Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-05
Disbursing Office.

COLLECTING taxes owing the District. be
enacted at the coming session of Con-
greSS.
Disbursing Office.
The total disbursements during the
year. viz. $1O,692. :a93.1S Gncluding $l6,-
24S3S expended for Rock Creek Park,
exceeded those of the preceding year by
1864, 6S2.2o. The fact that this more than
ten and a half million dollars. of which
over two millions was handled in cash.
was disbursed accurately and in acc cord
ance with law and approved business
methods speaks for itself. The work OF
this branch of the District, which is in
trusted with the disbursement of its
funds, has been uniform with the neces-
sary growth of the municipal government
More than $1,000 payments were MADE
1910 of about 5000: while 1921 payments
were made to employees by check, or an
increase of about 200
The number of vouchers upon which
payments were made to contractors and
merchants aggregated 24.648, or about
LISA more than the number for the year
1910
The total number of witnesses and jur-
ors in the several courts who were paid
their fees in cash was 1854, an increase
of nearly TOO.
The fiscal year under consideration was
the first full year in which by law pay
ments were made by the disbursing Off
Ger to beneficiaries in proceedings in the
Juvenile Court affecting abandoned wives
and non-support cases, and these totaled
1000.
Corporation Counsel.
Four cases were argued in the Supreme
Court of the United States, two involv-
ing the law relating to gift enterprises
(argued together) and two the law OF
eminent domain (argued at the same time).
The decisions of that court were in favor
Of the District of Columbia in all the
cases. The decision On the gift-enterprise
law was made January 3. 1911. and is
reported under the title Matter of
Gregory, petitioner" in 219 United States,
at page 2l0 The decision on eminent-do-
main law was made May %. lo4i, and
will be found reported in Volume xxx,
Washington Law Reporter, at page $50.
The latter case holds that private prop
erty is not taken for public use without
compensation under the act to extend
Rhode Island avenue approved Febru-
provides that one-hah the amount
awarded as damages in the street extern
sion. authorized by that act. Is to be
assessed against the lands within
designated area as benefits. and that Con-
gress may create a special Improvement
district and charge a part or all of the
cost of the Improvement therein, accord
ing to the benefits received by property
within such district. This decision dis
posed Of nine other cases lin addition to
the two cases directly involved) then
pending in the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia, favorable to the Dis
extension Of Rhode Island avenue col
lectible.
The case of the District Of Columbia
against James T. Petty. late auditor OF
eslfA
COO. the penalty of his official bond. ard
the case of the New York Continental
Jewell Filtration Company against the
District of Columbia to recover S.1S1.6f
and interest, growing out of the work
connected with the elimination OF grade
crossings. are pending in the Supreme
Court of the United States.
Fourteen cases were argued and de-
cided in the Court Of Appeals of the Dis
trict of Columbia. resulting In eight de-
cisions for and six decisions against the
District Six cases are pending in that
court.
In the Supreme Court of the District Of
Columbia eight damage cases to recover
for personal injuries occasioned by de-
fects in highways, for which CLAIMS were
made aggregating $4,000. resulted in
judgments amounting to $50. Fourteen
like suits are lending in that court,
wherein the claims aggregate $1S5.OOO.
The case of James L. Parsons for $15,-
600 damages for breach of contract for
delay in the completion OF the municipal
building was decided In favor of the Dis
trict Twenty other cases went to judg-
ment and twenty are there pending.
On the. equity side of that court six
cases against the District were dismissed
and eight await final hearing. The prin-
ciple was established in the Equity Court
that under the act of February %. 1905.
the District is entitled to be reimbursed
out of the funds of a lunatic for all
moneys expended for the whole period OF
the lunatic'S confinement