Evening star., 1901-12-16
last annual report. spssking of the s4nnel

last annual report. sp4s,xing Of the t4nnel
appropriation:
''The act Of July Is. 1852, as supple
mented by that of July 5, 1884. which pro-
vided for the construction of the tunnel,
and section of the District appropriation
act of March 8, 1891. relating to the 49,
inch and the 14th street mains. directed
that the one-half Of the cost Of these works,
Columbia, should be pad from the water
fund in the twenty-five equal annual in
stallments, with interest at the rate of 3
per cent per annum ufrng the deferred pay
ments. Under these provisions twelve In
stallments of the debit amounting to $751;
1872 A. were refunded sto the United States
from the revenues ofsAthe water depart
mens without any L apprseiaoie strain ai g, or
debtedness. aggregating 1888. .92l3 was
paid from the general find Of the District
OF Columbia which has also been called
upon, under the act of March g. 1891, to
contribute toward the installation of the
filtration plant and the completion of the
aqueduct tunnel and Howard University
reservoir the additional lump sum of $331,-
111.49, contribution that might better
have have been made a =charge against the
income Of the water department., to be re-
turned in yearly annual lnstallments, as
stipulated in the act of July 5. 1884
''The second factor which has been DO
tent in causing this deficit is the payment
exclusively from District revenues, for the
extension ss, OF streets str and avenues Of the
allowances made on, this account since June
30, 1901, and those awaiting settlement in
the near future win greatly augment the
sum total OF these unafded expenditures"
Auditor Tfmme's Statement.
The burdens placed by Congress on the
District Of Columbia for the coming year
and those Immediately following are very
heavy. Auditor T1mme Of the State and
other departments recently called the at
tention Of the Secretary of the Treasury to
these heavy expenses which are to be
charged to the District, and it was in con-
temptation of these, mainly, that the Sec
retary recommended decrease in the Dis
trict estimates from something above $1O,-
100000 to 600, the latter figure being
the one the subcommittee on appropriations
Is trying to reach. Auditor Timme says the
estimated deficit of the, District June 80,
1902 is 81 800, goo.
And this" he adds, els without taking
into consideration any advances which
have been made during the fiscal year 1902,
on account of extension of streets, amount
ing thus far to $451. .325.46, or the amount of
$735, ,245.S7 which has already been award
ed in the case of theSextension Of 10th
street, though not yet advanced. thus MAX
ing something over $1,1OO.O00 which Con-
gress has, by the act of February IL. 1901.
made a debt due the United States. to be
ginning with the year 1903, with interest
at the rate of 2 per cent. One-fourth Of
this latter amount, with interest, should
therefore be added to the estimated deficit
on July 1. 1903. as an item to be taken care
of from the revenues for the year begin
ming on that date. -.--s-.
There are also two other items which
should be considered in connection with
these estimates for 1903. The act Of Feb
ruary II, 1901. providing for terminal i'm
provements. Baltimore and Potomac rail-
road, carries an appropriation Of $56S, 900
for a highway bridge across the Potomac
river, one-half Of the cost of which is to
be borne by the District. OF this appro-
priation only s.. 500 has thus far been ad-
vanced. the half of which sum is charged
against the District in-the account recently
stated.
The other item is contained In the act,
also dated February 12. 1901. providing for
terminal improvements. Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. This act provides that, be-
ginning on July l next, after the passage
of the act, the Commissioners of the Dis
trict shall pay into the treasury, from the
revenues of the District. the sum of $50 900.
and the same sum annually thereafter un-
til the amount of $750,OOO shall have been
paid =.