Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-15
A TEN-M|LL|ON LOAN
Proposed Advance to District
Government.
TO RUN TWENTY YEARS
ED TO THE HOUSE.
Views of the Commissioners Sent to
TO RUN TWENTY YEARS
Views of the Commissioners Sent to
Congress, With Substitute for
Senator Dillingham's Measure.

years on which it is to pay interest at
per cent and make an annhal payment on
the principal of $50O,O0 was ordered to be
favorably reported to the House of Repre-
sentatives today by the unanimous vote of
the House committee on the District of
Columbia.
The bill was transmitted to the committee
this morning by the District Commission
ers. together with letter explaining it's
terms and the necessity for immediate ac
ton.
Views of the Commissioners.
The District Commissioners outline their
plans formally, as they have done orally
and officially at the hearings for two years
past, and suggest a substitute bill which
will make the purposes of the advances
more explicit. They say the money is not
needed for the support of the District gov
ernment, but for the carrying forward of
the permanent projects of improvement,
such as the sewage disposal system, the fill
tration plant, the District building and
such items.
The Commissioners discussed the subject
thoroughly in the recent hearing before the
House subcommittee on appropriations hav-
ing the District bill In hand. The terms of
the probable arrangement are contained in
the Commissioners report on Senate bill
6SOO introduced by Mr.. Dillingham;, and
which was recently referred to them, and
In the substitute bill proposed by the Com
missoners at the instance of Commissioners
Macfarland In their report the Commits
sionerS say:
1.-THE Commissioners of the District of
Columbia have the honor to report upon
Senate bill $500. TO authorize advances
from the treasury of the United States for
the support of the government of the Dis
trict of Columbia referred to them by the
direction of your committee, that they
oil in a
their recommendations to Congress to pro-
vide advances from the national treasury
for the Districts one-half of the cost of
extraordinary projects, OF mnnelPa1 ,1ita6 rnd am7
of time, with interest on the deferred pay
nents.
Can Meet Current Expenses.
1T seems to the Commissioners that this
u the principle of the bill (Senate 6SOO),
which has been referred to them by your
committee, but they believe it would be
wise to state the object of the measure
specifically, namely, that it Is to provide
for the Districts share Of the extraordi-
nary expenditures rather than to provide
for the Districts share of the general ex-
penses. The District Is perfectly able to
meet it's share of current general expenses,
and also to reimburse the national treas
ury in a reasonable time for advances
made. The Commissioners believe that
Grafton of this matter between current ex-
penditures and expenditures for extraOr-
dinary improvements, and that the advances
from the national treasury ought to De
made only on account of the latter. The
Commissioners believe that the necessity
for settlement of the District finances on
a permanent and business-like basis, such
as they have been pressing for the last
two years, has now become imperative.
The temporary provision for advances dur
ing the last and present fiscal year must
be replaced by some legislation and should
be replaced by a provision for a permanent
arrangement.
Deficit Due to Extraordinary Demands.
THE apparent deficit in the District reve-
nues which first appeared the first of
July, 1901, was due to the extraordinary de-
mands made upon them and not to an in
crease in current expenses.
Besides the appropriation of District reve-
nues exclusively for street extension pur-
chases and for one-half of the cost OF ma
tional objects within the District Of Column
bia, Congress authorized extraordinary pro-
jects of municipal Improvement, notably the
sewage disposal system and the filtration
plant, which absorbed such an amount Of
the District revenues as to produce a
deficit and compel advances from the
tional treasury to be made to meet it.
Nevertheless, by the increase of taxation
during the present year the obligations of
the District to the national treasury will
be reduced so that on the LIST Of July next
the amount due for advances will be- it is
estimated 81 ,9O1 7261 10. This amount, prop
erly chargeable to the extraordinary i'm
provement account, should be embraced in
the estimate of what is required in ad-
vances from the treasury for that purpose
Including that amount less than $40. 600, 900
will be required to meet the Districts one
half of the cost of the extraordinary pro-
jectS of Improvement authorized in whole
or in part by Congress or likely to be au-
thorized. including the remainder of the
cost of the sewage disposal system and of
the filtration plant the District building.
the railway terminals the highway and
otheer bridges. the Anacostia reclamation
and the municipal hospital
This can be easily repaid by the District
without interference with its current expen-
ditures. in twenty years. The Commission
ers have drafted substitute for Senate bill
6SO0. which they have the honor to present
for the consideration of your committee
The Commissioners Substitute.
The proposed substitute bill provides as
follows:
THAT until and including June 30 1923
the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized
and directed to advance, from time to time
on requisition of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, in the manner now
prescribed by law. out of any moneys in
the treasury not otherwise appropria ted
such sums as may be required to meet the
D44e"'tOHS VI INC biStiiSt VI 'NoiuHoid Oh
account of its share of the extraordinary
expenses for municipal improvements
authorized by Congress:
provided, that the total advances here
after made under this act, taken in connec-
ton with those heretofore made under the
acts of February H. 1901. and July 1, 1902
shall not exceed the sum of $4,000 OOO
which said total sum. advanced shall be
repaid to the treasury OF the United States
within twenty years from July l. 1903 out
of the taxes and revenues collected for the
support of the government of the District
OF Columbia, at the rate of $500. coo per
annum of the principal together with In
terest upon the deferred payments at the
rate of per cent per annum.
THAT all acts or parts of acts In conflict
with this act are hereby repealed"
The Commissioners are naturally greatly
gratified at the action of the committee
and feel confident that the necessary leg
islation VIII be forthcoming II the pro-
posed bill IL adopted by Congress 1t will