The times., 1898-12-06
Needs OF TEE DISTRICT
Statement of the Commission
ers to the President.
A yoLUMINOUs DOCUMENT

I New Central Police Station and
Municipal Building Asked For
| Enlargement of the Fire Depart
| ment Recommended - Suggestions
for Improvement Refternte,I-Over
| Fifty Annual Reports Boiled Down
--e--.e--
The annual report pf, f,lhe Commissioner
of the District of qoluEbia was yesterday
submitted to President Mckinley and
! transmitted to Congress by him with his
annual message. The report is volumi-
nous affair and contains the record of
| the official .doings of the local Govern
ment during the fiscal year which ended
June so last.
| The basis of the hreport is something
more than fifty annual reports of subor-
dinate officers and heDds of various de-
partmen;s OF the District government, in
! Guiding the chief of police, the local health
officer. the superin eEdent of charities, the
auditor, assessor and others. These were
| submitted from time to time during the
] late Summer and early Fall months and
/ nave pttH ihily toiisiAtttu ulStStcu
! 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 to
meet with the approval of the board or
| which in their opinion II would not be
| uiSa axpaJfapf IN 10 af ha arA an
time. were pigeonhoied and left out of
their annual report.
| The report is foIlows:
Appropriations and Revenues.
'.The appropriations for the year which
were payable out of the general revenues,
excepting those for the water department,
We're $50 ,444.S5. The receipts from taxes
and other resources applicable to the pay
! ment of said appropriations were S.0os,-
O2s. 20
1.-THE expenditures of the water depart
ment We're SOS. s55.35, and were payable
| from water rents and assessments. The
revenues of said department were $780,
| 57a.55.
Funded Debt.
The funded debt of the District of Co.
| iumbia on June 30, 1858, was SIG. $50 Is
Nc portion of ii was incurred under the
present form OF the municipal govern
ment. The Treasurer of the UEi ed
! States, who is charged with its manage
! ment. reports II as follows:
| OF the District of Columbia Water
J stock. mature October l. 1901. sS29. 900;
5O-year funding. mature August 1, 1874
/ sii.22i.1Oe: gO-year funding, mature Juy
| /. 1895 ST51. 600; l0-year funding, mature
July /. lcci. slis590.
| OF the late Corporation of Washington
-S-year Emery, mature July 30, 1873.
| 500; 30-year funding. mature November
| l, 1902. $57i. 100
Stocks and bonds outstanding on which
| interest has ceased. there being fulds for
| the payment of the psiGcioal and interest
deposited in the United States Treasury
| Corporation of Washington, lg-year
bonds, $50: corporation Of Washington,
3 per cent general stock, 81 1901: corpora
| ton of Washington. 8 per cent gene. al
stock. s5s0.17; District OF Columbia per-
manent Improvement per cent bonds,
$1,000: corporation ofSWas- ington. 29-year
| funding. per cent bonds, 81 $50; DIST. let
| of Columbia, 1o-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 energent 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. s11175.ss of draw
| back certificates which were issued as re-
bates for overcharges OF 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 !, 1898. 49,
766.0T of liens against private property for
| special improvements and secured by spe-
cial assessments: and sl,3i3is of scrip
issued by the late corporation of the city
of Washington, and secured by special
assessments
There was also outstanding per
| cent certificates issued under the legis-
| lative assembly, act of May %. 1878,
| amounting to $500, with about $3.50 of ac-
crued interest.
1.-The Treasurer of the United States
has recommended that all 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, ss7, ,es7, ,4s6; on i'm
provements, s7I,S62, AS. County-On land
at s1.5O. sl0,s ,74l; on improvements at
$3.50, s7,161 500; on land at 81, 4,50s, ,609: on
improvements at 81, $3.50, 600. Total as
sessed value of real estate, $1S3 I56, ri.
With s13, i31, AIS worth of personal prop
erty. the total taxable property, real and
personal, is 1886, ,5s7, SAG. The total tax on
real and personal property is s2.9i6, 1921.
The rate of general tax for the year was
fixed at s1.5O on each 800 for all taxable
personal property and for all real prop
erty except that used solely for agricul-
tural purposes, the rate of which was s1.00
per 500 of assessed valuation.
Estimates for the fiscal year 1899
amounted to IS, 124, 375 90, including s140.-
S51.r, payable out of the water funds.
Continuing, the report says:
1.-The popularity of the municipal bath
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-
of lSN So long bathing beach
is located at the present site 1t should