Evening star., 1897-02-06
PASSED THE HOUSE
Action Taken on the District Appro-
priation Bill.
DEBATE ON TIE CHARITIES SECTION
Mr.. Morse's Sectarian Amendment
Adopted.
o Z II f r AME DMEN NTS

The House today resumed consideration
of the District appropriation bill in COM
| mittee OF the whole. with Mr.. Payne Of
| New York in the chair
| Mr.. Richardson renewed the amendment
which he offered last Thursday. providing
for five new fire engines instead of one
Mr.. Richardson called the attention of the
| House to the report of the Commissioners
OF the District relative to the needs of the
! fire department. and caused that portion of
| the report to be read from the clerks
| desk. table was read, in which il was
shown thai the city of Washington suffers
| by comparison with other cities OF even
less population in regard TO the size of the
| hre department. Some cities with only
.Oo.00g population have twenty fire engines
| while this city has only ten engines.
Mr. Richardson also caused to be read
| from the clerks desk interview with
| Chief Paris of the fire department, which
was published in The Evening Star The day
after the Lansburgh fire In which the IN
sufficiency CT the number of fire engines
| was forcibly brought to the attei.tion OF
| the pubic.
| Mr.. GrOut's Opposition.
Mr. Grout opposed Mr.. Richardson's
amendment He claimed thar the firc de-
pdrthent is better provided for in ths
| city than some other departments He
claimed there are twelve fire engines here
| irstead of ten
Mr.. Richardson said that even with
twelve il is a poor showing as against de-
| troit, with one-third less population and
| twenty engines Even little city in Georgia
with only 10000 Inhabitants has four
engines Mr.. Richardson said he would
fall back upon the statement Of the chief
OF the fire department that this city is
not adequately protected by a sufficient
number OF fire engines. He thought the
nre department of the national cADitaI
should be the most efficient in the United
States.
Mr.. Grout contended that the fire engines
of Detroit were older and less efficient than
those In Washington. This statement
| brought MIR. Corliss of Michigan 10 his
feet with an indignant refutarion of the
aspersion cast upon Detroit, but Mr. Grout
declined to yield and continued his re-
| marks. He said II he really thought the
House really contemplated accepting Mr..
Richardson's amendment he would submit
| statement of receipts and expenditures
or the government to show where the
| finances would stand if al! the estimates
were adopted.
Mr.. Richardson contendad that tn. Com
missfoneis insisted that the fire depart
| nent was not sufficiently provided for al
present Even II they had estimated for
| only two engines
Mr.. Corliss of Michigan then obtained
the floor to defend Detroit He said the
city of Detroit managed for consid-
erahly less money than is paid for the
support of Washington. The fire depart
ment was more efficient in Detroit than
here and the electric lighting cost less.
Mr.. Richardson's amendment was voted
down.
The Charities Section Passed Over.
When the charities section was reached
Mr.. Grout asked that the paragraph be
passed ur til the end of the hil should be
reached.
E1r. Morse offered an amendment re-en-
acting in the bill the limiting provision re-
lating tc charities in the appropriation bill
Of last year.
By unanimous consent both the para
graph and the amendment were passed
over Temporarily.
Girls Reform school
Wher the paragraph relating to the re-
fern scEcol for girls was reached Mr..
Hainer raised question against It, He
said he Understood there were very few In
ne tes of the school. and that the expense
of maintaining the school was larger than
the cost OF similar institutions elsewhere
Mr.. Grout said the per capita cost was
great on account Of the limited accommo-
dations. The remedy for that was 10 in
crease the capacity OF the building and the
per capita cost would be reduced
Mr.. Hainer moved to strike out the pro-
vision for a treasurer for the reform school
al 500 per annum
Mr.. Henderson of Iowa opposed the
amendment He said this school was one
of the most worthy institutions in the his
trict. 1t was a necessity, for otherwise it
would follow that girls who We're arrested
must be put into jail with the lowest Grim
inals 1t was true that colored girls form
the majority of the inmates, but there they
are taught not only to read and write. but
to sew and make dresses.
Mr.. Hainer said he was Informed that
nothing of the kind was taught.
Mr.. Henderson controverted that state
ment. He had visited the school and knew
whereof he talked. These girls had been
brought from the purlieus of vice ard
crime and brought under the influences OF
civilization and education. He said that
instead of striking at such institutions,
gentlemen would do better to uphold them
and build them.
Mr.. Morse's Amendment Adopted.
Mr.. Morse's amendment was then taken
up. II reafflrms existing law relating to
the disposal of money appropriated for
charitable purposes which prohibits its use
for sectarian purposes.
Mr. Blue of Kansas said there was no
necessity for the amendment, and that it
would only cucumber the bill The pro-
vision relating to charities is fixed law.
The amendment was adopted without fur
ther debate.
This concluded the consideration of the
bill in committee of the whole, and the bill
was reported to the House. The amend
ments as adopted in committee of the
whole were adopted and the bill was
passed.
Mr. Dockery held that the Office of treas
urer vas a new one, and he wanted to see
1t stricken out.
Mr.. Grout corrected him. stating that the
office has been heretofore created by law
and the treasurer appointed by The Com
missioners. The treasurer therefore
entitled to the salary. Mr. Dockery ad-
mitted that upon recalling the facts he
could concur In Mr.. CIRCUITS correction II
Vas an established Office.
Amendment Withdrawn.
Mr.. Hainer renewed his attack upon the
item. He said that some OF the girls were
twenty years of age. and he ridiculed the
idea of reforming them Referring to the
Office of treasurer he said 1t should be
abolished. After making some disparaging
remarks, however. upon the conduct of
charities in the District and asserting that
the whole system should be revised Mr.
Hainer finally withdrew his amendment