The basis of the report is something
more than fifty annual reports of subor-
dinate officers and heads OF various de-
partments of the District government in
Guiding the chief of police. the local health
officer, the superintendent of charities. the
auditor, assessor and others. These were
! Submitted from time to time during the
late Summer and early Fall months and
have been fully considered and digested
/ by the Commissioners in joint board ses-
sion.
| In preparing their annual report some of
the recommendations made by the subor-
! dinate officers were adopted and reiter
/ ated. Other suggestions which failed 10
meet with the approval of the board, or
which in their opinion it would not be
wise and expedient TO make at the present
time, were pigeonholed and left out of
/ their annual report.
The report is as follows:
Appropriations and Revenues.
The appropriations for the year which
were payable out of the general revenues,
excepting those for the water department,
were s6,O91,4 444.35. The receipts from taxes
and other resources applicable TO the pay
ment of said appropriations were $700s,
| G2626
THE expenditures of the water depart
ment were SOS, S5525, and were payable
from water rents and assessments The
revenues of said department were Si09,-
/ 57o5G
Funded Debt.
The funded debt of the District of CO.
! lumbia on June 30 1895, was SIC go IS.
! Nc portion of it was incurred under the
present form of the municipal govern
ment. The Treasurer Of the United
States, who is charged with its manage
| rncnt, reports IL as toliOWS-
OF the District of Columbia Water
stock, mature October 1, 1891, s32s, ,ooo;
water stock. mature July l. 1903. sl4 O0O;
50-year funding. mature August /, 1924.
| l4.224 100: 20-year funding mature Ju y
!, 1899, $3.50. 800; 10-year funding mature
{; July ], 1901 Sl49,5o1
OF the late Corporation of Washington
-3-year Emery. mature July 30, 1873,
/ S100: 3O-year funding, mature November
| /, 1892 sol 100.
Stocks and bonds outstanding on which
interest has ceased. there being funds for
the payment of the principal and interest
deposited in the United States Treasury
! Corporation of Washington, 10-year
bonds, $50: corporate OF Washington.
per cent general stock, $1Si0.61; corpora
tiOn of Washington. 6 per cent general
stock $IS0.17; District of Columbia per-
manent Improvement per cent bonds.
81 coo: corporation of Washington. 20-year
funding. per cent bonds, 81 $50; d strict
of Columbia l0-year funding, $50 per
cent bonds. $500.
The District has no floating debt that
its revenues are not much more than suf-
ficient to meet but as the Commissioners
have no authority to make expenditures
without specific authority from Congress
they are obliged to withhold payment OF
certain current and emergent obligations
for which appropriations have not been
made. These are small, and are settled
from year TO year.
Certificates of Indebtedness.
THE District is required to receive in
payment of special assessments or of ar
rears of general taxes. $11,175.63 of draw
back certificates which were issued as re-
bates for overcharges or interest on ac-
count of special assessments levied by
former municipal governments; and is
also under obligations to issue further
like drawback certificates for about $500
There was outstanding July l, 1898, &c.
1860 of liens against private property foI
special improvements and secured by Spe-
cial assessments; and Sl,3iS.4S of scrip
issued by the late corporation of the city
of Washington, and secured by special
assessments.
There was also outstanding s per
cent certificates issued under the legis-
lative assembly, act of May %, 1873
amounting to $780, with about $3.50 of ac-
crued interest
The Treasurer of the United States
has recommended that ali of said unpaid
assessments in his custody be transfer
red to the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia, and that the cash now in
/ his hands, derived from collections OF
special assessments, but not needed to
pay outstanding per cent certificates
of indebtedness, and the interest be de-
posted in the Treasury of the United
States as general revenues of said Dis
trict"
The following statement of taxable
real estate and personal property in the
| District is then given by the Commits
sioners:
City-Taxable on land, $S7, ,697, 1856: on i'm
! provements 81. $50, ,425 County-On land
at $3.50, $40, 695, 741; on improvements at
$50, s7,161, 500; on land at ST. $450S, ,609; on
| improvements at 81, $3.50, 600. Total as
sessed value of real estate, $lS3, 156, 211
! With S13. 431. Ats worth of personal prop
erty the total taxable property, real and
| personal, is S196, ,5S7. SAG. The total tax on
real and personal property is s2,946. 1921.
The rate of general tax for the year was
fixed at LEO on each 500 for all taxable
personal property and for all real prop
erty except that used solely for agricul-
tural purposes. the rate of which was s1.GJ
per 500 of assessed valuation.
Estimates for the fiscal year 1885
amounted to $S 124, 1850, including s1l0,-
S51.71, payable out of the water funds.
Continuing, the report says:
| 1.-The popularity of the municipal til
ing beach is shown by the fact that dur
ing the past season it's patronage was
very largely in excess of that of the sea
son of 1887. So long as a bathing beach
is located at the present site it should
be made as safe and enjoyable as prac-
ticable.
Public Play Grounds