The Washington herald., 1909-01-13

The House OF Representatives, yester-
day. acting as a committee TO discuss the
appropriations for the District Of Colum-
bia for the next fiscal year. decided TO
recommend cutting down the price Of gas
Used for street lighting purposes from 81
20 s. cents per thousand cubic feet. The
price OF electricity was cut down from
6 cents to I Il cents per kilowatt hour.
Representative James Burton Harrison,
of New York. offered q resolution 10 re-
duce the price Of gas TO 50 cents. He
said thst a recent decision Of the Supreme
Court showed that gas could be made
and sold in New York for that price. and
he said he saw no reason why II could
not be sold az the same price in Wash
ington.
Representatives Gardner and Mann op-
posed his resolution and said that If il
was passed it would not conform with the
bill recently passed by the House, cutting
the price Of gas 10 s. cents. They be
Heved that an amendment providing for
50 cent gas 10 the District government
would injure the chances OF cheaper gas
in the District Nj Harrison insisted or
his resolution. however. and IL was lost
by a vote OF 2 10 IS
Takes Up District Bill.
The House resolved itself into com
mittee OF the whole soon after the open
ing yesterday. and Immediately began, the
consideration Of the appropriation bill for
the District Of Columbia for the next
fiscal year
Chairman Gardner. OF the sgbcommit
tee on District Of Columbia appropTia-
tons made several suggestions as 10 the
best methods Of financing the District
Mr.. Gardner said:
There are three. possibly sour. WAYS by vhich the
current and furu- financial conditions NAY be
met OF provided for
TIE first IS % segresate the money raised By the
District and the Federal government into two
funds. one of which shan he used for ordinary cIT
rent expenses and the other for improvements Of
permanent nature IN order that the present
EHnsration NAV not he uBduly burlened and thai
CrlseT EgnerSti0ns which VIII share equally With
this n the benefits enjoyed. Uay bear part Of the
burden treT lmI0~e. = Is proposed either - issue
new ssTieS % longtime bonds OF 70 continue n
definitely advances from the national Treasury
TIE second method is 20 raise the per cent of
vzuation of TIE property % he assessed. both real
and personal raise the rate e taxation upon
the present valuation.
Tax Rate Here Low.
Methods Of valuation and Ter cent Of taxation
vay s., much II different cities that any compar-
s1a based upon either both j. not of nauch p-sc
teal value. tut there Is a method q c-mpsrisou
which is fairy Just and accurate. w. the szaouut
Of money raised and eKVeldod IzT capita.
The estimates cf the Commissioners for the
ensuing year exciusive Of the water department
ssTegate SIS o6-E5-52 The estimated reTeuuss Of
the District amount 20 SscsE0 Ike SIN
tsiuz I-uFided OFT u the United States Treasury
makes the SUN total q the revenues for the next
fiscal ycar 81 80 so Il VIII thus appear that the
estimates Of the Commissioners exceed The IT,
suUrccs by nearly St0oo9oo
Tbs would necessarily increase t's Eufunded debt
b - nu-h a. IS the difference between the income
and rhs outga-
In addition to the unfunded debt there Is
H-Dded deht. the bonds Cor which we're authorized
u ts7s % nm for fifty years. The tize XII ex-
r5re August J. Is4- July J. Is7s this debt was
S-los-65a July J. lsE. It had ben Teduced 70
S0IT- 100 n Other words. there viii b within
Tv0 millions as much 70 pay during the next hfteen
Years as The District has paid in the laS thirty
years and in addition The unfnded debt of = IS 90
The funded debt bears Ere q - and The uu-
funded of per cert rer aunum.
Building Inspection Fees.
The section Of the bill providing for the
Commissioners 10 prescribe a schedule Of
fees for permits and certificates 10 be
issued by the building inspector and pro-
viding that these fees be paid into the
credit Of the District revenues, was passed
over with the idea that 1t would be
amended later.
Representative Mann. Of Illinois. cp-
posed the paragraph that half the fees
should 90 70 the national Treasury since
one-half the running expenses Of the
Office Of the building Inspector is paid
by the government. II IS believed the
amendment VIII provide that the fees
paid in to the building inspector be used
IN running the inspectors Office.
The committee passed without Objec-
ton the provision that policemen not be
detailed for duty as watchmen AZ the
Municipal Buiidiuf
Points Of order were raised against
the provision for q municipal architect by
Representatives Mann and Macon. The
section was finally struck out
Representatives BUrleso nand Gardner
said the provision was very necessary
one and urged its passage Mr. Burie-
son said the building inspector was at
present overburdened with work He
said the committee were now employing
outside help rather than use the same
plans for 50 many buildings; that the
building inspector could not now give
news plans for every change or new
building found necessary.
The school board has asked for the
architect said Mr. Gardner. They
think il is better to have an architect
whose sole duties will be 70 make plans
for all the buildings in the District.
Inspector Kept Busy.
Representative Bowers, OF Mississippi
said the duties Of the building inspector
were too much for one man. He added
that he did not believe the proposed
architect could do all the work, OF that
the government would net find il neces-
saTy 10 have some work done on the out
side He added that the architect would
do a great deal OF il. and would be Of
great assistance 20 the city government
He believed the architect would save a
large amount OF money 20 the govern
men1
Mr. Bowers added that il would be vel
If the architect found It impossible to do
more than half Of the work as il would
be well to have a variety Of ideas.
Representative Macon said he believed
II the Office Of srchitect were created. Il
would not be long before an assistant
would be asked for. He said that dur
ing his career in the House he had seen
many such complications arise He did
not believe the increase necessary.
The provision increasing the salary OF
the librarian at the Public Library TO
800 was agreed upon. The section also
provides fer fuel. lighting, and fitting I'D
the building for a lunch-room.
Representative Mann and Representa-
i've Gardner engaged in a short tilt over
Always the Same