Evening star., 1900-08-07
ELEVENTH ST. EXTENSION
QUESTION IF THE TREASURY CAN
ADVANCE THE MONEY.
Matter Now in Hands of Controller.
Who Will Probably Decide In
the Affirmative.


Tracewell the question whether he could
| advance to the Commissioners of the Dis
| trict the sum of $3.50, 120 to be used in
payment for property condemned in the i'm
provement and extension of 1lth street
northwest. The Commissioners recently
made requiSition the treasury for this
sum.
Controller Tracewell had the matter be-
fore him today, and gave hearing to Leo
Simmons. representing the property owners
involved. Mr.. Tracewell, it is said, had
been in some doubt whether the treasury
could pay this sum-. inclining to hold that
Congress intended that the treasury should
advance to the District money for only
ordinary expenses of the government of
the District and not for such things as it
wholly out of Its revenues, as in this case.
A copy of the act of June. 1900. regulat-
ing the time for the payment of taxes in
the District and providing that the treas
ury should advance to the District money
for the Ordinary expenses. accompanied
the requisition from the District Commis-
siOnerS.
Interest in the Decision.
A decision that the payment of the ex-
tension awards was not a general expense
would have put off the payments for long
time. and would, as Mr.. Simmons explain
ed be hardship on the property owners
who were interested Mr.. Simmons argued
that the payment of the awards is a part
of the general ordinary expenses of the
District, and is SO recognized by the Com
mlSSioners, or else they would not have
made requisition He thought it peculiar
that this subject had been brought up just
as the payments for the 11th street extern
sion were about to be made. He was sure
that Congress would have taken the pains
to be specific had 1t known that such a
question would be sprung. He asserted
that in the regular acquisitions made and
honored since July 1 would be found many
for just such expenses as this
After the hearing this afternoon Control
Ter Iracewell gave some close personal at
tention to the subject. going fully into the
Intention of Congress. 1t is probable, as a
result Of this study, that he will write a
decision permitting the payment of the
requlsitton. This will settle all similar cases
owners to at once get what is due them
without a long and tedious wait for action
by Congress
What Mr.. Petty Snys.
Speaking today Of the question whether
payments for land taken for the extension
of streets can be made out of the general
revenues Of the District, Mr.. ]. T. Petty,
the auditor of the District, stated that 1t
is a very interesting question. The act of
Congress- approved June 6, 1900, provides
that the semi-annual payment Of taxes
next November shall be omitted. and that
the payment of the taxes shall be due and
payable for the whole year in May next.
This act further provides that the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury shall advance to the
District such sums may be necessary
from time to time to meet the general eX-
penseS of the District. That is, the one
half Of such general expenses which. by
law, is paid by the United States. and the
Districts half as well, such advances Of
the Districts half to be paid back to the
District collected next May.
The acts providing for the extension of
11th and other streets. said Mr.. Petty, re-
quire tina: payments for the lands taken
shall be made wholly by the District. out
of its revenues. The question. then. for the
Treasury Department officers to decide. ex-
planned Mr.. Petty. IS. Are payments for
lands taken in the extension of 11th and
other streets parts of the general expenses
of the District? If they are, they can be
met with the advances which the Secretary
of the Treasury is authorized by the act Of
June e. 1900 to make. II they are not
general expenses Of the District. then they
cannot be paid until the municipality has
sufficient funds Of its own with which 10
meet them.
There was in round numbers, said Mr.
Petty. surplus of District revenues June
30. 1900, of $4,000, but this surplus, he
added. was entirely wiped out by requisi-
tons which were made upon the Secretary
of the Treasury during last month. the
acquisitions during that period amounting
to nearly 81, ,2OO,O00 If. he remarked, the
reQuisition for the payment of the
awarded by the jury and confirmed by the
court in the 11th street condemnation case
had been made during June last 1t could
have been paid the Both Of that month with
out any question. because on that day there
was more than enough of District revenues
available to pay the amount Of the award,
1868. 200
IT, said Mr.. Petty. the Treasury Depart
ment officials decide they cannot pay the
award in this until there is a surplus
Of District revenues sufficient to meet it,
then 1t cannot be paid, If at ALL until after
the May collection of taxes, for the District
will until then at least have to depend for
Its expenses, both general and special, upon
the advances which will be made by the
Secretary.
The effect of an adverse decision by the
Treasury Department, said Mr. Petty, will
be. of course. to prevent the payment of
any of the amounts awarded in the street
extension cases Such an adverse decision
Mr.. Petty evidently thought possible and
the present condition of affairs Is, he re-
marked, further evidence of the unwise
decision of Congress to require all pay
ments for land taken in street extension
cases to be paid wholly out of the reve-
nues of the District. 1t is stated that to
meet the payments already obligated In
more than a million dollars, and the i'm
District building that only Congress by ad-
ditional legislation can remove the diff
culties which now beset the municipality
in the extension of the streets already
authorized.