Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-25
The District in Congress.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE AND OUR PUBL
SCHOOL INTERESTS, ETC.


SCHOOL INTERESTS, ETC.
The Senate committee on the District of Co
lumbla gave hearing today to the District
board of school trustees. w. w. Curtis, presi-
Trustees B; F. Davis. Charles E. Hovey, Benz.
F. Lloyd, w. NJ Holland and George White
were present. The object of the trustees in
appearing pe1ore the committee was to induce
The committee to recommend to the Senate the
passage OF bill making Congressional appro-
priatl0n for the erection of new school build
L:2s in the District. Speeches were made by
Messfs. Lloyd, Holland and Wilson. Each of
the speakers called attention to the necessity
for Congressional assistance in affOrding
proper educational facilities in the District.
the District should not be called upon TO sus-
tain alone the burden of the schools i'm Wash
ingtOn is that the character of the attend
ance at the District schools is different
from the attendance at any of the other
schools in the country. The attendance of
the schools here is largely made up from the
children of Congressman, employees in the de-
partments, army and navy officers and per
sons who are attracted here during certain
seasons of the year when Congress is in SEES
sion. These people are not taxpayers in the
benefits of the District schools gratuitously
The speakers also made another strong point
on the fact that the government owns nearly
half OF the property in the District, yet
none OF this property pays any taxes toward
maintaining the schools of the District. The
government gives aid to the educational in
terests OF all the states and territories. Since
1905 Congress has given the city of Washing
ton only $4,000 in all for school purposes.
Superintendent Wilson called the attention
OF the committee to the fact that it is abSO-
lutely necessary to begin work on new school
buildings in the District at once. Our c0ndi
tiOn is desperate" said the Superintendent
A bill has been introduced in the House to
give the trustees the assistance desired, but
Mr.. Wilson said that the bill would probably
not get through the House until June, when it
will be too late to begin work.
senator Dorsey reminded the trustees that
no bill was before the committee to carry out
the work that the trustees desired the COM
mittee to undertake.
Senator Merrimon, after the hearing was
adjourned, introduced a resolution in the
Senate directing the District committee to in
9ulre into the eXpediency and necessity for
congressional aid in the construction of school
buildings in the District of Columbia. The
resolution was agreed to.
The Senate District committee directed Mr..
Merrimon to report back to the Senate bill
chatel Rock Paving company, with recon-
mendatiOn that it be indefinitely postponed
Mr.. MerrimOn was also directed by the COM
mittee to report back to the Senate a resOlu-
certain facts concerning the use of the Uni
tartan church for a police court. The com.
mittee asked to be discharged from the further
consideration of the resolution.
The District bills recently passed by the
to appropriate subcommittee.
THE EYE, EAR AND THROAT HOSPITAL
The bill Tor the establishment of the Wash
lngtOn eye, ear and throat hospital was again
brought forward in the House to-day by Gen
HuntOn. The provisions of the bill have here
tofore been printed in THE STAR Last week,
it will be remembered, the District of Colum.
bia committee made an adverse report upon
the bill. =