The Washington times., 1910-12-06
Commissioners Report.


The report OF the Commissioners Of
the District submitted today 10 Con-
gress begins with a statement showing
the receipts and expenditures of the
District for the fiscal year ending June
50, 1910 These were as follows
RECEIPTS.
Balance, July !, 1S39--...-.... S565.074.S s.
Taxes and general revenues. e2gT 02g IL
Trust and special fund col
leCIIonS 1,1Te. ST. 81
l. : appropriations --------.- $50 15S 4
TotaL.--........-.-,-....-..... I3l97.7l4I4
EXPENDITURES
District appropriations .......sJ0, SQ1. 90. Il
Special and trust funds 1-2I5- IS =
District debt ...-.---.-,--.... 7ss,osea5
Total --.------..-.-.-.----.-.. I2.s15. $3.50
Balance TO credit District. 3SI. gIS-S4
The revenues Of the Water Depart
ment during the fiscal year 1910 amount
ed 70 S600TS4.2f. The balance to the
ming Of that year was TS},6.S-56, making
q total available for expenditure duUnE
said year Of S6SS-S6--s2
The actual net expenditures on ac-
count Of the water fund during the
fiscal year 1910 amounted TO 1888. 1871,
leaving q balance available for eXpeudi-
tuTe June 81. 1910 Of Sso.I1ISl-
The debt Of the District on June 3,
1910. Is given by the Commissioners as
Funded debt--.-....---.-...-- -, 492, 101. o.
Floating debt---.--------------- 3-274-27S-9S
The funded debt Is In the form OF
bonds and represents the Indebtedness
created under the old form OF govern
ment prior 10 ISIS II bears interest AT
the rate Of 80 per cent The floating
debt represents advances made Il the
District from the Federal Treasury Tor
permanent Improvements II bears in
teTest al the rate Of > ger cent
The reduction OF the funded debt dur
ing the year vas $3.50. and OF the
floating debt, S1lS.z3605, total reduction
OF S1,5i0. 2Ss-05-
Property Values.
In showing the property values upon
which taxes were levied in 1910. ths
Commissioners report the assessable
value (tWO-thirds Of real valUe) OF
real estate and improvements a fol-
lows:
Real estate.
Improvements -------------- I33-f41,S05
Total .--...--..--------.--.. 2S5.15S.771
Personal property assessed for tax
alton is given as S24,94S, l56-t5- As
seSSable ValCeS-COmputed on a tax
on gross receipts-of banks and pub
lie utility companies, are given as
S13,S56, 613-16- The total assesSabie
value Of property subject to taxation
in the District is therefore given as
1928, 9ES. 53O-S9.
In taking up their estimates for ap-
preparations for the District FOR next
year, the Commissioners quote the ap-
preparation act OF 1909, which pro-
vides that the total estimates for eX-
pendituTes must come within the total
estimated revenues They then make
an estimate of revenues They state
che Districts revenues available for
use, after deducting certain fixed
charges, viii be S6,2SSs595- Adding
this to a similar Sum-the Govern
ment's haIf-they find the District
VIII have revenues of S12-547. 100.
From this must be deducted certain
fixed charges. amounting to S434-3fo-
and leaving available for use by the
District for general appropriations
The total expenditures for the year
are s11.S41. 5000. leaving a balance to
the credit Of the District Of 1901 .429.1G-
In addition TO these expenditure, the
OmmiSSiOners recommend an eXpen-
diture of 100000, to be advanced BY
the Government. and to be repaid IN
four annual instsilments, for MOntrOSe
lark, Meridian Hin Park, and KlinsIe
Ford valley
Floating Debt
One of the items to be paid wholly
from District revenues-and included
in the estimates-is for 1855, OOO. be-
ing one-fourth Of the Districts float
ing debt and interest one payment
has been made on this debt and the
provision for payment OF one-fourth OF
the remainder is to conform to the de-
sire of Congress that the hoa ting debt
be wiped out by July I. 1915
The report describes the good re-
suits obtained by centrRliZing the &C
counting system OF the District in the
Office of the auditor and announces
rar In =r7~
duced N the near futuEe- The QueS-
ton Of a classified and unified budget
is again recommended as follows.
In the last annual report special con-
sideration was given 70 a discussion OF
the preparation and classification OF the
annual budget or estimates of apprO-
priatiOns submitted TO Congress for the
expenses OF the government Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia Under existing Drac-
tice the appropriations for each fiscal
year follow the order Of the previous
fiscal year. being required under the
pT eS ant law TO be submitted in that
manner. As the present order and
SifiCatiou for District appropriations
was established a great many years ago.
a1d has been subject to many additions
and alterations from time TO time as
years have gone on. the original outline
has been materially changed and many
of the appropriations do not express in
their headings the purposes for which
they are made
.'fFhe time has arrived in this era Of
municipal advancement and prOgr sss
when a change should be made The
preparation Of an annual budget neC es-
states the joint consideration of three
frterdeDendent and interTelated itenlS OF
municipal finance namely First. amount
Of available revenues second. amount OF
appropriation and charges to be made
therefrou, and, third, result # the
financial policy thus outlined uT-on mu-
niciDaI Indebtedness at the close Of the
fiscal period under consideration
IN the supervision and direction OF
municipal dnauCe there Is and should