Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07

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been compelled to resort to legal measures
only on rare occasions. -
Property Division.
Through this division are purchased and
distributed all supplies and construction
materials used by the District govern
nent. During the fiscal year ending
June 90 1903, the expenditures for sup
plies and materials aggregated $1.313.-
3}n9f based upon 1o117 acquisitions.
which required the issuing OF over 5000
orders and the verification and certifca-
ton of over 19.cOo vouchers.
Il is also the duty of this office to keep
III, appropriation accounts. OF all dspart-
merts. except those under the engineer
department The expending of so large
en- amount for supplies and materials and
keeping accurate accounts of the appro-
priations. spent through this office, show
ing accurately and infinitely the available
balances in the same. taxes the limitec
clerical force of the office to its utmost.
For this and for the further reason that
changes promulgated by the accounting
officers OF the Treasury Department in
the matter of purchase OF supplies and
the preparation OF vouchers. the Commsi-
Sioncrs have. in their estimates to Con
gress recommended a small increase in
the clerical force OF this division.
This Office which is also charged by law
with the custody. of all chattel owned by
the District government, sold during the
year at public auction after due adver-
iisement. property condemned as unht for
further use. and the $a.3SO.Of received Tor
the same was paid into the Office OF tn :,
collector of taxes, to be deposited to the
credit of the United States ana Dlstrlct
of Columbia.
1t is also the duty of this division to
supervise the inspection of all fuel bought
by the District government. During the
Of
of which 1.473 tons, or HOa4 per cent
We're rejected.
An appropriation of 5000 is desired for
the construction Of conveyors. engines,
etc. at the District sand and gravel yard.
TO be located on the Eastern branch. for
the reason that the wharf already provd-
ed for by appropriation cannot be con-
structed large enough to store thereon
a supply sufficient to meet the needs OF
the District. 1t will therefore be neces-
sary to convey and store the sand and
gravel on ground adjacent to the wharf.
1T estimated that by the use OF an
engine and conveyor for unloading. the
District will be able to purchase these
materials at 10 cents less per cubic yard
than if contractors for furnishing the
same are required 10 place them back in
the yard by means of carts or wheelbar-
rows.
New Property Yard.
During the year the District commenced
occupancy of the new property yard at
Delaware and Florida avenues northeast.
This yard is admirably located on ground
adjacent to the tracks of the Baltimore
and Ohio and Pennsylvania railroads.
There has been constructed at this yard
a large dump to be used by the District in
unloading broken stone shipped from the
District government quarry at Dtckerson,
Md. the use of which reduces to mini
mum the probability of the District hav
ing to pay demurrage on account of delay
in unloading cars containing this ma
terial.
Use of the new cement house. located
at 18th and d streets southwest was also
commenced during the year. This house
is believed to be too small for the pur-
pose intended and will for this reason
have to be enlarged in the near future.
The use OF the same. owing to its proxim
ity 10 the railroad. now enables the Dis
tr.ct to purchase cement at 81 cents per
barrel less than was paid for this material
delivered at the old cement house at LIST
and Canal streets.
During the year many minor changes
were inaugurated with a view to economy,
simplification, and expedition of business.
and other improvements in methods are
receiving careful consideration.
Improved Accounting.
The Commissioners have undertaken to
improve the existing accounting system
of the District of Columbia. to the end
that a central accounting control may be
adopted through properly regulated ac-
counts under the direction Of the auditor
and thus render 1t possible to present
the fiscal status Of the District in ac-
cordance with the highest standards of
advanced municipal accounting. 1t is
realized. however. that improvements or
reforms radical in their nature can be
secured but slowly, and only after careful
investigation and with adequate clerical
assistance.
By the adoption Of an accounting sys-
tenn of this character. the administrative
officers will be in a position to determine
whether the affairs OF the District are
being administered In the most ecOnomi-
cal manner possible with the best service
to the public and to the government.
During the year the Commissioners re-
quested the Secretary of the Treasury to
direct the opening in that department of
a general revenue account of the District
of Columbia. on the ground that such
revenues constituted a separate and dis
tinct fund In the Treasury, supporting the
request with opinions Of the Attorney
General. decisions of the courts Of the
District of Columbia and of the Supreme
Court of the United States. The control
Ter of the Treasury. to whom the request
was referred, held that the moneys re-
ceived from taxation and other revenues
In the District were the property of the
United States, to be used for purposes of
local government IN SAID District, ana
consequently should be paid into the
Treasury as miscellaneous receipts of the
United States, and that the Secretary of
the Treasury was not authorized TO open
upon the books of the department an ac-
count of the character Indicated
Under the present system the account
OF the District with the United States is
prepared by the Treasury at the end OF
each fiscal year from data obtained from
loose disjointed memoranda, scattered
throughout the different Offices Of the de-
par;ment, with the consequent iabinty
TO error and lack of proof as to its cor
o. payments made for the support of the
INDECENT blind of the District of Column
bla for the fiscal years 1899 to 1906. in
elusive. the settlements for which were
made by the auditor for the Interior De
partment. Although under the law one
half of the payments for this purpose,
amounting during the fiscal years named
TO So 913 "a, should have been currently
charged 10 the revenues of the District, IL
was only during the last fiscal year chat
the oversight on the part OF the govern
ment TO charge one-haif of that amount
10 the District was discovered. 1t is sub
mitted that general account with the
District the books of the Treasury.
showing the transactions hereunder
from day TO day, would eliminate in
in a more businesslike arrangement of
handling District transactions.
Concentration of Accounts