The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-15
TIE DISTRICT EXPENSES
Appropriation Bill! for the Next Fis-
cal Year Taken Up.
Its various Prosisions Explained to
the House br Representative Grout
"A Vote TO BE Reached Today
Elasticity OF the Rules Govern
ing DebateSstrik insly ILLUSTRATED.

The elastic character ef4the' ruies of the
House governing, debate. upon a general
appropriation bill in Committee Of the
Whole was strfkingIy Illustrated yester-
day. The bib making appropriations for
the expenses of the District Of Columbia
for the year ending June 80 1901, was
taken up. nominafly.fcr consideration, bug
the debate bore not the slightest relation
TO that bill. 1t was directly largely TO tho
Philippine question.
Messrs. Cowherd of Missouri and How
ard Of Georgia opposed the retention Of
the islands and Mr.. Boutell OF Illinois ia
vored it. Mr.. Adamsons of Georgia advo
Gated the construction of the Nicaragua
| Canal under American control and Mr..
Ruckcr of Missouri advocated the election
of United States Senators by the people of
the several States.
At 12:45 o'clock Mr.. Grout, from the
Committee on appropriations, called up
the District Appropriation bill When the
House had resolved itself into Committee
of the Whole, with Representative Sher-
man in the chair, Mr.. Grout asked unan-
imous consent that the perfunctory first
1
| Richardson. minority leader. arose and
said that it being a general appropriation
! bill, and the House being in Committee Of
| the Whole, he desired to state that there
| We're several gentlemen who wished to
avail themselves OF their prerogative un-
! der the rules of the House to deliver
/ speeches.
| Mr.. Grout deprecated this saying that
there was nothing of political nature in
the District hill and no pould NOT how,
any gentleman on the floor could feel at
home in taking advantage of this bill to
make a set political speech. He said that
i the Army Appropriation bill would quickly
| follow the District bill and then the eppor-
tunity might be embraced.
Time for Debate Limited.
Cant you contain yourselves until the
Army bill comes on" asked Mr.. Grout.
Cant do it, I'm told" Mr.. Richardson
replied.
We'll. then, how little time can you get
along WITH" asked Mr. Grout
Mr.. Richardson contended that day and
half should be given TO debate. Mr..
Grout would have restricted debate TO one
day, but compromise was effected whereby
general debate was concluded yesterday,
but speaking will proceed today under the
fve-minute rule until O'Clock, when the
vote will be taken.
When this matter had been adjust ed Mr.
Grout explained the provisions of the bill
1t was the largest District Appropriation
bill which had ever come from the Com
mittee on Appropriations, he said, ans he
thought it was justified by the actual
growth and by the prospective growth Of
the city. II was he said considerably be-
low the estimates submitted by the Com
mssioners but if the House wanted to De
more generous than the committee mad
been II could be.
The estimates of the Commissioners of
the District OF Columbia. upon which the
bill is based. exclusive of the Water De
partment. aggregate 1874 .2504s, one-half
OF which amount. or of such sum as Con-
gress may appropriate. is required TO be
drawn from the revenues of the General
Government and the remaining one-half TO
be levied upon the taxable property aud
privileges in the District OF Columbia other
than the property of the United States and
the District of Columbia. pursuant to sec
tion of the act approved June II, 1873,
entitled IAN act providing a permanent
form Of government for the District of
Columbia
TIE Total sum Recommended.
The tota! amount recommended TO be ap-
propriated for the general expenses of the
District OF Columbia for the fiscal year
1901 in the bill submitted is, exclusive of
the Water Department, 81, COS 1881, OF
which sum the General Government is re-
quired TO pay IS, 302, 939 10, that being one
half of the whole, exclusive of the amount
(s2. 500 recommended for expenses under
the highway act. The first-named sum is
s1.135S72.17 less than the estimates sub
mitted by the Commissioners.
he
eral expenses of the District of Columbia |
for the current fiscal year Q9OO) is Sc. 7O7.- |
594.77, or t9s. 016.46 more than is recon-
mended in the bill for 1901.
The amount recommended for the Water |
Department, all of which is payable from |
the water revenues, is s134 AL being an in |
crease of $1,000 over the appropriation for |
the Water Department for the current ifs |
cal year.
It is estimated that the water revenues
available for the fiscal year 1901 will |
amount to 1855. 200; but it is provided in |
the accompanying bill, as it was in the acts |
for the current and eight preceding fiscal |
years, that any surplus of these revenues |
over the appropriations made specifically |
therefrom shall be applied 10 the work Of |
extending the high-service system OF water /
distribution. Under these indefinite appro- |
priations of the surplus water revenues |
81, 1899, for extending the high service
system of water distribution, the sum Of
S147. 1862
The total general revenues Of the District |
of Columbia for the fiscal year 1901 II is
estimated by the Commissioners, will
amount, exclusive of any estimated surplus
OF the revenues of prior years to 50 62S,-
1919, or surplus of $223 402 "a after |
meeting the appropriations proposed by the |
bill. together with the obli-
cations ESTIMATED at $3.50 imposed |
upon the District by the act of March . |
1889, establishing the National Geological
Park and for one-half the expenses of the |
Court OF Appeals and Supreme Court OF the
District. and OF amounts for the Garfield
and Providence Hospitals.
The Electric Lighting Question.
Mr.. Grout addressed himself 10 a dis
cussion Of electric lighting. He said that
the committee deemed the terms of the bill
very fair. On this subject the bill pro
vides as follows:
For Illuminating material. lighting. rvtnguish-
ing repairing, and cleaning public lamps on
avenues, streets, roads, and slleys; purchasing
and expense of erecting and maintaining new
lamp poets, street designations lanterns and fix
lures; moving lamp posts, painting lamp pests,
AID Lanterns; replacing and repairing lamp posts
and Lanterns damaged unfit tot service; for rent
of storeroo, carriage Of material and other neoes-
Ssry items and services, sl7a, go: Provided That
no more than $50 per annum for each street lamp
shall be paid for gas oil, lighting extinguisli.
ing, repairing painting. and cleaning, under any
expenditure provided for in this act:
Provided, That all Of said lamps shall burn
rvery night, on the average. from fifteen minutes
after sunset 10 foEty-fVe minutes before sunrise:
Provided further, That before any expenditilres
or tie contracting gas companies shall equip each
treet lamp with seifreRulating burner and tip,