Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-05
d S RIOT MON Ely
The Appropriation Bills Progress in the
Senate.
Lively Discussion on the Contagious
Disease Hospital Site-Amendments
That Were Agreed To.

That Were Agreed To.
Although the debate on the District ap
preparation bill was continued until +
o'clock last evening, the Senate finally ad-
jcurned without having concluded its con-
sideration of the measure. After The star
went to press there were long debates on
two questions, the location Of the con-
tagious hospital and the appropriation for
the District militia. Just after O'Clock
the pay of the three telephone operators
at police headquarters was raised from
5000 to s72O apiece. Senator Chandler rails
ed point Of order on the proviso that the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany shall furnish telephone service to
the District free of cost. He based his
point on the ground that it was general
legislation, and therefore inappropriate.
In reply to a suggestion that this was
| confscatiOn of private property, Mr.. Cor
man explained that the paragraph hau
| been drawn at the instance of the District
Commissioners. who said that they had
consulted with the officers of the telephone
company. and that they were quite agree
able to the change. The free service was
to be given in exchange for the privilege or
using the alleys for the erection of tele-
phone poles. Notwithstanding this expla-
nation, Mr.. Chandler insisted upon his
Ter of South Caroina) sustained, and the
amendment was stricken out. Mr.. German
later inserted a provision for the payment
of 5000 for telephone rental increasing
the telephone appropriation from $l2,OoO to
$4,000.
Senator GullinGer as n HumOrist.
Senator Gallinger made a humorously
technical speech in opposition to the APP
preparation Of $4,000, a part of which is
to be used in the propagation Of diphtheria
anti-toxine. He declared that medicine Is
not an exact science and that 1t is very
much subject to fads and fashions that
run treir course. He did not have much
faith in the efficacy of the anti-toXine
serum, nor in many other OF the modern
treatments for bacterial diseases He SAID
he trusted that anti-toXine might become
an established cure for diphtheria. but ne
fully expected to see 1t in due time relegat-
ed to the tomb that already contains thou
sands of boosted medical discoveries which.
after fair trial. have been declared
worthless, if not absolutely harmful.
Senator German answered that the bulk
of the appropriation Is to be used Ior eS-
tablishing disinfecting plant. and that
the preparation of anti-toxine Is to be
merely incidental The expenditure was
thought to be so small that the experiment
ought to be tried. The appropriation was
carried without division.
Contagious Hospital Site.
A brisk discussion arose between Sena-
tors Mcmillan, German and Sherman as
to the provision that hereafter no building
for use as :. public or private hospital for
contagi diseases shall be erected or
maintained In the District within 300 feet
of any property owned by privtte indlvld-
ual or any other party than the one erect
ing the building Mr.. Mcmillan argued
that this limitation was entirely too great.
He quoted the experience of other cities.
especially in Boston. where he SAID, there
is contagious disea ses hospital Wlthln
40 feet of a school house. The provision
that the hospital should not be within
200 feet of other buildings, he said. would
pecessitate the purchase OF an immense
amount of land and either run the cost up
very high or require such isolation that
it would be almost imp )SSible to send
patients to the hospital. He had read
letter from Health officer Woodward. quot
ing various authorities to prove that there
is 10 risk of spreading infection from scar
let fever. enteric fever or :yphus within
the space of ~ feet
Mr.. Sherman argued at some length that
the limitation should he increased instead
of diminished to 500 feet. He reviewed the
recent events in this city with reference
| to the location of the contagious diseases
hospital Pleasant Plains, and he said
it seemed perfectly apparent the Commits
siCners have made a mistake in proposing
to locate the hospital there. He thought
| that such a hospital should be built ON
asylum park as an appropriate place.
Senator German severely arraigned the
District Commissioners for their course
in the matter. He said: The committee
on appropriations have had to adopt very
vigorous measures in regard to the hospital
| for smallpox. Congress made the appro-
| Triation and put 1t into the hands of the
Commissioners to secure a proper lot and
| erect a building for that purpose. They
Rave attempted to secure a site in various
| sections of the city and they have met
! on each occasion the earnest protests Of
| the property owners and all the citizens
| " 10 reside In the vicinity where they pro-
| posed to erect such hospital. 1 am bound
| to say that they have shown a weakness
about the measure that is most extraor-
| binary. 1 would not like to express myself
| in the Senate as did to them personally
in regard to the dilly-dallying with this
| matter.
After further debate Mr. McMillan's
! amendment was put to a vote and lost
| II to SO, and the committees amendment
| with it's 800 feet limit. was finally agreed
| to with the following additional phrase:
'All private hospitals shall be required to
secure a Permit from the Commissioners
| of the District.
Amendments Agreed To.
The amendment to the bill increasing the
| compensation of William Stone Albert for
| the compilation of the District statutes
! from $1,000 to $1,000. and providing for the
distribution of the statutes was agreed to
without debate.
| The appropriation for maintaining the
| Industrial Home School was increased
| from $500 to s13,40O, and the proviso that
| the wards of the board of children's guar
| dams should be cared for by the institution
| without charge to the board agreed
| to without division. The appropriation for
| the board of chldrens guardians was SO
| worded that the salary of the agent may
| be increased from 81 800 to 81 800.
| Senator Allen moved to strike out the en-
| tire appropriation for the District militia,
| and for half an hour the Senate discussed
! this proposition. Mr.. Allen severely crit
| icised the militia service. and questioned
| the propriety of the government spending
money for it's support. Senators German.
| Chandler and Palmer came to the defense
| Of the citizen sodiery, and at the end of
| the debate Mr.. Allen induced to with
| draw his amendment with the privilege of
| rentroducing 1t in the Senate.
| ME- German offered as an amendment a