Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
equipment Of the auditors Office which the
Commissioners have recommended is there
fore imperatively needed.

Commissioners have recommended Is there
fore imperatively needed.
Centennial Inaugural Relief Fund.
During the fiscal year 1908, by authority
OF the Commissioners, the investment of
the centennial inaugural relief fund In real
estate notes secured by deeds of trust was
changed by reason of the fact that the
American Security and Trust Company,
with which said account has been and Is
now kept, declineds to further guarantee
said real-estate notes. The fund is now in
vested in approved bonds. aggregating in
amount $34 600, bearing interest at the rate
OF and per cent per annum. SAID bonds
signed to the District, in the vaults of said
company, and access thereto can be had
only by the secretary to the Board OF Conn
missioners and the auditor or deputy audi
tor, accompanied by an officer of the COM
| pany.
The interest coupons are deposited to the
credit of the account of the Commissioners
with the American Security and Trust Com
pany and can be drawn upon only by check
of the Commissioners for the purchase of
fuel and clothing for the poor of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, pursuant to an opinion
of the attorney for the District (now known
as corporation counsel) rendered to the
Commissioners under date of March Z, 1898.
The details as to the denomination and
kinds of bonds in which this fund Is invested
are set forth in the auditors report.
nSVlSlOu OI bOOkS anu ACCOuAlSs
In connection with the shortage or de-
ficiency existing in the deposit accounts of
individuals and corporations formerly kept
under the head of Whole cost deposit
fund.- (now denominated Miscellaneous
trust fund deposits, District of Columbian.
and in the appropriation for Assessment
and permit work., arising from the defal-
cation of James NJ. A Watson, former
employee of the auditors office, it was
found necessary to make thorough revi-
sion and examination during the past fiscal
year of the books and accounts kept in the
auditors office pertaining to said whole cost
deposit fund and the permit fund.- and also
of the books and records of the collector
of taxes relating thereto, from 1887 to July
49, 1903. This work occupied the tinre of an
expert accountant of the auditors office
for seven months, and disclosed SIS dis
crepances arising from false entries and
other errors in the books formerly kept by
Watson, all of which have been duly
rected by proper entries made by the clerk
now in charge OF said books, in accordance
with the detailed itemized statements pre-
pared and verified during the course of the
examination.
The result of the examnatio made and
the itemized statements prepared and filed
in the auditors Office show that the ac-
tual net shortage in the account formerly
styled the whole cost deposit fund" now
known as miscellaneous st-fund depos-
it's District OF Columbia, is $53,0S261. be-
account acc Of the 81 &c i in said lp fund in
the deficiency estimates submitted to Con-
gress at the last session, but for which
no appropriation was made. This sum
of S415 is the amount of a check errone-
ously included in the list of checks appro-
Driated by Watson to his own use, but
now ascertained to have been properly de-
posted. The shortage in the appropriation
for Assessment and permit work. re-
mains the same as formerly reported
namely S2500749, of which a deficiency
appropriation for 1.503.74 is necessary TO
reimburse the United States for the one
half of said sum on account of the appro-
priation specified.
The total appropriation required, payable
wholly from the revenues of the District
of Columbia, to make good the Watson de-
falcation, is, therefore, as follows:
On account of the net ascertained short
age in the whoe-ccst deposit fund now
known as miscellaneous trust fund de-
posits. District of Columbia 49,. S53 0J2 81
On account of the ascertained shortage
OF S23.ooI 40 in the appropriation for
Assessment and permit work" to
reimburse the United States for one
nan thereof' -............-........ SOB "A
Total deficiency appropriation required.$e4 $50 50
Disbursements,
The growth of the District is well illus
trated in the increasing labor performed
by the office of the disbursing officer. The
sum total placed to the official credit of
that officer during the year. subject to ex-
penditure by his check, was S. 714915s2.
The total number of checks issued during
the year was 1856, exclusive of those
drawn on account of the municipal build
ing commission and the board of control of
Rock Creek Park. The excellent admin
lStratlon OF the office was demonstrated by
the fact that not one of these checks mis-
carried throughout the year. The total
actual cash handled by the disbursing Of
flee and paid out to the officers and en-
ha 1ah
mechanics employed on the public works,
and to the witnesses and jurors in the Po-
lice Court, coroners jurors and witnesses,
physicians and witnesses in lunacy inauisi-
tions and other payments of a miscellaneous
character amounted to $1,3SS, 4416S. The
disbursement OF this sum involved the prep
aration and payment of cash in envelopes
to over 800 persons twice a month, which
with miscellaneous payments made over the
counter, aggregated about 100000 separate
payments for the year.
The volume of work dispatched by the
office during the past fiscal year showed a
marked increase over that of the preceding
fiscal year. The disbursements made by
the disbursing officer during the fiscal year
1906 exceeded those made in the fiscal year
1904 by $1G1,223. IS. This increase was due
in large part to the fact that certain APP
preparations made for a number of char
liable institutions which had heretofore
been expended by the fiscal officers of such
institutions We're, during 1905 expended by
check of the disbursng officer. A further
cause was by reason of the many large
payments made in connection with projects
of public Improvement nearing completion
Under the law the duty of stating and
rendering monthly to the accounting Off
GERS of the Treasury Department the ac-
counts relating TO expenditures by the dis
bursting officer devolves upon the auditor of
the District of Columbia. T., is gratifying
to report that in the final review and ex-
animation by the Treasury officials the said
accounts covering over SSeG00o3 in ex-
penditures. and representing about 100000
individual items of payment, We're settled
without any material differences.
Anacostia River Improvement.
The Commissioners hope that Congress
will provide al the coming session for the
general improvement of Anacostia River,
so as TO do away with the insanitary and
ugly flats in the interest of the health and
beauty of the national capital and provide
additional public wharves and commercial
facilities. The project for the Improvement
of the Anacosta River below the Navy
Yard bridge, the estimated cost of which
was $1.21S,525, has been carried on by the
War Department under the appropriation
of $150,Co0 made in the river and harbor act