Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-20
GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON
The Bill to Help the Girls Industrial School Unanimously Reported-Mr Under
 wood to Prepare the Report.

Washington, Feb. 17-(special Core spondence)-At a meeting of the execu- tive committee of the board of trustees of the Girls Industrial school. located at Montevallo, MT H. C. Reynolds and Capt. E. w. Booker were appointed a committee to come to Washington and advocate the passage as soon as possible Of the bill in the house introduced by Hon, G. A. Robbins, which provided for the donation by the United States of 25 900 acres of pubic lands for the school. Messrs Reynolds and Booker arrived here last week and through their efforts favora bic report has been made by the committee on public lands.
 The bill introduced by Representative Robb.ns provides that the governor of Alabama shall select 5000 acres of the public lands in Alabama and certify the location of the same to the secretary of the interior, who shall cause said lands to be deeded to the state of Ala bama, the proceeds of which if sold or disposed Of in any way to forever remain a fund for the Girls Industrial school of Alabama.
 At meeting of the committee on pub lie lands of the house last Friday Messrs. Reynolds and Booker, accompa- nied by Vice-President Baldwin of the Southern railway and Representativ Robbins, Bankhead, Cobb, Harrison and General Shelley, appeared before the
  Reynolds who made a telling speech, and then presented Vice-President Baldwin, who, after stating that he was a Massa- cnusettS yankee, urged that the bill be- fore the committee be reported favora bly, AS soon as the speeches were concluded upon motion of MT. Wilson of Ohio, the committee unanimously decided to report favorably the. bill to the house, and Mr. Underwood of Alabama was instructed to write the report. This action of the committee was most unusual and was taken while the gentlemen urging the matter were still in the room. One mem Der of the committee, Mir Curtis of Kan sas, wanted to go so far as to give all the public lands in Alabama to the school upon the statement by Mr. Underwood that there were about 100000 acres in the state.
 The bill is now on the calendar, and in a few days Representative Robbins will ask unanimous consent for it's consdera tion and there is little doubt of it's pass age. It will then go to the senate, where Senators Morgan and Pugh will give it a hearty support and send it to the pres ident for his signature.
 The interest that Vice-President Bald win of the Southern railway is taking in the school is very gratifying to Messrs. Reynolds and Booker and will be to the entire people of Alabama. In addition to the vigorous speech made by MT. Bald VIII DtlOTe tne mousse C0mm1tlGe, ne IS willing to go before the senate committee and urge again the speedy passage of the bill. MT. Baldwin has also issued a cir cular granting free transportation over the Southern railway for all material to be used in erecting the school buildings. This means quite help to the institu- tion, and is a still greater evidence of the friendlness of this young and suc- cessful railroad official to the enterprise at Montevallo.
 Messrs, Reynolds and Booker have been untring in their efforts for this school and have been given much aid on their visit here by General Shelley, pr. J. l.. M. Curry, Dr. Harris, the commits Sioner of education, and the Alabama delegation in congress.
 While on this subject it will not be amiss to state that Representative Un- derwood is forging rapidly to the front as wise and safe legislator. and showed by his information of subjects relating to the committee on public lands, of which he Is member, that he is giving much time to study, an unusual thing for the average congressman.
 Representative Robbins, whose interest for his constituents is shown by the in- troduction of this bill (H. R. 19), among the first presented to the Fifty-fourth congress deserves and no doubt will re- ceive the thanks of the whole state should this measure become law, which it is certain to do, and many poor girl, who shall have been given an opportu- nifty through the instrumentalty Of the industrial school of perfecting herself to meet the storms of life, will remember with grateful heart his efforts in her be-