The times., 1899-10-25
WAITING FOR CLAIMANTS
Personal Estates Which Are Held
in Trust by the Treasury.
The Auditor for the state Depart
ment Calls Attention to the Alb
sence of LEGISLATION Necessary for
Their Proper Administration-Th
Disbursement of District Funds.

The Auditor for the State and other de-
partments in his annual report submitted
to the Secretary of the Treasury yester-
day referring TO the estates of deceased
American citizens who die abroad says
The law requires our consular officers
abroad to take possession of the personal
estates of citizens of the United States
other than seamen belonging to vessels,
who may die within their consular districts
leaving no legal representatives. and to
dispose of these estates conformably to
law After the expiration of one year the
consular officer is required to transmit the
balance due to the estate to the Treasury
to be held in trust for the legal claimant,
| together with jewelry and other articles
| having a sentimental value to relatives as
keepsakes.
1t has been the custom to keep such
| articles in this office in a safe provided for
that purpose. My attention having been
! invited to the fact that it had been the
! practice to file in the safe sealed packages
received from consulates without their
! actual consents being known except from
a description given in the dispatches,
which are in general terms, / therefore
directed that all such packages be opened
! and an inventory of the same made. This
, examination disclosed that there are bills
! Of exchange prOmissory notes and other
evidences of indebtedness to such estates,
! on which action should at once be taken
for their collection and deposit into the
Treasury in trust for the legal claimant
There is, however, an absence of legis-
lation authorizing anyone in this country
to collect the debts due to such estates
$50 I,
legal representatives in this country, and
: as several years often elapse before such
/ Representatives are known it will therefore
be seen that the value of the estate may
/ greatly depreciate owing to the fact that
/ there is no one authorized by law in this
/ country to perform the duties which de-
volve upon our consular officers abroad in
relation to such eases"
] The Secretary CT State has indicated his
! intention to recommend TO Congress that
/ legislation be enacted for the purpose Of
protecting the interests of those who are
entitled by law TO the proceeds of these
! estates.
! In regard to the affairs of the District
/ of Columbia, the report says:
! The act approved March 15 1898, pro-
vides that all books, papers, and other
matters relating to the accounts of off,
GERS Of the Government in the District of
/ Columbia shall at all times be subject to
! inspection and examination by the Comp
1 trcller of the Treasury and the Auditor of
( the Treasury authorized to settle such ac-
counts, or by the duly authorized agents Of
either Of said officials In terms no dis
/ bursting officer within the District of CO.
! lumbia is excepted from the provisions of
/ this act. The wisdom of this provision
/ OF law becomes more apparent as time
! Nv, -,
able to call for all books and papers when
/ ever it is deemed proper, the accounting
/ officers are ia position to obtain definite
| information as to the methods adopted by
! the diSbursing officers in disbursing and
! accounting for the public moneys placed in
/ their hands, and in consequence TO proceed
| with more accurate knowledge in the ad-
! juEtment of the accounts at the Treasury
The following statement shows the dis
bursements made and allowed in settle
ments on account of the appropriation for
/ the District for the fiscal year ended June
/ 80, 1899:
| Salaries, officers and employees, $264 220-
+ 98; contingent and miscellaneous expenses.
! $50, ,816.64; assessment and permit work
/ 500 S6S 81; improvement and repairs, $780,
/ 578.16; permanent system of highways
/ Sc, 70068; sewers, $286 645.67; streets. S631. -
/ 719.45; construction of country roads, $2S,-
! S59,20; bridges, $2S ,05S22 public schools.
/ 81 066 056.9S; buildings and grounds, public
I schools, $71 710.08; militia, $24, ,325 So; Me
tropolitan police 1924 2g9.67; fire depart
ment, 1892, 259 .38; buildings, fire depart
ment, 9.373.S7; telegraph and telephone ser
vice, 50, 98S.8S; health department, 94.61492:
/ emergency fund, $6,81772; courts, $29 903-
/ 50; writs Of luHacy, $362.50; judgments
| S12, 50578; transportation Of paupers and
| T,rf
! $61, 1925; building Washington Asylum
! $5,S09.71; Industrial Home School, 6,291;
! Hospital for Insane, $10,51760; Freed
mans Hospital and Asylum, $40 66674. re-
! lief of poor, $12, 1854; Water Department,
| S245, 602g6; guarantee fund, S472 Sc police
relief fund, $33,67115; fremen's relief
/ fund. $10.14427; refunding taxes, $13.-
/ 5l0.lO; Washington redemption fund S32, -
1864; refunding water rents and taxes,
! 81, ,12250 expenses of Excise Board 81
! 2l8.39; investigating Northern Liberty
Market Claims, $I,635.7i; payment to
/ James G. Payne. $4,000; payment Of North
! eru Liberty Market claims $126,01S.T %;
smallpox hospital $32904 permit fund
! $24,215.94; extension of Connecticut Ave-
nue.. 1929 177.5G; Metropolitan police build
! ings, $9,SSL50, telegraph and telephone
! service central station), $35,50O; Provi
/ dence Hospital buildings, etc. S6,043.24;
!
! payment Of referees, Court of Claims, S205;
| preventing spread of contagious diseases.
! $50, 1876; surplus fund, $6I54i; alleys,
! $24. .721 Ga
! Office Commissioner Of the Sinking Fund,
| District of Columbia Salaries, sinking
| fund office, S24O0; redemption OF bonds,
! old funded debt. 1868 70S; redemption of
/ bonds. 3.65 loan. 1871. 700; interest on old
! funded debt, S10G.316 interest on 800
/ bonds S594 Gl5.4l; interest on water stock
! bonds. $35. no.
Office Of Collector of Taxes. District of
| Columbia-Collection of taxes for fiscal
year 1899 on account of general fund, $3,-
| 7l6, ,050.69; water fund, $346,575.12.
| Revenue account, 169S-General fund
! 81. 500 Bill; water fund, $2l1 1888.
Department of Jusuce-Suppo.t of con
| victs, District Of Columbia, 81 06712; sa a
! ries, Supreme Court, District OF Columbia.
! $249l7.78; salaries and expenses, Court Of
! Appeals, District OF Columbia $2G.9714 40;
| salaries. warden of Jail, District Of Colum-
| bia 81 500.
Albany County Peritentary- Support o.
convicts District OF Columbia, SIS. 1876 6O
| New Jersey State prison. support OF con
I victs, District of Columbia SIS OBS, 90
| Ohio penitcutiary, support of convicts.
! District of Columbia, Sl,261S5; West Nir-
| sinia penitentiary support of conTicts,
! District OF Columbia, $l.439-4S
Office of Marshal District OF Co umbia-
! Support of prisoners $42 59l2S; salaries Of
employees, court house, 81 .Say.S5; cells and
: repairs to Jail. 81 27g7iI, Office Of Recorde-
Of Deeds, receipts and expenditures So,
o59.5S; Office of Register of Wills, receipts
and expenditures. $l2. .T30.6l
Geological Park-Salaries and expenses
| SCI 1894