Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15
SIZING UP REVENUES
District Officials Making Ready
for Annual Estimates.
BASED ON COLLECTIONS
Amount Asked Of Congress Limited
by District Income.
GUIDE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS
Figures Prepared by Various De-
partment Heads to Be Used as
Basis for Appropriations
Asked For.
GUIDE FOR THE COMMISSIONERS

Officials of the District government
who have to do with the collection and
the distribution of its funds are now
engaged in preparing for the Commits
sioners statement showing the total
estimated revenues of the District for
the fiscal year beginning July /. 1910.
Owing to the express provision in the
last District appropriation act that the
Commissioners estimates to Congress
shall not exceed in the aggregate a
sum equal to twice the amount of the
total estimated revenues Of the District
of Columbia, the Commissioners must
know before they prepare their esti-
mates exactly how liberal they can be.
This statement OF the estimated reve-
nues is, therefore. regarded as Of the
greatest Importance. While the Dis
trict heads have in former years known
in round numbers the estimated reve-
nueS. there was no law which prohibit
ed them from submitting estimates TO
Congress that exceeded the revenues
and asking Congress to allow loans
from the United States Treasury to
cover this surplus
The preparation Of the statement OF
estimated revenues is complicated by
the further provision in the law which
specifies that the Commissioners esti-
mates shall take into consideration
and embrace all charges against the
tions other than the regular District
of Columbia bill"
Committees First Duty.
The committee of District officials en-
gagged in preparing the schedule of esti-
mated revenues and fixed charges Is
now particularly engaged in determin-
ing the charges against the District
revenues provided for in other than
the District appropriation act. Under
the Department of Justice, for instance
are the District courts and the Jail: nd
the appropriations for their operation
are not made in the District act itself
There are also charges against the Dis
trict's funds for the maintenance Of
the aqueduct. for the upkeep Of the
public parks and for the operations OF
the National Geological Park. for which
the Commissioners do not prepare esti-
mates.
But to be within the letter OF the law
the. Commissioners must take into con-
sideration all these estimates. There
fore the committee has written to the
officials in charge Of these separate in
situations to ask what the fixed charges
for the maintenance are and what the
estimates for the next fiscal year will
total 1t is known that the estimates of
Tie SupcI VI puDlC UuIulIlsS
and grounds. Col Spencer Cosby, were
liberal this year. They have been SUBJ
Initted to the War Department and may
be pared by the Secretary Of War. But
1t is necessary for the District Commits
sioners to know what those estimates will
amount to, and their estimates for the
departments and institutions under their
care must vary somewhat according to
the size Of these outside estimates.
Smaller Than Last Year.
On account of this new provision re-
garding estimates the amount to be asked
for at the coming session Of Congress
must, it is pointed out, be smaller than
the amount involved in the estimates
submitted last year The Commission
ers asked Congress last December to ap-
prCpriate SIS, 100 995.52. although the total
revenues did not amount to over $12,-
100000 The District heads included 81.
556, $50 for extraordinary projects which
were to be pad for out Of advances to
be made by the United States Treasury
The total amount appropriated was SILL
CS9. 1868.
The heads OF departments and Of Dis
trict institutions are now busy in pre-
pairing their estimates to be submitted
to the. Commissioners. All have had
their attention called to the provision OF
the last District appropriation act requir-
ing the estimates to be within the in
come, and there is expected to be econ
omy all along the line.