Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-27
THE EVENING STAR.
TuESDAH.......... April -. lSSO.
The District Appropriation BiUI.

The District Appropriation Hill.
REPRESENTATIVE COBB EXPLAINS THE SCHOOL
| APPROPRIATIONS
The House OF Representatives yeSteriay spent
| two or three hours In the consideration OF the
bill making appropriations for the District OF
Columbia In explanation OF the bill Mr. Cobb
o. Indiana, who has 1t In charge. said:
The appropriations for public schools have
been necessarily increased I'm consequence OF
Ine increased number OF pupils 1t Is estimated
oy The trustees and the superintendent OF pub
nc schools that the attendance for the next
the present year. Last year the appropriation
LOT school purposes was $4,000, 5000 OF
which was for school houses, and 100000 for
What may be termed the ordinary expenses OF
IEe school system. The appropriations In this
OH Tor school purposes for the fiscal year end
ans June 80, ISL, amount to $5O4 SS4.S 50. as
| fiscal year. In this sum, 500, Sst. we Include
sic,o0o lot the building OF three school houses
the same purno 1880 aPPrGprated last year for
Tor the erection OF school buildings was be-
msNed by your committee to be necessary
ame1e are now occupied for public school
rooms, for which we have been paying rent
amounting 10 $4,000 or $35 600 a year Many of
lhese rooms are totally unit to be occupied by
Scnool cnlldren. have visited some OF the n
myself and am very certain that there Is nor
a member OF this House, who II he would take
the pains to examine many OF these school,
them UNIT for the purpose OF public schools:
hes are unfit to be occupied by the school
c1idren OF the District. So far as this branch
or the Dill is concerned the real increase is only
S29. S34, which shows that the net Increase for
The ordinary running expenses OF the public
.chools In the District is only s34 In excess OF
the present fiscal year, the Increase being, as
have SAID, In building OF the three school-buiid-
lngS we have attempted to curtail what we
concelIeo 10 oe unnecessary expenses, wherever
we could, and think we have done so without
I hoI iot-a
this mas beer done with the consent of the
school officers; not in all, but after a full con-
SHERATON, as believe IL was believed that the
| public schools can be carried for this amount
provided for In the bill, thus saving In the ordi-
| nary expense OF the system the sum or $40. $50
as against the present year. The last bill APP
proprlated $4,000 for fuel. 1t was thought by
all that $4,000 would supply the necessary fuel
| Ior the next fiscal year; thus saving $1,000 on
t I'M ;I ae MA Last year there was appropriated
school buildings, most of which belong to pri-
Vate parties, o am informed, and were sim
ply rented by the District for school purposes.
Inc last OIL! appropriated S25 600 for this pur-
pose; tnlS Dill only apprOpriateS $1,000 and IT
| Is thought by those who have control OF the
| SUBJECT that this sum would be sufficient.
Ihls arises in part out OF the fact that
| we will have erected out of the
$4,000 appropriated, made by the last
| Dill two new school buildings which will be
raay IOr use az the commencement OF the next
| ScnQDyear. We have made I'm other respects
reductions which seem to be proper In illus
tratlon OF this may speak OF one fact. Here
| tofore the school trustees had under their con-
| troll mechanical janitor, as they called him.
| Inc board OF commissioners took from the con-
troll or the school trustees this mechanical IAN
m1r anu anu pIacea hlm under their own control
The board OF trustees together with the super
| 1ntendent agreed that If this mechanical ianitor
| should Oe again placed under their control the
expenses could be reduced on that account
| S5oe0. And upon consultation with the Com.
| missioners of the District and with the legisa-
i've committee OF the board of school trustees 1t
| was agreed that this mechanical janitor should
! Oe restored 10 the trustees and save this So 900
The further reduction OF 5 900 on the repair ac-
| count was thought proper because OF the cree
uon OF the two new buildings which are now
An amendment was adopted TO fix the salary
OF one commissioner and intendant OF the
washington asylum at 81 900. The committee
| had recommended s, 100.
| SPEAKER RANDALL ON THE RELATIONS OF THE
| DISTRICT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Mr.. Wright, OF Pa, having made some re.
marks MAJ about the large appropriations for chari-
| ties In the District, Mr.. Randall (the Speaker
moved to strike out the last word for the pur-
pose OF saying that the District of Columbia oc-
cuples peculiar position in its relations to the
the form OF state government yet the func-
tions OF state government are lodged, so far as
| the District Is concerned, with the federal gov
to the Of the Sst ms feae
| origin In the two Houses OF Congress. There is
| not state legislature which does not appropri-
ate money for the support of its insane, for the
support OF its deaf and dumb, for the
| support Of its blind. There is not a state,
ardly county, that has not its poor-houSe
ne charities OF this District must depend en-
| tllely upon the uberallty of Congress. There
fore It is, In my judgment, that when you COM
| pare these appropriations with the amount OF
private charities bestowed by the citizens OF
thls District they will not be found to be eXces-
| Slve. There is hardly any gentleman here who
! VIII not believe that 1 have always favored and
| advocated economical appropriations. Yet when
| occupied the position Of chairman OF the COM
| mittee on appropriations never found 1t good
| policy or expedlent to cut down the approprIa-
tlons fer charities, or the appropriations In be.
naLi OF science: was ready to cut down appro-
| prlat1oDs In every other direction. IL you wish
10 reduce the aggregate OF appropriations, my
| Judgment Is that you ought to do Ii by reducing
NE number OF needless employees under the
| government and within the District OF
Columbia, and not by reducing your appro-
| pr1atons for charities, but keep them at what
they are The truth is, these charitable insti-
government itself rendered them aid would
1all absolutely OF their purpose. The popula.
ton OF this District is not large enough to
keep them up by private charity; that is, the
| population possessing means. The population
ofthis District Is made up In great part of
| people VINO are employed by the government
ana VINO live upon yearly salaries, and cannot
tribute much to charities l therefore differ
entirely with my friend from Pennsylvania,
(Mr. Wr1ght,l If understood his remarks cor
| 'SS.Ayt 90 tuC appropriations lOl
charities contained In this bill, Those appro-
priattons are not larger than they have hereto
fore been for that purpose. perhaps not so
| large; and they are essential to the well-being
OF the people of this District.
Mr.. Cox.-I would like to ask ...y Iri~na. thf
Speaker. If he can tell the rate Of taxation In
this city as compared with the rate of taxation
10 Philadelphia, New York, and other cities? II
is not One-half.
Mr.: Randall, (the Speaker 1.-The taxation In
TINS District Is enormous, and grows out OF the
/ extravaganza expenditures which were made
during the few years OF the rule which prevail.
ed here not long since. / do not want to con.
denim any body, but the fact is that there was
an effort made on the part OF the then govern
ment OF the District, known as the board OF pub
nc works, 10 DO 10 one year what ought to have
been done In five or six years That gSkern
| ment undertook TO cut streets in every direction
and almost con1scated property TO pay for i'm.
| proVementS. AS | have said before they fas.
tened upon the people of this District debt
| which they can ill afford to bear | have moth
| Ing to say In regard to the municipal govern
ment OF my own city; it has nothing to do with
| the question before the House.
| Mr.. Cox.-My friend, the Speaker. miSappre
hendS the tenor OF my question. hold that
| the rate or taxation In this city, on the inhabi
tantS thereof, is comparatively low compared
with that Of Philadelphia, New York and other
! places.
Mr. Buckner said taxes were lower here than
1n any other city, but he thought it right that
| the federal government should pay one-half