The Washington times., 1903-01-15
FINANCES REQUIRED
FOR CITY'S PROGRESS
Senate Bill Referred to District Com
missioners.

Senate bill No. $500. to authorize ad-
vances from the United States Treasury
for the payment of extraordinary items
Of Improvement in the District. has been
referred to the Commissioners for con
sideration and report This bill pro-
vides for the advance of money on requi-
sitions from the municipal authorities
over and above current revenues. for the
expenses Of the District One-haIf OF
such money advanced is to be returned to
the Treasury in twenty annual install
ments. beginning July /. 1904 Interest
is TO be charged at the rate of per
cent on the Districts one-halG of the
sums so advanced.
This bill embodies the principle for
which the District Commissioners nave
contended since the deficit in the
finances approved at the end OF the fis-
cal year 1901. II enacted, it will per
mi5 the undertaking and completion of
several large public improvements, for
which about S12, 600, 000 needed within
the next three or four years. These
improvements are the filtration plant,
the sewage disposal plant. the munich
pal building. hospital. almshouse, and
wOrkhOuse, the Massachusetts, Avenue
Bridge. the Districts part Of the rail-
road terminal. schoolhouses. including
the Business High School Building. ana
the Districts share in the sites for the
Carnegie libraries.
This class OF improvements are re-
gaTded by the Commissioners as neces-
sary to the city's progress and welfaIa.
but they are as much for the future as
the present, and in their reports to Con
gress the board has argued that the pay
ment for these items ought to be dis
tTibuted over series of years.
It is understood that the Commission
ers viii approve the bill
IN a report on the bill the Commits
sioners say they. strongly desire Iegisla-
tion in the line OF their recommendations
to Congress, to provide advances from
the national Treasury for the Districts 5
one-half Of the cost Of extraordinary
projects Of municipal Improvement. to
be repaid in a limited period of time
with interest on the deferred payments.
It seems to the Commissioners that
this is the principle of the bill which
has been referred to them. but they be-
Eeve it would be wise to state the OBJ
iect Of the measure specifically, namely.
that it is 20 provide for the Districts
share of The extraordinary expenditures
rather than to provide for the Districts $
share Of the general expenses. TIE Dis
trict is perfectly able TO meet its share
OF current general expenses, and also to
reimburse the National Treasury in a
reasonable time for advances made.
The Commissioners believe that a dis
tInction should be made in the consid-
Grafton Of this matter between current
expenditures and expenditures for ex-
/ traordinary improvements. and that the
advances from the National Treasury
ought to be made only on account Of
the latter The Commissioners believe
that -t}4e- necessity for a 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 years
must he replaced by some legislation
and should be replaced by a provision
for a permanent arrangement The ap-
parent deficit in the District revenues
which first appeared on the 1st Of July,
1901, was due to the extraordinary de
mands made upon them and not to an
increase in current expenses.
This can be easily be repaid by the
District without interference with its
current expenditures in twenty years.
Tie Commissioners have drafted sub
stitute for Senate bill No. $780, which
they present for the consideration Of
the committee.
oo,,~rs-1t, go .r..,