The Washington times., 1915-10-15
Auditor TWeedale Also Recon-
mends D. c. Appropriations
All Be in One Bill.
PRESENT SYSTEM CRITICISED
Declares No Well Operated Pri.
vate Business Would Allow
Such Practice.

That no well-RoVerneu pTiNh'o W.
poration or business would allow the
practices which are used In the direc-
ton Of the Districts affairs Is one or
he striking statements In the annual
report Of Alonzo Tweedale. auditor for
the District. who urges In his report
that that sweeping change In the
manner OF making APPROPRIATIONS and
controlling the affairs of the local gov
ernment be made.
The report is an appeal for the GEN.
tralization Of control and the direction
Of affairs and finances Of the District In
the Board of Commissioners 1t points
out the faultiness Of the present sys-
tenn. asserting that members Of Con-
gress are misled In the matter of ap-
propriations and that the District heads
arc inconvenienced thereby.
Would Centralize Control.
Mr.. Tweedale declares that had It
not been for the large amounts required
to be reimbursed to the United States
on account of operations of former
years. we would have had during 1915
over a million dollars surplus revenue"
In connection with the fiscal rela-
ton Of the District and the United
States" the auditor says, attention is
standpoint OF efficiency and economy OF
Gentralizing the control and direction of
District affairs and finances in the
commissioners Of the District.
1T is especially appropriate that this
matter be submitted to Congress at this
time, for consideration and action, in
connection with such revision as that
body shall decide to make In the mat
trict Of Columbia and the Federal Gov
ernment."
The report continues:
I'm SO far as District finances are con-
cerned. the subject naturally falls into
ton ths s and heads H.t @ Tbs The
Expenditures and Revenue Collections.
and 90 The Accounting Incident There
to, with respect to appropriations and
tween the District Of Columbia and the
Federal Government.
Appropriations In One Act.
'Under existing practice there Is no
one bill or act that includes all District
annual appropriations.
Members of Congress cannot refer to
any one bill and find therein the total
moneys required for the annual ex-
penses Of the District for a given year
District appropriations appear in the
District bill; the sundry civil bill. the
legislative bill. and sundry other small
Referring to the auditors report Of
last year, lsl4. page 9, the District act
for 1914 carried 81, ,257.o54. exclusive OF
water department appropriations. while
the total Of District appropriations for
tho year amounted to over Sac 900,
about 100000 being carried in sundry
outside acts. acts providing specifically
ment.
1T would seem to require no arsu.
ment to convince one that Congress de-
sfres to know. and ought to know,
Of regular annual approprStions r si s"fha, tha,
VIII be required to be made for the
expenses OF the government Of the
District Of Columbia. and that this
figure should appear in one act-the
regular District act.
Ten Agencies Now.
80 long as District items are al
lowed to be included in the sundry civil
bill. in the legislative bill. and in sun
dry public acts. It will be absolutely
impracticable for the Commissioners to
comply with the law: they are driven to
the present practice Of estimating, using
tho appropriations of former years as
basis. as to the amount that will
probably be included in bills. other than
the regular District bill. No we'll gov
erned private corporation or business
would allow such practice
1t Is. therefore. respectfully recom-
mended that appropriate steps be taken
to present this matter to Congress- for
action. to the end that all District Of
Columbia regular annual appropriation
shall appear In one bill-the District
bill.
Under present practice, expenditures
from District appropriations are made
by some ten independent agencies. Con-
Bress IN providing a commission form
or government for the District OF CO.
iumoia by the act of June II, 1878, un-
douotedly meant. and the language OF
the act so indicates. that the Commits
sion SO appointed sho,Si be the SUI
preme governing and administrat tive
power, subject only to such limitations
as Congress itself might see fit to i'm
pose. The Commissioners appointed
were to have full charge Of ali affairs.
financial. administrative. and otherwise
OF the local government.
How Present Division Acts.
AS one Of a number of illustrations
that might be cited of the present d.
vided authority In administration, the
case Of the National Training School
for Girls Is referred to. Instead of this
institution being under the direction and