Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-06
THE B. AND 0. BONUS |
CONTINUED frcm Twelfth Page)


road Company all thereafter issued stock
of said terminal company; and upon such
election, said terminal company shall have
ms fun power and authority to locate, con-
struct. maintain and operate said line or
railroad as it is possessed Of with reference
to the other works. speclned IN thls aci, u
be constructed by 1t, or which 1t is author
fzed to construct under the said act relating
to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, approved February II. 1901.
These provisions have reference TO the
construction of 81 double-track railroad
from c street southwest to the union sta
ton provided for by the act, and from
the station. along Delaware avenue OH
the yiaduct provided for, to Florida ave-
nue.. 1t is. however. somewhat doubtful
If these provisions require the construc-
ton of the viaduct itself; but read In
connection with other provisions 1t APP
pears to be contemplated and intended
that the viaduct. the station and the
terminals shall all be constructed by the
terminal company
Section contains the following pro-
vision:
The construction of said passenger
station and terminal and viaduct by SAID
terminal company. in accordance with
the provisions of this act. shall be deem
ed and taken to be full compliance by
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany with the requirements in that re-
gard of the said act relating to II, APP
proved February II, 1901, and the re-
spective periods of five and six years
from the passage of said act, as men,
toned in section S thereof. are hereby
extended respectively for five and six
years from the passage of this act
Future Obligation.
From a careful consideration of the
provisions in both of the acts cited 1
think there is no doubt of the probable
future obligation to pay the sum of ST.
100000 to the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company. The following provision
IL, ha of actS n
auditor of the District refers, will, there
fore. now be considered:
I'm order to provide for the one-half
OF said amount chargeable to the Dis
trict of Columbia the Commissioners
thereof shall. on the list day of July fol-
lowing the passage of this act, and annu-
ally thereafter. pay over to the treasurer
of the United States, out of the revenues
of the District of Columbia, the sum of
$50, 900, to be invested by the said treas
urer in Understanding bonds of the
United States the District of Column
bia until the full sum of $750,000 as pro-
vided herein, shall have been paid
at is provided by the first of these acts
that the station terminals viaduct and
connecting lines of railroad shall be
completed within five years from the date
of the passage of this act, which is on or
before February l., 1906. The above pro-
vision requires that the Commissioners
shall make five annual payments to the
treasurer viz, on July l of 1901, 1902,
1908 1904 and 1905; which would provide
$TJ00OO on the last of these dates, or
more than seven months before the max
imum time fixed by this act for the COM
pletion OF the work.
THE later act extends the time for COM
pletfon to February IS, 1908. But it does
not necessarily follow that the work will
not be completed until after the date fixed
in the former act. and therefore 1 do not
think that such extension of the time modi-
fies the provision in the former act requir-
Ing payments to be made by the Commits
sioners on the dates specified therein
Dates of Payment.
'As seen before. the law requires that In
order to provide for the one-half of said
amount chargeable to the District of CO.
lumbia the Commissioners shall on the list
day of July following the Baltimore and
Ohio act. and annually thereafter pay over
to the treasurer of the United States out of
the revenues of the District of Columbia
the sum of $1J0OO0. to be invested by the
said treasurer in interest-bearing bonds of
the United States or of the District of Co.
lumbia until the full sum of $50. 600 as
provided in said act, shall have been paid.
The purpose of paying over this sum of
S150OO0 per year for five years to the treas
urer of the United States to be invested by
him In Understanding bonds. appears to
be plain. viz: That this sum of $50 900 to
be taken from the District revenues should
be scattered over period of five years. in
stead of all being taken from the revenues
or one fiscal year. and that said amounts
so taken and paid to the treasurer of the
United States by the District should be
drawing interest. If invested in government
bonds. or saving interest to the District il
invested in its own bonds
But the provisions of the act requiring
Inc payment of said sums of one hundred
and nifty thousand dollars per year, on the
hrst days of July, 1901. 1902 and 1903 have
not been complied with by the District of
Columbia. 1t cannot comply with these
provisions nunc pro tune out of it's own
revenues for the reason that 1t has not now
in the treasury of the United States to its
credit any surplus money 1t is true that
for the fiscal year 1903 it had an apparent
surplus of $141 ,9O7 80 but of this amount all
interest it owed the United States on &C
count of Announcements practically made
should and ought to be paid which fact will
be accomplished, If not already accomplish
ed. by a bookkeeping entry, crediting the
United States with the sum of the interest
owed 1t by the District. and charging said
amount to the District of Columbia.
IF the United States is not in a position
under the law to advance to the District
the amounts of the three installments over
due. which should have been paid by 1t to
the treasurer as provided by the act your
question will have to be answered just as II
would If 1t were asked how private ndi-
vidual would go about paying debt when
he had no funds with which to make imme-
diate payment.
''The only answer would be that he could
not pay until he was in funds. Just SO with
the District of Columbia.
But the want OF this money to meet
this demand Is one of the current needs of
first day of July, 1901.
United States May Advance Money.
81 can see no reason why the sum of $780,
600 cannot be advanced from the federal
treasury on the requisition of the Com
missloners of the District, In order that
they may comply, as best they can, at this
time, with the commands of Congress, and
with the money so advanced pay to the
treasurer OF the United States for the pur-
poses mentioned in the act the accrued in
stallments of the said $4,000.
at Is not good reason why the act
should not now be complied with because 1t
has not been complied with in the past. II
the law commands the polls at an election
to be opened to all voters at am. of
certain day, if not opened then they should
be opened as soon thereafter as possible.
Just so with this law. 1t commanded the
District on the LIST days of July, 1901, 1902
and 1903. to pay to the treasurer or the
United States $4,000. 1t did not do it.
This is no reason why it should not do 1t
now, If it has or can procure the means.