Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-25
THE SENATE INSISTS UPON THEM
Mr.. Sherman Proposes a Change
of Jurisdiction of the Measure.
THE SMALLPOX HOSPITAL

| agreed to, and the Senate insisting upon
| the three items in dispute. asked for
further conference with the House. Mr..
l. German explained that these items were
| the appropriations for a smallpox hospital,
and for disinfecting plant and bacteria
| logical experiments, and the provision for
the police and firemens relief fund. Mr..
! Sherman interrupted him to ask: What
! l want to know is, what has been done
with that cholera hospital?' He referred
to the hospital for contagious diseases.
Police and Fire Relief Fund.
| Mr.. German said the House conferees
had disagreed to the item for the police
| relief fund, Notwithstanding the fact that
| since 1865 this fund has been maintained
| by Congress. 1t has now been depleted,
| owing to the increase of the police and nre
forces, made necessary by the growth of
| the city.
There Is such an appropriation he
| said, "in every large city in the country,
| and vet it is objected to on the other side
| on the mistaken idea that 1t creates
| sort of civil pension fund There is moth
| ing whatever in the idea. The item does
| not affect the treasury of the United
! States one penny, but 1T draws from the
fines collected in the Police Court from
| the bad element of the population-or the
| unfortunates, If you prefer The Senate
| conferees could not understand how there
| could be any objection to this item from
any quarter.
.'rhen there is a disa agreement on the
| item appropriating money for disinfect-
| ing plant There is such plant here, and
| this puts the poor people of the District to Il
| great inconvenience and expense. 1hese
| are the people on whom the distress OF an
| epidemic falls most heavily, ana "nen-
! ever, as this winter, the city is swept by
| a scourge, the clothing of poor people Is
| destroyed. In this same item is provision
| for anti-toXine for the District. This rene
! dy has been universally commented ana
the amount contained in the bill for this
| purpose is very small. 1t ali comes, too,
| from the revenues of the District
+ Mr.. Sherman asked If the 3oo-foot pro
| vision as to the contagious hospital was
retained in the bill. and Mr.. German
| answered that that provision was in the
| items in dispute He went on to comment
| on the inadequacy of the present plant ior
| handling epidernics in the District. The
| shed that is row the sole apology for
| smallpox hospital, he sad, is disgrace 10
humanity. He paid high compliment, in
| passing, to the intelligence and eiciefcy
| Of DR. Woodward the health officer.
| '"rhe Senate conferees" he said. have
| told those of the other House that under no
| circumstances would they consent to re-
| cede from these amendments unless or
| dered to do so by a vote of the Senate.
am sure that the people of the District
| would if it should become necessary
| them-be willing to undertake the entire
burden of these items, especially the small
/
| poX hospital
MIR. German went on to explain that
the Senate conferees mad asreed TO 'ne ne
I appropriation for the immediate raising OF
| the dam at Great Falls stipulating that
| Gen Casey should be the consulting ensi-
i naer of the work. This officer, ne sald, is
| nrcbab more familiar with the water sup
| pIy, question than any other living man.
| In addition to the appropriation for the
| dam the conferees had agreed upon sur
| yev of the tunnel and reservoir
ra,,l,l il
| had stricken cut S12j,G0o, of which the
| bulk was contained in the item of Siooooo
| for a new business high school bui!dinS
| The remaining provisions had been so ad-
| iusted as to provide for every other schoo!
| house for which the Senate had voted,
though the cost of each was reduced.
70 Transfer the Hill.
| Senator Sherman made no opposition TO
| the conference report, but made strofe
speech in favor of transferring the charge
] of the District bill from the appropria-
| tions committee to the District committee
| For twenty years, ne said, he had been
| convinced that it is abnormal ana lnde-
| fersible to refer the affairs of the District
| to the appropriations committee, not that
| he lacked faith in the mempers ol .hsse a. !
| cSmmittee, for he acknowledged 1t to be
| ccmposed of some of the ablest senators
in the body. But the committee Is over
| burdened with work, and 1t Is RIDICULOUS 70
|
| the local budget. The committee on the
| district he said, is composed of men VINO
know the affairs of the District perfectly
| WELL and are in constant COMMUNICATION
| with the residents.
| Among its members too, are Senators
| frcu Maryland and Virginia whose local
| interests are closely allied with those OF
| the capital. Mr.. sherman sara ne nopeu
| that at the next session of Congress the
! local bill would be transferred to the DIS
| trict committee without any friction or un-
| pleasant feeling. The appropriations for the
| district he added, form but one per cent or
| the total of all the annual budgets, and 1t
| is impossible for the appropriations COM
1nittee to give the proper amount OF atten-
ton to the details of the Districts needs.
| He then asked if it was proposed to 10
| cate a hospital anywhere on or near Ith
street.
| Mr. German answered that the CommiS-
sioners had already purchased lot near
, this property under the authority of law.
! "Do they propose to erect a hospital
| there?" asked Mr.. Sherman.
| THAT is probably their Intention an
| swered Mr.. German.
| Mr. Sherman said he hoped the confer
| ence committee would refuse definitely to
| locate any contagious hospital i'll the vicin-
ity of Garfield Hospital. 1t should be To-
| Gated in some comparatively vacant sec
ton. He called attention to the fact that
| the tendency of population is now north
west.
MIR. GaiIingcr Expresses His Views.
Senator Galinger said that he hoped the
| Senate would stand by the conferees irf
| their demand to have these items remain
| in the bill. He was very strongly III favor
! of the so-called pension fund. AS to the
| hospital he had been interested and some
| what disgusted by the discussion and the
| contests between the different sections of
the District.
| rrne plea of Senator Sherman reminded
| him of Arternus Ward, who was willing to
| have boils on some other fellow, but did not
| want them on himself. Mr.. Gallinger trust
ed that the hospital might be located in
this bill without any reference TO individual
| preferences. 1t was absurd to stipulate
ttat there should be 400 feet on each SIDE,
for this would require the acquisition of
| several acres of property. He trusted that
| the provisions for the smallpox hospital
| would be retained in the bill. Nr he knew
of no other city in the civilized world OF
| equal wealth and population that had such
| Inadequate facilities for handling the
scourse. He hoped the conference would