Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-07

| the District OF Columbia so enumerated
was 43.oo3, including 98,142 colored.
Estimates for 1911.
Inc commissioners were governed in
the preparation OF the estimates for the
support OF the government Of the Dis
! trlct OF Columbia for the fiscal year to
end June 30. 1911. by the following pro.
vision In the District appropriation law
approved March 3, 1909:
| Hereafter the Commissioners of The
| District Of Columbia shall not submit. nor
snail the Secretary of the Treasury trans
mt, TO Congress regular annual estimates
LOT expenses Of the government OF the
District or Columbia for any fiscal year
| that shall exceed in the aggregate a sum
equal to twice the amount Of the total
estlnated revenues of the District OF Co
| iunlbia for such fiscal year Said esti-
| mates shall take into consideration and
embrace all charges against the said rev.
enues arising under appropriation other
| than the regular District Of Columbia
DILL. Such annual estimates shall not he
| published In advance Of their submission
TO congress at the beginning Of each reg
The estimates submitted by them for
| that period aggregated as follows:
PAYABLE from the general fund ;. .s11, o4s, $40. 4s
Payaole from revenues Of water
"epai'nent .-.-.-...--.. 134. 0a5.0 (
a'-'....-...--.. .-.-........ .Sl1. 100. 62S. 40
The estimated receipts from the District
sources for that fiscal year exclusive of
water revenues, are $685., 9TO: S574.4a5 of
this amount is applicable to liabilities
payable wholly out OF those reeeipts,
leaving $5,763,515 as the Districts half of
fund of s11,527 ,O3o to cover appropria-
tons chargeable equally against the Dis
trfct and the United States But as the
commissioners are required to take into
consideration and embrace all charges
against the said revenues arising under
appropriations other than the regular
District of Columbia BILL they made al
loWance for appropriations contained in
acts other than the regular District an
preparation bill aggregatdng $4sO.3s1 Gn-
Guiding 10 per cent for the estimated in
crease over the present appropriations of
Lthat character), leaving an appropriation
Rfund of $1.O46. $50. 40. as stated above.
available for the estimates for the sup
port OF the District government to be in
Guided in the next regular District ap-
preparation bill.
Among 1.-THE items which they deducted
from the Gross estimated revenues in or
der TO arrive at the net revenue of the
District available for the Districts por-
tlon or their estimates, was one OF 500 :
Vp. as a reimbursement to the United
States on account Of advances to June 30.
1910. which amounted to s. 500 515O3. and
$4,000 interest at per cent per annum
thereon. While there was no provision
OF law directing the annual reimburse
ment OF any specific proportion OF such
advances, the law does require the re-
payment to the Treasury of the debt of
the District on that account from tim ,
to time within five years, beginning July
!, 1870" and the commissioners deemed
II matter OF good faith to conform SO
Tar as they were justified by the state
OIL lne Dlstract revenues, to the apparent
purpose OF Congress In the premises, by
including provision for q payment OF an
installment Of $4,000 during the fiscal
year 1911.
improvements in Financial System.
In the annual reports Of the District
auditor for several years past particular
stress has been laid upon the necessity for
general revision Of the District financial
system and the accounting Hereunder.
1t has been shown that there was urgent
necessity for the adoption of a well-or-
ganaZed and centralized system of &C
counting control Of the finances of the
District, together with a thorough an
alytical system of bookkeeping, in order
that the business of the government could
ne transacted without financial loss and
that the results of its business could he
expressed accurately and intelligently. In
urging revision along these lines the
Commissioners have not contemplated the
establishment of an intricate and vol
luminous system of bookkeeping with end
less extensions and qualifications What
| is desired is in line with that which ha 8
already been partially accompIished.
| namely, revision along practical business
| lines. the accomplishment Of practical re-
suits: that there may be Capitalization in
stead of decentralization In financial CON
troll: that all receipts and disbursements
of the District may be handled through
the proper officers of the District; and
that all accounts relating to the District
may be kept In the District auditor $
office. so that annually the Commission
ers. with full knowledge of all the facts
relating to all of the business OF the Dis
| trict, may submit to Congress an ac-
curate and comprehensive statement OF
tho business transactions of the District
| OF Columbia.
The Budget.
Under existing law the District appro.
priation estimates are required to be sub
mitted In exactly the same form and
| order as in prior years. No variance
| may be made from that order. The pres
emit order Of appropriations and their
| several subheads is the result OF follow
| ing from year to year the old order with
out any Redistribution or revision what
ever. No matter how different in char
acter from the caption of the general ap-
I preparation. all subheads Of appropria-
ton must under existing law appear
| under the same caption from year &c
year. The result Is that a large number
| of the general appropriation heads now
| carry appropriations for objects widely
| different in character and function and
| which should appear under different OF
| separate heads. When. In addition to the
/ foregoing condition. 1t is also true that
many appropriations for the expenses OF
/ the government Of the District OF CO.
lumbia are not contained In the District
| appropriation bill at all. but appear In
| other bills providing for the expenses OF
the Federal Government. the need for re.
| vision becomes apparent.
| From q careful study Of existing con.
| ditions the commissioners are of the
| opinion that two things are imperative
| with respect to the annual District budg.
ct: % That all appropriations and
| charges of whatsoever nature in any
way affecting District revenues should
he contained in the District appropriation
! bill proper: and (2 that a new order be
substituted with respect to appropriations
| made therein. each function of govern
ment being classified under its appro-
| pirate head, and all sublleads of appro.
| prfation arranged with respect to their
| true and logical relation to their general
| heads. In line with this policy the au-
/ ditors office prepared the estimates of APP.
| preparations submitted by the commits.
/ sioners for the expenses of the govern
X ment Of the District OF Columbia for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, in q new
budget form, arranged and classified Sc
| that the entire business of the District