OCR Text |
Show WASHINGTON. Washington, "1. The houso committee com-mittee on the District of Columbia havo called upon tho district commissioner com-missioner to answer in writing numerous numer-ous inquiries concerning their olficial 1 acts alfecting salaries, payments for j all kinds of work given out in tho . absence of advertisement, asking whether improvements of streels or sewers havo been made, or any ' money expended in or about roads, streets, avenues, parks, canals or sidewalks, or certificates or bonds . issued therefor since June 20th, 1S74, that were not neceary to the execution execu-tion of the legal obligation or contracts con-tracts existing at that date, or to tho protection or preservation of improvements im-provements then existing, or com- , menced and not completed at that date, if bo to state and specify ' what improvements have been so made, in what parts ot the city, who wero the contractors for said work, how paid, in 3-05 bonds ' or otherwise, and the amount so paid, now due, or to becomo due to such contractors. Further to state whether there was any open competition for , such work under advertisements, and ' if so in what cases and whether tho lowest responsible bidder obtained the contract. The commissioners are also asked among other things to state whether they have made any estimate of the personal property in the district that can bo reached by taxation, if so to state that estimate and the amount of tax that in their opinion can be realized therefrom at the present rate, and at 2 per cent, on said valnation. The committee will thoroughly investigate all official acta of the commissioners for tho district. It having been brought to the attention atten-tion ol the secretary ol war that thero are in existence in different sections of the country mauy records, such as battle reports, correspondence, etc., relating to the late civil strife, he authorizes au-thorizes the statement that if any one who has original official documents pertaining to tho war, either on the Union or confederate side, will send them to the secretary they will be copied for use in connection with tho publication of tho records of the war, and returned to the owner if accom-l panieel with such request. Originals ' must be sent, as copies, for obvious reasons, cannot be accepted. |