At the Botanic Garden the superintendent's house has been remodeled and painted, and cement walks laid throughout the garden and general repairs made to the greenhouses and various plant houses. Considerable work was necessary at the Court of Claims Building on account of bad leaks in the cellar portions of the north and west walls. Enlarging the Capitol Grounds.-The deficiency act, approved August 26, 1912 (37 Stat., 605), requires the Secretary of the Interior to rent for such periods and under such terms and conditions as he may deem proper any building, or buildings, or vacant lands," acquired for enlarging the Capitol Grounds under the sundry civil acts of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat., 738), and March 4, 1911 (36 Stat., 1414), until their removal becomes necessary. Under this authority squares 634 and 685 were acquired through condemnation proceedings, on which were located, in all, 92 buildings. On March 11, 1913, the first building turned over to the superintendent was 220 North Capitol Street, and was required for the use of some of the employees of the Senate. Thereafter, as the buildings became vacant, they were turned over to the superintendent by the department, the supervision of the last one being surrendered August 15, 1913. From the time of the surrender of the custody of such buildings up to August 30, 1913, the tenants were allowed to remain as caretakers at a nominal rental, and the moneys derived therefrom were paid to the chief disbursing clerk of the Interior Department. The act of March 4, 1913, appropriated $35,000 for the expense of removing said buildings, the work to be done under the supervision of the superintendent. The buildings were advertised and sold on August 16, 1913, to Hugh J. Phillips, of Washington, D. C., for the sum of $7,333.13, he to remove the same and clean up the débris. Mr. Phillips did not formally take possession of the buildings until September 10, 1913, from which date he is allowed 90 days in which to raze the buildings and remove the material. The act of Congress approved June 23, 1913 (Public, No. 3), is in part as follows: Enlarging the Capitol Grounds: To complete the acquisition of squares numbered six hundred and thirty-two, six hundred and eighty, six hundred and eighty-one, six hundred and eighty-two, six hundred and eighty-three, six hundred and eighty-four, seven hundred and twenty-one, seven hundred and twentytwo, seven hundred and twenty-three, and all that part of square numbered six hundred and thirty-three lying east of Arthur Place, provided for by the act entitled "An act making appropriations for the sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eleven, and for other purposes," the sum necessary, in addition to sums already appropriated, to pay the amounts awarded by court commission under the statute, $2,823,972.35. The act of June 25, 1910, being the first act authorizing the condemnation of the squares herein mentioned, provides that the proceedings shall be in accordance with the provisions of the act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat., 412), which declares that when the report of the commissioners appointed to appraise the value of the property แ "shall have been confirmed by the court the President of the United States shall, if he think the public interest requires it, cause payment to be made to the respective persons entitled according to the judgment of the court," etc. The report of the commissioners who condemned the 9 squares mentioned in the act of June 23, 1913, authority for the condemnation being contained in the act of July 25, 1910, was confirmed by the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on February 24, 1913, and is before the President awaiting his direction that payment be made in accordance with the award. The appraised value of said 9 squares is $3,204,435, and squares 634 and 685 cost the Government $1,119,036.50, the total value of the 11 squares, only 2 of which have been paid for-634 and 685-is $4,323,471.50. the Expenditures.-During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1913, expenditures under various appropriations have been as follows: Capitol Building and repairs, $37,225; improving Capitol Grounds, $30,000; Capitol power plant, $173,923.50; engine house and Senate and House stables, $1,500; and repairs to courthouse, District of Columbia. $5,000. GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD. This corporation, which was created by the act of Congress approved January 12, 1903, section 6 of which requires the corporation to annually file with the Secretary of the Interior a report, in writing, stating in detail the property, real and personal, held by the corporation and the expenditure or other use or disposition of the same, or the income thereof during the preceding year, has for its object the promotion of education within the United States. The corporation owns no real estate, its property consisting of securities and money divided into various funds, according to the purpose for which it is to be used. On June 30, 1913, the principal funds belonging without restriction to the board amounted to $32,785,399.83, invested as follows: Bonds, $16,131,266.43; stocks, $16,643,847.02; cash, $10,286.38. The income from the above funds, together with the income from undisbursed income, including income earned but not received, and a gain on securities sold of $3,289.63, amounted during the year to $2,257,583.70. The balance of income from previous years as of June 30, 1912, amounting to $4,903,802.83, increased the total to $7,161,386.53. Disbursements from income during the year were as follows: Disbursements, General Education Board. Payments on account of appropriations to colleges, universi- Payments made on account of appropriations for salaries and Payments made on account of appropriations for salaries and expenses of negro rural school supervisors- Payments made on account of appropriations for salaries and expenses of the rural organization service_ Payments made on account of appropriations for conference ex penses Expenses. Total $1,267, 190. 08 139, 728. 00 30, 975.00 8,886.35 2, 561. 67 2, 063. 13 33, 304. 29 1, 484, 708. 52 This leaves an undisbursed balance of income on June 30, 1913, of $5,676,678.01. It is invested as follows: Bonds, $4,016,217.79; stocks, $1,189,316.35; income receivable, $258,853.41; accounts receivable, $2,335.53; cash, $209,954.93. It should be noted, however, that against this balance there are unpaid appropriations amounting to $4,662,459.95. The John D. Rockefeller special fund is a fund which Mr. Rockefeller controls as to principal and income. In a previous report a gift to the University of Chicago of $9,912,540.74 was published. One-tenth of this gift (or securities and cash representing it) is payable each year. The income from the unpaid balance, however, remains the property of the board, subject to Mr. Rockefeller's direction. This accounts for the disparity between the balance of the John D. Rockefeller special fund and the income account of the same name. On June 30, 1912, the principal fund amounted to $1,002,150.25. Gains on securities sold were $2,781.97, making a total of $1,004,932.22. Of this $630,935 was given to the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, leaving a balance on June 30, 1913, of $373,997.22, invested as follows: Bonds, $300,237.50; stocks, $69,833.32; cash, $3,926.40. The income earned during the year was $423,168.79, the balance from previous years ($961,625.63) increasing the amount to $1,384, 794.42. Disbursements during the year were as follows: Gift to the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research___ Expenses Total $615, 294. 77 20,000.00 1,347. 02 636, 641. 79 This leaves a balance of $748,152.63, which is invested as follows: Bonds, $374,497.96; stocks, $230,162.23; income receivable, $77,985.66; cash, $65,506.78. The Anna T. Jeanes fund, the income to be used for negro rural schools, amounts to $200,000. It is invested as follows: Bonds, $182,877.51; stocks, $16,645; cash, $477.49. The income from this fund during the year was $9,322.21. Added to the balance from the previous year the total available income amounted to $19,104.74. Of this $11,412 was appropriated and paid to various schools and $26 paid out for expenses, leaving a balance of $7,666.74, all in cash. MARITIME CANAL COMPANY OF NICARAGUA. Section 6 of the act of Congress approved February 20, 1889, entitled "An act to incorporate the Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua" (25 Stat., 675), provides: Said company shall make a report on the first Monday of December in each year to the Secretary of the Interior, which shall be duly verified on oath by the president and secretary thereof, giving such detailed statement of its affairs and of its assets and liabilities as may be required by the Secretary of the Interior, and any willfully false statement so made shall be deemed perjury and punishable as such. And it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to require such annual statement and to prescribe the form thereof and the particulars to be given thereby. The report of this corporation has been duly transmitted to Congress. In view of the fact, however, that the Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua has no relations whatever with this department, and the Secretary has no duty to perform thereto except as specified in the above-mentioned law, the act should be so amended as to require the corporation to submit directly to Congress such form of report as it may prescribe. |