Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-30
Advances by u. S. Government
Amount to $3,992,515.O5.
FIGURES GIVEN OUT TODAY
Rapid Increase in Balance Since
Fiscal Year 1902 Closed.
SUBSTANCE OF ANNUAL REPORT
Auditor for the State Department
Sums Up the Situation-Some
recommendations.

The District of Columbia owes the
United States $780,, 51J.0s OH account of
advances since 1902, according to the an
nual report of the auditor FOR the State
Department, made public today. The fig
ures are as follows: Debits-Balance due
the United States July I. 1908, $3.50.
306; interest on balance at per cent
for one year, s73,O11.26: net advances
chargeable to the revenues OF the Dis
trict of Columbia during fiscal year 1909,
6,32S. 47S5S: total 1852, O52. 80. Credits
Revenues of the District of Columbia de-
posted in the Treasury during the fiscal
year 1909. $6O59, 537. 81: balance due the
United States June 30, 1909, $780,, SIS O3;
total, $1O.052, O52.9O.
Increase Noted.
The balance due by the District to the
United States has Increased at q rapid
rate since the fiscal year 1902. At the
close of that year the amount due the
government was $1,759, 1888 Including
interest and forther advances the amount
due had increased to $3.50. 563.O6 at the
close of the year, June 30, 1903.
Auditor Layton discusses at length the
law relating to estates of American citi-
zens who die abroad. Further legislation
is urged.
Mr.. Layton says:
THE law requires our consular officers
abroad to take possession of the personal
estates of citizens of the United States.
other than seamen belonging to vessels,
who may die within their consular dis
tricts leaving no legal representatives,
and to dispose Of these estates conform
ably to law.
At End Of One, Year.
AFTER the expiration of cue year the
consular officer Is required to transmit
the balance due to the estate to the treas
ury. to be holden in trust for the~1egal
claimant, together with jewelry and other
articles having sentimental value to
relatives as keepsakes 1t has been the
custom to keep such articles in this Of
flee in safe provided for that purpose.
(See paragraph 4O5 of the consular regula-
tons of 1865
An examination of the actual contents
of sealed packages thus received from
consulates and filed in the office safe dis
closes the fact that many of them con-
tain bills Of exchange. promissory notes
and other evidences of Indebtedness to
such estates, on which action should at
once be taken for their collection and de-
post into the Treasury in trust for the
legal claimants. s'(
There is an absence of legislation au-
lect the debts due before delivery by this
department to the legal representatives
in this country, and as several years
often elapse before such representatives
are known 1t will be seen that the value
of an estate may greatly depreciate owing
by law in this country to perform the
duties which deyofve Upon our consular
officers abroad in relation, to such estates.
Necessity Emphasized.
1.-THE necessity for SUCH ). legisla ton
grows annually: in Importance There, is
an annual increase of the stock Of such
effects Of decedents as have been referred
to as perishable and consist in values
which should be turned into money. In
one case in 1905 this office received five
drafts of a decedent payable to his order,
amounting to 81, 401 .96, besides perishabie
effects. All efforts to locate his heirs
being unsuccessful, these drafts under the
present law must lie in the safe in this
Office, and the money continues with the
banks where deposited. Over $1,000 Of
said money is held by London bankers
There is also considerable amount of
foreign coin received from time to time,
belonging to- Americans, which it is i'm
possible to convert into United States
currency without legislative authority.
LAS illustrative Of the annual growth
in Importance of the necessity for such
legislation it may be stated that while In
1859 there were on file in this Office por
lions of the estates of forty-One American
citizens who had died abroad, the number
has increased in 1909 to 1H.
Therefore, l consider it proper to raise
the question of whether 1T may not be
expedient for the two departments Of the
Treasury and of State to renew the rec
for the enactment by Con-
gress Of the remedial legislation proposed
by the secretaries OF those two depart
mentS in 1900"