The evening times., 1896-08-26
DISPUTE spER 7PAOPERss
Officials Of washington and
Baltimore al, Odds.
IMPOSE UPON THE DISTRICT
This City is the Dumping Ground for
the Indigent of Maryland and Vfr-
ginia-Appropriatio Not Large
Enough to Meet Demands-Our Hos
pitals Filled with Outside Patients.

Baltimore and Washington. authorities
are Just now engaged In q controversy over
the proper disposition Of their poor. BE-
cause one ignorant, helpless girl was sent
from here to Baltimore, at her own request,
and the further statement that she could
get work there, Clerk Palmer and some OF
the other officials have become highly In
dignant at Sanitary officer Frank.
The case about which the present trouble
began was one that occurred several days
ago. Jane Ultzler, white girl, whose
home is in Philadelphia, came TO the san
itary officer here, and upon .fer representa-
tion that she could get employment III frult
canning establishment in Baltimore, MI.
Amiss, in Mr.. Franks absence. gave Ter
transportation.
Upon her arrival there she went to Mayor
Harper's office and told a sad tale OF how
the Washington authorities had shipped her
away FROM her home. Tlien Clerk Palmer
got angry and sent the girl back the wash
ington, and at the same time is said to have
forwarded letter scoring Mr.. Frank Sc
verely for his action.
OvERRuN WITH APPLICATIONS.
As a matter of fact, the sanitary Of
iicer in this case, as in every other, was
compelled to rely solely upon the state
mcnts OF the applicant. Scarcely day
passes but there is application made to
Mr. Frank for aid, either TO get out of
town or to be sent to a hospital, by
persons resident OF either Maryland or
Virginia.
The fund provided by the city for the
purpose OF paying railroad fare is small
The number of persons who get stranded
| In Washington is much larger than in any
other city OF its size In the country. Able
bodied 'bobos'' and ''vags" get no aid
| whatever, but, on the contrary, are sent
| TO the farm, on an average of half q dozen
a day.
The applications of worthy persous are
| many more than the fund.- even under the
| economic management OF Mr.. Frank, can
well provide for. This is due largely TO the
| fact that many pcrsons believe that be
| cause Washington is the natlon's capital
| work must consequently be abundant and
| dollars scattered about In profusion.
Pensioners, cranks and misguided and de-
luded individuals help 10 swell the daily
ranks, while disappointed officeseekers add
| to othenumber. According to the statements
of officials Washington is one of the most
| tramp-infested cities OF the land
All OF the surrounding counties in Mary
land and Virginia make their regular con-
| tr!butions to the city's paupers. Notwith
standing that Maryland has hospitals II.
| Baltimore for Its invalids, the counties OF
Montgomery, Princes George and Charles
send their sick at the rate Of nearly 200 a
year to be treated in the Washington city
institutions.
| A particularly bold feature of this / tha,
many of the applicants come with L ters
from their home physicians asking that
they be taken as a public charge. In many
cases through Misrepresentation they ar,
admitted In others an emergency arise:
where they would die before they could gel
back home, and these have to be temporar
| !ly treated at the hospitals.
IL not infrequently happens that persons
show up at the sanitary office, saying they
came from Baltimore o N their way to Pitts
burg, Harper's Ferry and Norfolk. In thes,
cases it would appear that the Baltimore
authorities had willfully dumped the pau
pers upon the District, as Washington it
not in the direct line to any of the above
udIUeu points.
Bnt short time ago the Washington aD'
Norfolk Steamboat Company refused t,
take on board young man who lives il
Suffolk, Va, sent from here to Norfoll
by Sanitary Officer Frank on the ground
that tile company would be liable to fin
under the laws OF Virginia, for furnishing
transportation to irresponsible persons from
one city to another.
COME FROM ALL POINTS.
Last week a young man came all the wa,
from North Carolina, reaching here with
out a cent. He asked to be sent to tn
Providence Hospital. The man was dyin
of consumption, and Mr.. Frank committee
him to the institution until the phi ysician
advised his return to bis own State
This called for another transportation
which was given.
An old cOlored woman came into tn
office yesterday and asked the officer fc
free ticket to a point In Iowa where sh
formerly lived with a daughter. She ha
come here on a visit, having Just enoug
money to pay her way, ard without an
thought OF how she should return. He
friends, she explained, are unable to car
for her longer and she is desifous of gettin
hack to Iowa.
The best that can be done in such case
is TO help the woman part way as ticks
that far would exhaust the travelling fun
for several days. Cases like this frequen
ly occur. From beyond Richmond sick pc
soDs come here TO be treated, as vifgini
provides no State hospitals.