Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-27
MONEY OF THE PEOPLE
Revenues of the City and What
is Done With 1t.
SMALL CHANCE FOR GRAFT
All of the Cash in Specie for the Gen.
eral Benefit.
INCREASE OF PAST DECADE
Some facts About the District Debt
and the Use Made of Cur
rent Funds.
CREASE OF PAST DECADE

n
| Tho average citizen as a rule does NOT
display much interest in the use OF the
money which he pays in the shape of taxes.
| He Is apt to be all attention in the event of
any increase in the amount of such taxes
but otherwise he does not know and what
Is more. does not care very much what is
done with the money
| The citizen wants. however. adequate pro-
lection for himself ard for his property. In
the shape Of competent fire and police sys-
tens. He also is solicitous that the public
! schools should be efficient as possible. In
! order that his children may receive a good
education. He wants good roads and other
| improvements and facilities of that sort
which the machinery of modern society has
taught the citizen to expect from the gov
eminent
Ignorance of Citizens.
/ Outside of such interest there is only
! little known by the average citizen of the
finances of the city. In fact. the great ma
! Jority would be unable to answer almost
rudmentary questions relative to city gov
| eminent and the expense of carrying il on
| There is good deal of surprise expressed
sometimes by residents of this city when
| they come across Intelligent citizens of
| other places who show a complete ignor-
| ancc of how the District is governed But
| If these visitors were asked details, and
! those, too, of very general character about
| the government of their home city they
would be about destitute OF information
| as they are about the government of the
District.
In fact, it is q question whether. take
them man for man. there is any more gem
| eral knowledge among the citizens of the
District about the methods and results of
| the government of the District than there
| is among the citizens of other places about
their own home affairs The fact is that in
| this busy and absorbing age the average
| man and woman also have about all they
can attend to 10 look after their own bust
! mess and see that the inflow of income
| keeps some sort of pace with that of the
annual outgo.
Use of Public Money
At the same time the citizen so taken UP
with his own affairs does not like to think
| that the money be is paying in the shape
| of taxes is being diverted from its legiti-
| mate in order to enrich a few poiti-
| clans. and so it is that every once in a
while there is display of public interest In
| the method of housekeeping in cities which
| results in changes and in reforms. In this
city there is very little concern on that
/ score it is acknowledged generally that
| the percentage of the annual expenditure
by the city that is diverted from lis prop
er direction is much smaller than is the
case in any other city in this country and
probably in the world Under this form of
government honesty on the part of city Of
fc.als is secured to a greater degree than
under any ether known form.
Such a result is also helped along by The
arrangement which places all the revenue
of the District in the United States treas
ury, that all disbursements have to be
drawn from that source and all bills have
| to pass the scrutiny of the treasury Of
ficials.
Large Increase.
1t is interesting to know that there was
raised last year from all sources from the
citizens of the District for the support of
the local government the sum of more than
six millions of dollars. TIE total appropria-
lions for the District. including one-half
the amount appropriated and paid by the
general government. was a decade ago less
than six millions, while today it is about
twice that amount.
These figures show how the city is grow
ing. In the same period the funded debt
of the District las been paid to the extent
of nearly 81 0DOD1J 50 that today that debt
which once seemed formidable amounts
to about $14,J1c.0G0. There is also what
might be termed floating debt which now
aches S3,0eD,01D and is due to advances
made by the United States to provide
money needed in excess OF the current rev.
enucs This form of Indebtedness has been
contracted in the course of the past few
years and is due to the necessity for pro-
vding improvements in the way of sewer
| betterments and other items. which in other
| cities would be met by bond issue
Out of Current Revenues.
! Congress has seen fit to require these ex-
| traordfnary expenses to he met far as
possible out of the current revenues, and
| the deficit has been provided in the form
| OF a loan from the general government at
| an annual charge Of > per cent.
The effect is to make this indebtedness a
| bond issue redecm2blc at any time II IS
probab BILE that effort viii be made by
! Congress to secure the repaymc Mt Of this
! money in inst2limentS from the current
revenues Of the District. Whether such
| course will be practicable with the in
! crcas.ng needs of the District remains to be
| seen, but thus far an extensive system OF
| sewage disposal has been practically
completed at a cost of about Si00oO,GUJ and
extending over a period Of ZEN ye 'rs. be-
sides other extraordinary expenditures.
How the Money is Spent
AS will be seen the greater portion of
this cost has been met out Of the current
revenues Extra expenses have been in
CURED by the erection of the District build
! ing the extension of the streets and SO
! forth.
TIE details of how the money of the pco-
! pie is spent here is Of interest. The larg-
| es item in the list of expenditures Is ST.
/ lT2 1858 for public schools; while 81 l26,-
! 7S5 % was spent for constructing sewers.
| including sewage disposal system" For the
| care, repair and lighting Of streets, ave.
| nues and parking 81, 109,ao5.03 were spent.
| Othe. large eXGeiditureS were as follows:
| Charities and corrections. 81. 012 25>!@ fl
| tratioH plant. S!>)SG3 Metropci an PONCE
SGT 100 30; fire department Siss l2I y.
|
! TO Restriction Upon Pigeons.