Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-20
AN INVESTIGATION
Charges Against Board Of Children's
Guardians to Be Examined.
THE BOUND BILL APPROVED
Senate District Committee UphoIds
National Obligations.
OTHER BILLS REPORTED

The District committee of the Senate held
today one of its most important meetings
of the present session of Congress, and dis
posed Of eighteen bills Of local importance.
Shortly after the meeting was called to-
gether at 10:30 Senator Mcmillan called
the attention Of the chair 10 the debate
which took place last Monday in the Senate
when the District appropriation bill was
under consideration. He spoke particularly
Of the speech of Senator Blackburn, in
| which the board of children's guardians
| was severely arraigned. Mr.. Mcmillan said
| that Mr.. Blackburn, while not making
charges himself against the board, had al
luded to charges made by Others and had
intimated great Irregularities and iref-
| ficiences in the conduct of the business of
| the board. In view of this fact, the Sem
ator said, a special meeting of the board
| was called last evening and it was then
voted unanimously to request an investiga-
! tion by Congress Of the charges spoken of
| by Mr.. Blackburn. He, therefore. in his
| capacity as spokesman for the board when
| the bill was under consideration in the
Senate, presented this request TO the COM
| mittee as the proper body to consider il,
and he formally asked that an in Iui-y ii to
| the methods of the board might he iusti-
tuted by the committee.
This statement caused quite 4 sensation
| in the committee, and there was brief de-
| bate, at the conclusion Of which Senator
| Harris put the question 70 the committee
| and it was unanimously decided that an
| inquiry should be ordered inasmuch as the
| board had made the request. The chairman
| thereupon appointed Senators Mcmillan,
| Gallinger and Martin a subcommittee to in
| vestigate any charges that have been or
| that may be brought forward against the
| board Of chlldren's guardians. Senator Nc
| MILAN said to Star reporter after the
1 m IL frra-r
| Blackburn's remarks, that somebody had
| been talking about the board in disparag-
| ing way, and whether justly or uDjustly he
| thought the matter shoIld be thoroughly
| inquired into. He said he did not believe
| that the committee would have chance
| to get together and begin its investigation
| at this session of Congress, but the adjourn
| ment. he added, would py means pre-
vent action by the committee at the earliest
possible moment.
Sewer Extension Favored.
| The important subject discu-s.l during
| the meeting was the bill known in the
| Senate as the trunk sewer extension BILL
| and in the House tine bond issue bill.
| This measure has been in charge of Senator
| Proctor during the past few days, for the
purpose of consultation with the District
Commissioners, and he submitted a report
| today favoring the passage of the bill. and
| uphoding the principle contained in the Or
| ganic act creating the District government,
| which provides for the assumption of one
| half the District expenditures by the general
| government. The House committee ignored
| this principle In its action upon the bill, but
the position of the Senate committee as
outlined In the report drawn up by Senator
| Proctor, and adopted at this mornings
| meeting as the sense of the committee, ,recog-
| nizes the Obligations of the national govern
ment in the premises. The report of the
| committee follows:
| The District's Share.
| ha
been discussed so fully in the report on the
duplicate bill submitted In the House that
this committee adopts as its own the House
report except so much Of it as charges the
| whole cost against the revenues of the
| District. This committee holds that the
| United States in organic act assumed to
| Gear one-half of the expenses OF the Dis
| trict and that this stipulation was intended
| to be and should be final settlement of the
| financial relations between the government
| and the District; that the settlement was a
| just one to the United States; that IL has
| stood for sixteen years, and the faith of the
| government is, in the opinion of the COM
| mfttee, pledged to its continuance. 1t would
not be IN keeping with the dignity and
honor OF the government to break away
| now from this contract with the taxpayers
OF the national capital. 1t is true that the
| highway act does contain a provision re-
neving the United States of any part of the
| expense incurred hereunder, but that pro-
| vision was not In the bill when IL first
passed the Senate, and was not considered
| by the Senate committee on the District as a
permanent departure from the plan OF the
| organic act. That it is a departure at an
Is the strongest possible reason for its i'm
mediate abrogatlon."
| Some Amendments.
| rumber of amendments were adopted
! by the committee and reported with the
bill. The following new paragraph is sub
stituted for The cor, esponding provision in
! fha
| missioners are also hereby authorized to
| expend the additional sum of s2ooo00 or
| SO much as may be required, in grading and
curbiLg all existing streets and avenues in
ihe streets of Washing g;on and Georgetown
which are not so improved, and to expend
| the balance OF said sun which may remain
| after providing for the above mentioned
| work fr improving any of the streets and
| avenues and In grading reservations here
| tofore or hereafter laid out and opened un-
| der the act of March 2, 1893, or any of the
existing streets, roads or avenues in the
| District. including the necessary bridges
and culverts" The committee also inserts
| a provision that the bonds to be issued
shall be in denominations Of $4,000 and
$1,000, end strikes out the provision that
they shall be engraved and print
ed at the expense Of the District"
A new provision is made to cover
this point, as follows: THE Commits
sioners Of the District are hereby authorized
and directed to provide for the payment of
| all expense connected with the engraving
issuing, advertising and redemption of the
| aforesaid bonds upon vouchers to be ap-
proved by the treasurer of the United
| States" A new paragraph is added after
| the third section. thus: ANY Of the bonds
| hereby authorized ray be called in for pay
| me1t, in numerical order, after the expira-
| ton Of twenty-five years from July 1, 1894,
| by the treasurer Of the United States or by
| a Gil cular notice mailed to the recorded ad-
| dress of the holders of the bonds so to be
| called, Cr their representatives, describing
| said bonds by their numbers; and interest
| on the bonds so selected for payment shall
| cease at the expiration of thirty days from
| the de te Of mailing such notice"
| Under the provision for advertising for
| the work the committee strikes out the line
| except for improving streets, avenues and
reservations" and this is explained in the
report as follows: THE committee oppose
| this am endment for the reason that in their
| view it is. much the safer and better way
| to adhere ~ the general system adopted in
government work of all kinds that pro-
posals should be invited and the work
should be done by contract where it is of
| any considerable amount"
This report, including the House report
and letters from Commissioners and the
board of trade. was presented to the Senate
later in the day, and ordered to be printed
lexington Bill Reported.
The bill to amend the charter Of the Eek
Il