Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-11
How Additions to the Debt
Have Been Avoided.
USE OF CURRENT REVENUES
Millions of Dollars Paid Out for Elk.
traordinary Expenses.
THE FUNDED DEBT DISCUSSED
Now It Is Proposed to Begin to
Reduce Gradually the Float
ing Indebtedness.

| During the past seven or eight years
| this city has spent from its ordinary rev.
enue no less than $17.OO0OOO for what
| are known extraordinary improve
ments Under the latter heading is found
such works as in other pla ces are pro-
| vided for by a bond issue instead OF at
tempting to get the money from the yearly
revenue.
This fact was brought out In the course
Of a statement made by Representative
Gardner in the House last week when the
District Appropriation bill was under con-
sideration. Much of what Mr. Gardner
had to say was in defense Of the action
OF the committee, which had severely
pruned the estimates of the District Com
missioners. reducing the total amount
appropriated to about S100O0.UO0. which
has been about the annual budget for
this District for several years past.
Finances of a City.
Without regard to the purpose of Mr.
Gardner in making the speech, some of
the statements contained in It are of in
terest for the reason they present
some facts relative to the affairs of the
city which cannot fail to be of value to
all who even in a slight way have any
concern in civic matters.
The question arises. In the first place,
what are the extraordinary improvements
referred to and how has ii been possible
for municipality with an annual revenue
amounting between 50 OOOOOO and 100000
600 to be able to meet the running ex-
penses of the city government and at the
same time spend on extra things an aver
age Of more than 100000 per year.
Pay-as-You-Go Plan.
tc 0ioyn
has not been done entirely from the cur
rent revenue. as during that period a
floating debt has been incurred of a little
over 100000. But even with that de-
duction what has been accomplished is
remarkable, as practically a system OF
sewers and of sewerage disposal has been
established; also a filtration plant. while
a large municipal building and a police
court building have been erected and
grounds have been acquired and buildings
for home for the aged and infrm built
Five important bridges have been put
up, one of them the Connecticut Avenue
bridge, costing in the neighborhood of
one million of dollars. A contribution
of million and a half dollars has been
made to the new Union station and the
doing away of grade crossings The ag-
gregate of the cost of these important
improvements reached the large sum OF
S1I00o,0OO. all of which, with the ex-
ception of $4,000. 900 has been taken
from the current revenues of the city in
the past six or seven years. or course,
1t is understood when nine or ten mil
lion dollars is spoken of as the current
revenue of the city that it includes the
80 per cent which the general govern
ment. as the largest single owner OF
the proprty in the District, pays in lieu
of taxes.
As to the Funded Debt.
There is no other charge upon the
revenues of the city. besides those for
current expenses except the interest
and the sinking fund charges on
funded debt of $11.000,000. During the
past twenty-one years the funded debt
has been nearly cut in half. SO that the
amount now outstanding is as above
given. This is another charge upon the
revenues which has been met, as well
as the other ordinary and extra ordinary
charges.
The floating debt of $4,000. 900 is owed
to the government. which exacts
charge of per cent a year. 1t is now
proposed by Mr.. Gardner and his COL
leagues on the House District commit
tee to save out of the money con-
tributed each year by the taxpayers an
amount equal to about 81 100000 a year
and pay off at this rate the floating
debt
Such a conclusion has been reached
In the face Of demands upon the money
q AVAILABLE, which in the opinion of the
District Commissioners are very neces-
sary and ought not to be put aside.