Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-02
THE PAIRING PROCESS.
Representative Hendsrson's Protest
Against the Reductions Made.
THE APPROPRIATION BILL
He Says That the Political Dagger Has Been
Thrust Into the Bowels Of the District-An
Analysis Of the Cuts Made and Their Con-
sequences.

mittee Of the whole
| By unanimous consent the formal reading of
the bill was dispensed with.
| Mr.. Dockery represented the majority and
Mr.. Henderson Of iowa the minority on the
bill. 1t was agreed that general debate should
be limited to one hour on each side. These
preliminaries arranged Mr.. Dockery proceeded
to short and formal statement of the pro-
visions OF the bill. He detailed the amounts
carried by the bill and caused to be read at the
| clerk 3 desk a statement Of the DECREASES and
| increases over the appropriations for the cur
rent year proposed by the bill, all OF which was
published at length in TIE STAR yesterday.
Two minutes Of time were allotted to Mr..
Sayers OF Texas that he might ask permission
| to insert in the Record statement furnished by
the supervising architect OF the treasury show
| ing the condition of work on public buildings
In the United States, which was granted.
| IN DEFHNsE OF THE DISTRICT.
Mr.. Henderson Of Iowa was then recognised.
he said the: city Of Washington is one Of the
most fortunate and at the same time uufortu-
nate Of cities in this country, q seeming para
dox. 1t is fortunate in its situation, its eli
mate. the character Of its citizens and in being
the capital Of the most progressive nation on
| the earth. It is unfortunate in having no direc
legislative representation, no city council or
| other local government.
None OF the persons in Congress. who in
their representative capacity control the
destinies OF this city. are allied to the city or
interested in it save in their patriotic capacity
| as representatives.
| He thought it wrong that the District should
pay half OF the expenses OF the District.
| VI all the millions OF people who tread the
streets OF Washington in a year the great
majority come from outside the Dis
The majority Of the pupils of the
public schools are from other portions
| OF the Union. 1t is our city. the city of the
United States as well as of the people of Wash
| lngton. Yet congressman with the multiplicity
OF their duties cannot give the interests of the
District of Columbia the attention or cousid-
| GRAFTON which they deserve.
POLITICS OUGHT NOT TO BE coSs1pEREp.
Politics should not enter into questions af-
fecting the District All matters pertaining to
the District should be considered with an eye
singly to the welfare of the District
Yet, said Mr.. Henderson, he must be frank
with the House, must act square, and there-
fore he felt it his duty to say that be believed
politics have entered into the consideration of
that heavy cuts had been made in the
wrong places in this bill because
| OF an impending presidential campaign. He re-
GREETED that he felt compelled to make the
statement that partisan spirit OF economy
affected the appropriation committee in pre-
pairing and reporting this bill
Mr.. Henderson then turned his attention to
the Items OF the bill. He explained that the
| expenses of the water department are paid by
the revenues of that department He reviewed
briefly, in formal way, the provisions Of the
bill.
Reverting to the cuts made in the bill he
regretted the slice Of $500 from the salary of
the superintendent OF charities. There are
twenty-seven charitable institutions in the CITY,
twenty-five Of which receive aid from Congress-
vtrvr Ana <I,o1
OF citizens surpass that Of the citizens of Wash
lngtoD, and in no city have the charities been
| SO loosely administered.
Since the appointment OF . SUPERINTENDENT
OF charities his conscientious work had enabled
Congress to reduce the appropriations for
charities many thousand dollars
THE CUT IN STREET IMPROVEMENTS,
Referring to the cut of 900, 900 made in the
| appropriation for improvements Of streets and
avenues. he said subcommittee went over thu
city visiting the streets proposed to be improved
and made memoranda Of the improvements in
little books provided for the purpose. These
books were never opened afterward" said
Mr. Henderson. holding one up to view. '.The
committee never took our work into considers
ton at all. He said the committee had started
out with the intention of cutting down the bill
and they simply Topped off SO $40 per cent
from each item Ill the estimate without
pausing to investigate whether the
estimate was just or not. This percentage was
forced in order to cut down the bill and to
make the welkin ring in October with the cry
OF economy. Under this bill not a single
street can be completed with the appropriation
provided. Every street will be left in an un-
finished condition.
This District could at this hour wisely expend
not less than $4,000, 900 on streets and there is
over u, 5OO. 600 unexpended surplus in the Dis
trict fund. In view of these statements,"
asked MI. Henderson, ''can it be denied that
the political dagger has entered the bowels of
the District appropriation bii?''
THE SEWER QUESTION.
In reference to the appropriations for
sewers, Mr.. Henderson said that he who
touches the sewerage system of a great city
with the pruning knife should touch it with
intelligence. He touches the home the health
the life of the citizen. The knife should be
used with the friendly touch OF the surgeon
and not laid on with the hand OF recklessness,
The sewerage which comes from the neigh
borhood OF the White House and the State,
war and Navy Departments is permitted to
collect intoa stagnant pool without current.
where 1t poisons the atmosphere Of the neigh
borhood with malaria
The appropriations for suburban sewers is
cut down dow from sll2o COO, the amount asked to
suburban towns and villages contribute liber.
ally to the public fund, in spite Of the fact that
Mt. Pleasant is threatened with q pestilence.
the appropriation for q sewer for that section
IL cut down to $l6,0
Mr.. Henderson protested against the dis
elimination made in the salaries of women
school teachers unfavorably as compared with
the men.
The committee screwed down the amount
provided for new school buildings to S8s 600
from S2200O0, as given by the last Congress. A
cut OF IS, 500 is made in the health department.
the last place to use the pruning knife
MR.. DoCKERY DEFENDS THE BILL.
Mr.. Dockery then took the floor to defend
the bill He expressed his disinclination to
discuss politics in connection with this bill but
he was at q loss to understand what Mr.. Hen.
derson meant by referring to political
considerations entering into Consideration of
the bill. Possibly the gentleman referred to
the fact that the Secretary Of the Treasury.
without examination of the estimates. had
drawn his pen through them and with one
stroke knocked out $711, 900.
Probably u reflection upon the state of the
treasury had influenced the Secretary in this
nction. Possibly the persistent efforts of the
minority to secure larger appropriations arose
from a desire to vindicate the late billion dol
lar Congress
In reducing the appropriations for street i'm
provements the committee had followed the er-
ample Of the Fifty-first Congress The arstses-
sion Of that Congress had reduced Tie an
preparation Sl50. 900. II was the Judgment Of
the majority Of the committee that many of
me streets proposed to be improved are In
better condition than those of many west
ern cities, and knowing the desire of
H. m