Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-05
LOAN BILL REPORT
Continued from First Page.)

1855 per capita. showing that the tar
paid by the citizens Of the District OF Co
lumbia is $2.13 per capita more than the
average paid in the eighteen cities whose
populations are over 100000. The following
table shows the per capita tax in the cities
referred to above:
New York city. s24:o2: Chicago. sl2;5s;
Philadelphia !aI Sl571; St. Louis, 'l4;os; Bos-
$10.40; Buffalo, 1892; San Francisco, 81. 80;
Cincinnati, $14.1S; Pittsburg, $17.13; New
Orleans, $12.s3; Detroit. $14.O7; milwaukee,,
$11.42; Newark, $14.91; Jersey City, $l2.9I;
Louisville, $12O5; Minneapolis, 1884.
Extraordinary Projects.
The estimated liabilities of the District
for the next five years for extraordinary
projects are given in detail, as follows:
Sewage disposal system, 81 ,084, 04S5O; fltra-
ton plant, s434, POP so; District building and
site. s95O,0OO, and a probability that the
District will have to pay at least s5OO.O 600
more on this project; District hospital,
1900; railway terminals. 1885 900; Con-
necticut avenue bridge. $42o,OO0; Business
High School, $126OO0; highway bridge
$49S, 900; reclamation of Anacostia hats,
100000; reconstruction Of Anacostla orioge'
$125 600; high-pressure fire department,
$3.50, 900; due United States government ON
advance from treasury, 81 9O1, 726.15, MAX
ing a total Of the Districts one-half OF
these improvements of $S,S7S,97lo
Street Extensions.
Your committee believes that there will
be required during the next five years about
81, OOO, 900 to pay for the damages in con-
nection with the opening of new streets.
This would add about 100000 per annum
to the current expenses Of the District.
The committee on the District of Column
bia has now pending before 1t twenty eight
bills for opening new streets, many OF
which, like 18th and 14th streets. are i'm
portant and pressing, and should be opened
at the earliest possible date. Owing to
the unsettled condition Of the finances OF
the local government, however, the com
mittee determined that 1t was not Justlned
in giving consideration to any of these
measures during the present Congress.
The United States bears no portion what
ever Of the expense of opening new streets.
The District Is required to pay all of the
costs for the land taken, except such por-
tons as are assessed as benz fits. The as
sessments for benefits are CO. lected by the
District government in annual installments,
but the District Is obliged to advance at
the time the street is opened that portion
of the damages assessed as benefits, and
which is repaid to the District.
Since the partial repeal of the highway
act in 1898 awards for damages IN opening
the amount Of s1,71O,Ss9.17. This entire
amount has, in the first place, been paid
by the District, and Of which benefits have
been levied amounting to $466, 1894 Of
this amount there has been paid into the
treasury the sum of $l94, 1O36S. which leaves
unsolicited the sum of $272, 03576 This
latter sum has been advanced and paid by
the District and assessed against the prop
erty When paid it will leave the net cost
to the District for opening and widening
streets the sum Of 81 pa, 1913.
District Appropriation Bills.
The amounts carried by the annual APP
preparation bills for the District during the
past twelve years are given as follows: 1871,
$5447 O45.27; 1891. So $50 1861; 1892, 1924
126 81; 1893, So 1O5 7OS.97 1894, s5,143, 636.91;
1895, $685., 1891; 1895, s5,559, 81; 1897,
So s25 OS; 1898, So OCT O60. SO; 1899, Sc, 40S
O29O7; 1900 &c. 745 394. II; 1901, 443, 22S.31;
1902 $3.50, ISL "a; 1903, IS, 462, 92397; amount
in bill, 1904, as passed House, S,61S,449.
The Loan Bill.
In discussing the loan bill the report
says: This bill does not authorize the ex-
penditure of single dollar, nor does 1t
appropriate dollar 1t simply authorizes
the general government to advance to the
District of Columbia such sums of money,
not exceeding s1O,OOO,OOO, as may be ap
propriated by Congress in excess Of the
revenues Of the District, the intention be-
ing that the District shall borrow for ex-
traordinary projects only.
The Commissioners state that by this
method of paying 100000 and interest
yearly the District can easily bear its share
of the projects authorized by Congress and
at the same time have sufficient funds to
meet the current expenses OF the munich
pality.
The committee believes that this is SIM
ply a business proposition, providing, as
1t does, the funds for much needed munich
PAL improvements, which have either been
partially authorized by Congress or recog-
nized as being necessary in the near future,
and by placing the finances of the Dis
trict on permanent and equitable basis,
thus relieving the present unsatisfactory
situation. In other municipalities Of the
country when extraordinary Improvements
are authorized 1t Is customary to issue
bonds to provide the necessary funds, and
to spread their payment over term OF
years.
1t may not be necessary under this bill to
loan the District $10,OO0,OO0; for, with the
increased revenues that can be reasonably
expected under the present system of taxa
ton, the government may not be called up
on to advance more than 100000 or &c.
100000.
Summary.
The amount chargeable to the District
under the current appropriation bill. which
has recently passed the House, is $780,
4745O Your committee estimates there
Will De nGeQeu lOT OpeIluS ueW SlTeSlS
500 GOO: one-third Of amount due the
United States for advances. with interest at
2 per cent, $671 ,943.23. There should be
added to the current bill 81, TAI 900 one half
of which is chargeable to the District reve-
nues, $50, 500; total, $5,75291773. Estimated
revenues for 1904, S.. 40O, 600; deficit, $685.
91173.
Estimates Omitted or Reduced.
Under the policy of the committee on ap-
preparations to provide for the extraordi-
nary projects and the ordinary expenditures
out of the current revenues of the local
government, many items contained in the
estimates of the Commissioners for the fis-
cal year 1904 were either materially re-
duced Or entirely omitted from the bill as
passed by the House.
Needs Of the District.
The report goes at length into discus
sion of the projects which have had to be
ne elected In the pay you go plan," to
show that to properly meet the needs OF
the District these projects should be car
rted along with other necessary work
In this connection is mentioned the ne
cessity of a resurvey of the District line,
and the purchase of the Latimer field notes
Provision should also be made for assess
ment and permit work. Discussing this
class of work. the report saws that there