Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-22

vances lawfully made in accordance with
the law were to be reimbursed as fast as
District revenues were paid into the
Treasury over and above what was re-
quired for current expenses Of schools.
police and fire departments. Accountant
Mayes points out that during the fiscal
years 1877 and 1873 District revenues
amounting to over 81 100000 in excess of
the actual current expenses of schools.
police and fire departments were deposited
in the Treasury Department and became
available to be applied by the Secretary
of the Treasury in conformity with the
law to the reimbursement of the million
dollar advances. but that no reimburse
ment whatever was made
These alleged violations of law and the
question of the amount of the District $
Indebtedness on account of these adj
yances of course. came before Congress
i'm the final settlement of all claims ana
equities in 1878
The position of the House District COM
mittee is that the amount of an unlawful
advance from the Treasury. which IN
lawfully was not reimbursed by it's Sec
rotary of the Treasury in 1865, and the
collection Of which was neglected by
Congress in the settlement of 1873, should
now be collected from the local taxpayers
of 1915, thirty-five years after the COM
mission of these law violations and laches
or neglects by the agents of the United
States.
If without any equity, or any valuable
consideration flowing to the taxpayers
of today. it is proposed to take from the
latter two million dollars of potential
revenue available for the current munich
pal needs, under u literal and technical
construction of the laws of 1876 and 1877,
giving their provisions perpetual life and
apply ing them after Shylockian methods
to another generation of taxpayers, may
rot the latter demand in respect to this
unjust and harsh Shylockian claim a
consistent. strict construction of the laws ?
They are to be fined one million nominally
and two millions actually for the law vio-
lat1OnS or neglectS of the nations agents
in previous generation and century. If
they are to be held to strict compliance
with the reimbursement provision as TO
certain advances. must not those who
demand this reimbursement show strict
compliance with the provision authorizing
the advances? If the advances were un-
lawfully made. in violation. of the law.
as Accountant Mayes demonstrates. can
reimbursement be demanded thrty-five
years later. where no considerations of
equity intervene, in accordance with the
terms of the law? Does the law require
reimbursement by this generation and
century of any advances made in the last
century. unless they have been made in
strict accordance with the terms of the
law?
If Representative Johnson's and Repre-
sentative Prouty's birth had been delayed
a century the taxpayers of 2013 would,
under their reasoning. be liable to be
mulcted for this million dollars of alleged
debt which Uncle Sam might have col
lected, but failed to collect, from the tax
payers of 1S76-S, who owed it. If Uncle
Sam would not permit an alleged debt
to be barred after lapse of thirty-five
years, 100 years would not bar ii, or 1. 135
years.
In fairness TO the taxpayers of 1915 or
29i3 or 1O913, Uncle Sam should say, like
IA man: "In 1865 / directed that this
debt should be paid from the revenues Of
the District after the deduction of Ger
tain expenses I had in my hands
through my Secretary of the Treasury
the District money to pay this interest
when 1t was due l failed thus to pay it.
In violation of my own law 1 advanced
this interest money from the Treasury.
Since the taxpayers of 1865 profited by
this failure on my part. it would have
been right if / had collected this debt COR
at any rate half of it, in the offsetting of
claims and equities in the settlement of
1873. ] have acted since 1878 as IL this
claim had been thus offset or settled. !
will not confiscate the needed revenues OF
the local taxpayers a half century or "A
whole century after the event 20 shift
the penalty for my neglect or violat
Treasury was not lawfully made, it is
not to be reimbursed by the taxpayers.
Only advances made in accordance with
the law are to be reimbursed in obedience
to the terms Of the law.