Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07

A-A--A> ~ - OA>3 - s$ OA>
projects Of Improvement demanding large
sums of money within q short time and eX-
tending their benefits into the future. Ev-
erywhere else 1t Is recognized that the
cost of such improvements cannot pc met
out of current revenues and ought 10 De
spread over a series Of years, and there-
fore it is customary to meet 1t by an Issue
of bonds with the usual provision TOR re,
payment by a sinking fund The United
States does not have to borrow money IN
any way to meet it's share of such eXpendl-
lures in the District of Columbia. But the
District of Columbia must borrow money
like any other municipality to meet us
share of the cost of such improvements,
because it's current revenues cannot meet
Immediately such extraordinary demands
without compelling such reduction IN cur
rent expenditures as would cripple lhe
municipal services.
Congress has author zed and directed In
recent years extraordinary municipal I'M
provements for the District Of Columoia'
notably the filtration plant, the sewage,
disposal system, the District building. al
heartily approved by the Commissi oners
and the community. of which the DISTRICT OF
Columbia is required to pay half the COST
besides the contribution which 1t ls re-
quired to make toward the new railway
would be provided for elsewhere by BOND
issue. Congress was not willing to author
lie the issue of bonds for this purpose, and
thus far it has made no permanent ar
ransement to enable the District to properly
carry it's share of the burden. For three
years Congress has made temporary pro-
vision from year to year for advances from
the Treasury of the United States to the
District, to be repaid with interest, to
meet any deficiency in the District revenues
on the general account, including both ex-
traordinary and current expenditures. This
legislation expires the list of July, 1904, and
fhn fhAr, @,yo hot iC n
be repaid within five years from that day.
Congress has made no provision for the
Districts share of the cost Of the. extraordi-
nary improvements after the 1st Of July
next. although it Is evident from the prof.
ects authorized that larger amounts will be
required on that account after that day. 1t
is apparent, therefore. that the matter
will be considered by Congress at the COM
ing session.
Recommendations Repeated.
The Commissioners earnestly repeat their
that the Secretary of the
Treasury be authorized to make advances
from the United States funds to enable the
District to meet Its share of the cost of the
extraordinary improvements. the advances
to be repaid by the District In installments
and with interest This can be done by the
District out of it's current revenues without
hampering current expenditures. 1t is sub
mitted that this is the usual and business
like way of dealing with such matters. and
that If 1t is not adopted the District
finances Will be left in an uncertain and en-
barrassed condition, and the appropriat ton
for current needs may have to be unduly
cut down. This ought not to be done any
more than the extraordinary projects for
Improvement should be suspended or aban-
doned.
The aggregate amount Of the estimates
submitted by the Commissioners for the
next fiscal year is $12. SS6, 725 exclusive of
+ f0, thn tor Il nrty ,s4l.
amount to $132, 756. This unusually large
sum is not to be set down as annually re-
quired, for the sum of 81, 625. 1o5 is chargea-
BILE to the account of extraordinary improve
ments which Congress and circumstances
require shall be appropriated next year.
The items making up this amount are as
follows: Sewers and sewage disposal sys
tenn, $1,9O7, 00O; filtration plant, 81, 56S. 155;
District building. 100000; Connecticut Ave-
nue. Bridge, 100000: Anacostia Bridge,
100000; municipal hospital. $3.50 600. In the
estimates for current expenditures sub
m1tted to the Commissioners through official
channels the Commissioners made all prac
t1cable reductions, amounting to over mil
lion dollars in the aggregate. leaving the
amount recommended $S.261 $40 on this &C
count
The estimated revenue of the District of
Columbia for the next fiscal year Is 81. $780,,
$3.50. Deducting from this a reasonable
installment. amounting to one-fifth of the
of the advances that will probably
have been made by the 1st of July next.
which amount is estimated at $1,000, 00O with
the interest payment thereon, together
with a payment of $4,000 on account of
the Districts contribution to the terminal
work of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company, there will remain the sum of
81 14O,935. Doubling this amount by add
ing the share of the United States under
the organic act of June IL, 1873. we have
an appropriation fund of $40. or
more than is required by the estimates for
current expenditures.
1t is hoped by the Commissioners that
Congress will make a settlement of this
matter, that will cover at least a decade
to come, on the principles which they have
suggested.
Committee to Suggest Improvements in
the District Service.
On the 18th day of August 1903. the
Commissioners appointed DIR. w. c. Wood
ward, health officer, John r. Garrison, au-
ditor, and Moncure Burke, of the engineer
department, a committee to examine all
the departments of the government of the
District of Columbia, and report on their
condition and their method of doing bust
ness with view to suggesting improve
ments. Similar examinations have been
made in particular offices by committees of
officials, but no such general and compre
hensye examination.
1t Is believed by the Commissioners that
this committee will be able to suggest i'm
to be made, either by order of
the Commissioners of by action of Con-
gress, which will prove beneficial to the
District service. All the recommendations
of the Commissioners to Congress for the
of the District services have
not been carried out, and in the course of
twenty-five years, during which the Dis
trict government has been gradually en-
larged chiefly by detached provisions in
different appropriation acts to meet the
most pressing needs as they appeared from
time to time, there has not been a uniform
development of all the branches Of the
government, so that some are more modern
in method, better equipped in personnel
and facilities than others.
Memorial Bridge.
The Commissioners desire to record once
more their belief that the proposed me-
mortal bridge from Washington across the
Potomac River to Arlington should be con-
structed by the National Government in ac-
cordance with recommendations heretofore
made by the President of the United
States.
Civil Service.
AS the President of the United States,
according to the Attorney General of the
fc ,ot a,,th -,