Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-19
BARRACKS IN SCHOOLS
Make the Taxpayers of the District
of Columbia Fume and Fret
SCHOOL TO BE DELAYED A MONTH
In Order That Contributors to the G. A. r.
Fund May Fay Less
SOLEY DENIES ARMGR PLATE STORIES
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT,


WASHINGTON, Aug. IA great deal of
unfavorable comment has been heard with
in day or two on account of the action Of
District Commissioners in giving for bar
racks to the Grand Army of the Republic
the school buildings of the city. The mat
ter was kept very quiet, and the local press
has been almost silent on the subject, but
there is prospect that there will be trouble
about it before it is done with.
The action of the Commissioners became
known to the general public only when
great carloads of mattresses for cots were
seen piled in front of the school buildings,
and then howl was raised that will prob
ably vet result in the citizens suing for an
injunction to restrain the Commissioners
from making this unlawful use of the BALD
ings.
1t goes without saying that such occupa-
tion of the fine edifces will result in serious
injury to them The commissioners admit
this, but assert that they will make it all
good-out of the public money, of course.
The school boards have protested against
the use of the structures as common bar
racks, but they were overridden by the COM
missloners
No Necessity for Such a Step.
If the step were absolutely necessary for
the entertainment of the veterans, nobody
would think of objecting, but it is merely
for the purpose of saving something to the
pockets of the pension sharks, hotel keepers
and proprietors of gin mills, who were most
active in inducing the holding of the annual
encampment at the Capital, and who are
the only persons who will make any pecun-
iary profit out of the affair. After
promising that they would foot the
bills, they went to Congress and succeeded
in bulldnzing members to make munifcent
appropriation of $50, 900, all to come out of
the District Treasury. Other thousands
have been begged from persons who have
nothing to gain except the enjoyment OF
seeing the veterans of the G. A. r enjoy
themselves. A pretense is made OF spend
ing this money for the erection of barracks
for the free lodging of the old soldiers, but
the bulk OF it will go no one can tell where,
and it may fairly be assumed that the per-
sons who will profit most will get off with
little or no expenditure.
The GOODNESS with which the property of
the District Is invaded, know ing that it will
unavoidably be marred to the extent OF
thousands of dollars, against the protest of
the boards in charge OF the schools, is some
thing unheard-ot heretofore, and all for the
purpose of saving from outlay the pro-
jectors of the affair, who expect to profit
thousands of dollars by it.
Schools Not Alb e to Open in September.
The most Objectionable feature of the
business is that the opening of the schools
will be postponed for nearly month, as
the encampment will last from the 18th
prox. practically until the end of the
month, and it will then require about ten
days or two weeks to get the rooms in order
for educational work. A thorough clean
ing and renovation will be necessary.
Desks will have to be hauled out of storage
and fastened in place. In the high schools
delicate scientific apparatus must be ca re-
fully unpacked and rearranged. Forty
thousand children will be cheated out of a
months Instructions loss that can never
be made good.
Again, let it be said that if 1t were un-
svoidatle to do this, that the old soldiers
might be given the best possible entertain
ment for the least expense, nobody would
complain, but the outrage on the public
property and upon the children of the Dis
trict is committed solely for the benefit of
lot of sharks who are willing to go TO any
length to save penny for their own pock-
taking from the public their own s,inginess
is colossal and unparalleled When the
mass of the people OF the District regard
less of party association, are so ready to
welcome the veterans with open arms and
give of their best hospitality, it is to be
regretted that persons interested pecuni-
srIly, and solely in that way, should be able
to throw such odium on the preparations
No Fears ut All OF Panic.
Though the authorities at the Treasury
Department still insist to the public that
the drafts upon the gold in the sub-Treas-
uries, by individuals and firms in enormous
amounts, is in the way of legitimate bust
ness, and that there is no danger but the
Government will be able to meet all de-
mands, 1t is admitted that there is some un-
easiness, and a suspicion that there is collu-
sion among great firms in Europe and in
this city 10 create financial panic here
which will cause tumble in securities, and
enable spectators who are prepared for it
to reap a rich harvest
The news of this morning that two firms
in New York supplemented the million
dollar draft of a single firm the other day
by drawing upon the sub-Treasury yester-
day for 100000 and 100000, respectively,
has excited new discussion on the subject,
and Treasury officials confdentially admit
that they believe there is some scheme
being worked by a powerful combine,
though they do not anticipate it will be
successful, or that any exploit of the
schemers will cause serious furry in the
money market
Uniform Success of Armor Plate Trials
Acting Secretary Solely, of the Navy
Department, said to-day that be had fully
Investigated allegations that were being
made at the instance of interested persons,
which were virtually that the Navy De-
partment had doomed the Harvey and
nickel processes OF treating armor plate,
and that failure in the tests had been con-
cealed; also, that the change from one style
OF armor plate to another, without change
OF price, would put hundreds of thousands
OF dollars into the pockets OF the Carnegies,
which they would not otherwise get, and
that presumably the Carnegie companies
would therefore contribute Literally to the
campaign tuhd.
GAS to the publication of successful
armor trials and the corcealment of unsuc-
cessiul trials, said Mr.. Soley, "there has
been absolutely no unsuccessful trials of
either nickel or Harvey plates On the
contrary, the uniform results OF these trials
have been phenomenal success. No re-
suits in any degree ap approaching them have
ever been attained at the tests of any tor
eign armor. And, moreover, we can
purchase nickel cheaper by 40 per cent,
under our contract, than anyone else.
Othsr Chsrg s Utt-ry Denied.
''The sta tement that the change in the
form of the turrets of the battleships would
cause great saving to the contractors of
the armor is absurd, as the turret armor of the
has not yet been let to contract,
nor has the department even called tor pro-
posala 1t is not true that the change in
fnrrr AZ h. In