Evening star., 1923-01-12
S4,676,457.65 FREE
SURPLUS FOUND IN
TREASURY FOR D. C..
Continued from First Page.)


respect to these comparatively small
discrepancies"
The accountants make the follow
ing recommendation with regard to
keeping the District accounts on the
books of the Treasury Department.:
I'VE recommend that the account
to be opened upon the books of the
Treasury Department, as provided by
the act of Congress approved June
90, 1922 Che District appropriation
act establishing new fiscal relations
between the District and the federal
governmenD, be made to Compre-
hend. all transactions in connection
with the fiscal relations between the
United States and the District, so
that all expenditures, receipts and
adjustments for each fiscal year could
be readily established"
Compile List of CIaims.
The accountants have listed. but not
summarized, claims that might be set
up against the District on behalf of
the federal government. The sugges-
tion of such claims is inferential.
however, and may not be regarded as
recommendations of the accountants.
They merely call the attention of the
congressional committee to these mat
terS.
The first of these inferred claims
has to do with $1.622,739.75 of uncol-
and-half plan of appropriating for the
District was first set up. At the time
these taxes fell due no provision of
law existed for apportioning this
amount between the District and the
federal government, and it was credit
ed to the general fund of the District
when collected.
1t is not believed by District off,
cials that the federal government can
properly lay claim to any of this
f,, 4E,a ng,- 60
Another item dealt with by the ac-
countants as a possible claim against
the District Is the Districts proper
tion of a bond issue of 1879 amount
ing to $1,092,300, the principal and
interest of which was paid off out of
the appropriations for the District
sinking fund, although the terms of
the act authorizing the issue were to
the effect that the United States should
bear no part of the cost of the issue.
Charge Against District.
Miscellaneous revenues of the Dis
trict, derived from license fees, etc,
and deposited to the credit of the
District of Columbia amounting to
S6,3O0.05S.57, in the period from 1912
TO 1922. were discussed by the ac-
countants in their report. There was
no provision in law to share this sum
with the federal government and it
was placed to the credit of the Dis
JTlCL. 1nlS was d pOSSl-
bic charge against the District.
In this connection the accountants
say :. ~
THE auditor of the District in his
letter of November 6, 1922. addressed
to the Commissioners. of the District,
goes into some detail regarding each
of the items. If these collections for
the years 1912 to 1922. and those prior,
had been apportioned. as were certain
other receipts from District sources,
the balance in the general fund at
erably less
The accountants call attention also
to the fact that certain collections
made by the clerk of the District Su-
preme Court are deposited wholly to
the credit of the United States. These
are fines, etc, and none of them go
to the credit of the District, although
the District pays so per cent of the
maintenance fund for the court.
Another Possible Claim.
Credits received by the District on
account ,of drawback certificates is
sued to reimburse the District for tax
overcharges, amounting to 1851, ,41290,
from 1879 to 1900, was suggested also
as a possible claim.
Still another item which it was sug-
gested might be charged against the
District was $345, 5,102.52, the Districts S
proportion of the $240 bonus to GER
tain employees of the District Supreme
Court, the District Court of Appeals,
the Office of public buildings and
grounds and the Geological Park.
The accountants suggested also that
the District might be charged for a
share of the pay of the Army officers
who have been stationed here, oc-
cupying various positions in the Dis
trict government, which accountants
figure at S2S2,4221S.
The Districts share for the pur-
chase of additional lands for the Zoo
logical Park, amounting to SS2,500, is
referred to as another possible claim.
former collector of taxes of the Dis
trict, there, was paid into the Treas
ury $643.33 to make good a loss oc-
casioned by the larceny of a similar