Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-08

| iNo 10 BE CONTINUED.
The subcommittee Of the House committee
on appropriations in charge of the District ap-
preparation bill gave full hearing this morn
| ing to persons interested in that bill. The
| committee room presented distinctly local
| appearance, being crowded with delegations
| and representatives of various local interests.
The District building seemed to have been
moved to- the Capitol for the day, as both
| Commissioners Douglass and Ross were pres
ent as well as Capt. Rossell, Auditor Petty,
Capt. Lusk and DIR. Tindall.
CHARITIES.
The question of charities was first considered
| and delegation presented the wants Of the
Association for Works of Mercy. During the
past five years ~, 142 has been appropriated
| for this charity.
CHURCH oRPHANdE ASSOCIATION.
Mr.. Frank Hackett presented the needs Of
the Church Orphanage Association of st. Johns
parish. Mr.. Hackett thought 1850 ought to
There are eighty-two children maintained.
ranging up to ten years of age The association
was thoroughly organized, there being already
ana endowment fund of $4,000. This year
the association expected to raise about 81, 0C0
In private contributions.
Mr.. McComas asked Mr. Hackett what effect
| on private contributions to charities the large
appropriation made by Congress was, and MIR.
Hackett thought there was no effect whatever.
THE REFORM SCHOOL.
DIR. Atkinson appeared for the Reform School.
He referred to the need of a new boiler at the
school and OF an increase of the superintend-
ents salary from 81 500 to 81 800.
Mr. Atkinson then referred in urgent terms
to the need of girls reform school. He re-
lated the history of the attempts made for this
just charity and distributed documents to
| members of the committee. He wished the
| Commute to put an appropriation for this al
ready Incorporated institution in the bill and
| relieve the District committee from the neces-
| sity of pushing the bill which they had already
reported to Congress and which really had no
business coming from that committee.
FREE TEXT BOOKS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS
delegation from the laobring people of
Washington, with Mr.. P. T. Bowen AZ spokes-
man, wanted the following item put in the bill
For text books and school supplies. which shall
be loaned to the pupils of the first six grades
free OF charge, and for the necessary incidental
expenses of the purchase. distribution and
preservation of said text books and supplies.
$50. 900.
Mir. Bowen made an argument in favor of
this measure. He referred to the drain the
buying of school books was on the poorer
classes. Other cities and states had adopted
this plan with the greatest success he said.
He referred to the few representatives of the
iaborlng class to be found in the High School.
Mr.. Bowen drew especial attention to the
economy of the plan to the people. Books
would be obtained at wholesale prices The
committee, he thought, would be willing to
make this appropriation If there was money
enough, and in this report, while he did not
want to antagonize anybody, he thought. and
the laboriEg people thought. that when it came
to educating lot of South American monkeys
In cage or educating our children
the children should be placed first every time,
and even when 1t came to the matter of paving
streets the schools should come first This
proposal should be placed even ahead of chari-
ties, as the education Of the people was the
greatest of all charities.
WHAT SCHOOL BOOKS COST.
Continuing Mr.. Bowen gave list of the books
used in the grades and what they cost In the
sixth grade the books cost over Sc. while in the
higher grades the cost was proportionately
larger. A carpenter had informed him that in
one OF the grades the books for his son had
cost so.
In answer to a question. Mr.. Bowen referred
again to the representatives of the laboring
class in the High School Here were found in
so out of total 1000 only three children of
bricklayers and only one child of plumber.
The higher education of their children was at
present ont of the reach of the laboring man.
and while free books would not entirely do
away with this difficulty it would be a great
help and a step in the right direction.
Mr.. Bowcn's proposal seemed to strike the
committee with considerable favor, and Mr..
Bowen was complimented highly for his able
presentation OF the question.
EAST WASHINGTON STREETS
Mr.. 1. NJ. Weller appeared for the East Wash
ington Association in regard to the matter of
appropriations. He proposed that in view of
the probable passage of a new assessment law
for the District and the proposed increase in
the District revenues that the committee make
an appropriation for streets in East
Washington conditioned on the revenues.
greatly exceeding the estimates.
MIR. McCOmas suggested that the association
press the new assessment law through Congress
and that then the committee could go into the
made which depended on a bill which had not
even been presented to Congress.
MIR. j. Nj. MinnlX wanted an increase in the
estimated appropriation for Pierce street, Ana
costa.
Mr. S. c. Clarke gave his views at length on
the way the street improvements were man
aged IN this city.
THE SIXTEENTH STREET EXTENSION.
DIR. Sewers asked that the appropriation for
the Founding Hospital be continued and also
that 10th street extended be improved.
Ex-senator Henderson took up the question
of 10th street extended. He asked that small
sum OF money be appropriated to fix the grade
CT 10th street extended. Sixteen hundred
dollars, he said would do what was necessary
Personally he had built his own street ON
which he had expended $1,000. That sum lie
would have gladly given for the Improvement
of 10th street instead of building private
| street on his own ground. A number of people
were anxious to build beyond Florida avenue,
but they cOuld not tell how deep to run the
walls until the grade line was established
gentleman wanted to build ii 10000 or
$50 900 house just above his. bu: could not do
so until he knew the grade line Many Others
were in the same position. Besides a large
number Of people lived beyond Florida avenue
| and it was desirable that the street should be
| improved. The grade ought not to be greater
than 6ls feet to the 100.
Mrs. DOlittle asked for an increased appro-
prlatlOn for the support OF cOlorcd foundlings
and for the support of old colored men.
BnooKLAND WANTS.
Mr.. Harry Barton asked for the improvement
of two streets in Brookland--12th street ex-
mates to present. He also asked that instead
OF following the estimate of 900 for four
room school house building at Brookland the
| eight-room building. az there were already
| enough children to nil the four-rOOm building.
Mr.. Douglass suggested that it would be Just
| AZ well to make the building IN eight-rOom
building.
MAPLE AVENUE AND LINDEN STREET.
Gen. Brney asked that an appropriation be
made to continue the pavement OF Maple ave-
| nue. to Howard avenue. 1t was desirable to