Evening star., 1913-12-03
The Commissioners Report.

The District Commissioners annual re-
port. submitted To Congress today. is
impressive summary OF municipal activi-
ties during the past year. presented in
terms which in themselves constitute
emphatic argument for the maintenance
OF the District on a high scale of wise
Ioerality. Ii is evident reading this
document that the District government
j. efficient. covering with painstaking de-
tail wide range of constructive. super
VSory and protective works for the bene-
nj of the people. The net result of such
administration is a well managed
We'll educated carefully protected COM
munity. but in most departments of the
municipal government the lack of ade-
quate appropriations is felt. in conse-
quence of the policy OF Congress during
recent years of compelling the District
10 pay a virtually cash basis for large
permanent improvements and cutting
down the allotments of funds for current
maintenance.
Comparatively few recommendations are
comprised in the statement of the years
work, which is rather in the way of a
summary of things undertaken than of
projects contemplated. Yet the needs of
the District are nevertheless set forth
III tnIS report. WneN redd IN
conjunction with the estimates already
published The Commissioners are fgur-
ing on a total estimated District revenue
from all local sources of s1,6S1.174. an
increase over the current fiscal year Of
l.1ol. AZ If the appropriations were
written strictly on the half -aRd-balf basis
and the District owed no money the
appropriations carried by all the bills that
reckoning total $15.374.34S But the Dis
trict must liquidate its funded debt. and
still owes to the United States s7S571. 40
for advances on various improvement ac-
counts. constituting the local floating
debt while ii is charged with an annual
payment of S1o2. 19oS7 to reimburse the
United States for insane patients keep
Other whole-cost charges bring the total
up 10 S2S9. 231 .66. Ii is estimated that the
District revenues will be sufficient to war
rant appropriations. on the half-and-half
basis. totaling sl4.I9J S72.6S Other bills
than the District bill carry loca, appro-
priations, on the half-and-half basis to
the amount of s439.9sO. leaving a possible
appropriation on the District bill of $14,-
.s.'3,S ,Si26S. The total estimates submit
ted by the Commissioners are s14 491 .614
this total including the whole cost
charges After deducting the estimates
for the water department., 1885, $50. the to-
tai District bill estimates leave net
balance of estimated available revenues
OF S1,13S.19.
1t is impressive to read in the Com
missioners' report that during the fiscal
Year just past the District repaid TO the
United States for advances S12OS 7OS. a
sum used for sinking fund purposes-not
including the reduction of the funded
debt-that cannot be matched by any mu-
nicipality in the United States Yet il is
not altogether satisfactory to the District
that it should be compelled to extinguish
its debt at this rate No other community
Is required to pay thus quickly, out of
its current funds. for it's permanent i'm
provements, which are largely for the
benefit Of posterity. The annual reduc-
ton of the funded debt is s975.40S.
That the District is assessed in real
property at a total Of s3Io 124144 and in
pers- nal property s32. 2.122.oO7, a total of
A3d.246. lol, Is, in consideration of the
character of the District as non-indus-
trial and chiefly residential, a striking
refutation of the charge made from time
10 time that Washingtonians are under
assessed On the basis of these assess
amounted to s., 1o1. .s04. so In realty and
a.l;n.S .Sto52 in personally. making a total
OF ..S93I5.32 The Commissioners note
their belief that the assessments should
he conducted on yearly instead of
iiennial basis, but they are unable to
undertake this change with the present
clerical force. Their need in this respect
IS typical of the cramping to which the
District government is subjected in prac-
tically all departments
With this report as a guide i'm general
as To the workings of the District govern
ment and the estimates as a specific indi-
cation of requirements. the appropriations
committees of the House and Senate are
well informed as to local needs, and a
bill meeting the situation in all respects
both as to the maintenance and the de-
Nelopment of the National Capital should
be the result.