Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28
ADVANCES TO DISTRICT
A Question for the Senate Ap-
preparations Committee.
MR.. DILLINGHAM'S BILL
COMMISSIONERS PREFER PRO-
VIDING FOR A LUMP SUM.
Also Separation o9 Current and Ex-
traordinary Expenses-Considere
by District Committee.

The Senate committee on appropriations
Will soon have before it the question OF
providing for advances from the national
treasury to the District Of Columbia for
improvements that are needed and which
must be provided at cost In excess Of the
current revenues of the District. This mat
ter has been discussed in the House more
than In the Senate but it has taken form
In the Senate in bill by Mr.. Dillingham;
authorizing advances from the treasury for
the District Of Columbia. This bill pro-
V1des that the Secretary Of the Treasury.
De directed to advance on the requisitions
OF the Commissioners such sums as may be
necessary from time to time to meet the
general expenses Of the District as pro-
vfded by Congress. and to reimburse the
treasury for the portion Of these advances
payable by the District out Of taxes ana
revenues collected for the support of it's
government
Inc Dill specially provides that nothing In
this act shall be SO construed as to require
the United States to bear any mart of the
cost or street extension, and all advances
TO be made under it shall be repaid in full
from the revenues of the District Ali adj
Vances under this act, together with those
MADE heretofore and not reimbursed to the
treasury, are to be reimbursed out Of the
revenues OF the District, beginning July /,
1So4, In twenty equal annual installments.
with interest at the rate of per cent per
annum.
The Commissioners Plan.
This bill was sent to the Commissioners
OF the District, and after being considered
by them was returned to the Senate COM
| mttee on the District of Columbia with an
approval of the general project of such adj
vances, but providing for lump sum in
stead of uncertain amounts as carried in
Mr.. Dillinghams bill. The Commissioners
approved plan for the separation of cur
rent and extraordinary expenses. They
stated that less than $4,000, 600 would be
required to meet the Districts one-half Of
the cost of the extraordinary projects of
Improvement authorized in whole or in part
by Congress, including the remainder of the
cost of the sewage-disposal system, the fiji.
tration plant, the municipal building, the
railway terminals, the highway and other
bridges, the Anacostia flats reclamation and
| the municipal hospital They believed that
this could be repaid without interfering
with current expenditures in twenty years.
Informally Considered.
This recommendation Of the Commission
ers has informally been considered by the
Senate District committee, but the matter
has not been voted upon by that commit
tee. 1t Is understood that some members
of that committee are not inclined to rec
ommend the Commissioners PLAN 1t Is
also said that the Senate committee on ap-
preparations does not approve that plan,
but that 1t Is entirely in accord with the
idea of advancing money from the treasury
for any deficit in the revenues of the Dis
trict. Some members of that committee, it
is said, do not approve the idea of separat-
ing current from extraordinary expendi.
lures. They take the view that the appro.
priation bill can be handled this year as
in other years, so that any deficit that is
shown in the revenues when the bill has
been completed by the committee may be
provided for by a paragraph authorizing
the Secretary of the Treasury to advance
such deficits was done in the case of
the extension of streets, when a large
deficit was created.
The committee, however, has not yet dis
cussed this matter in view of recent devel-
opments in the District and in view of the
reasons that have influenced the Commits
sioners to make their recommends tons.
The District bill is now in the hands of a
subcommittee, and for some days no dis
cussion will be had concerning the proposed
plan for providing for extraordinary i'm
provements.