Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-31
THE LOCAL FLORISTS HEARD
Delegation Discusses the Disposal of Govern
ment Greenhouse Products.
An Audience With the District Com
mfssiOners = Arguments Made In
support of Pending Bill.

delegation of local florists consisting
of Preside mt j. r. Freeman of the Com
mercial Florists Club and Messrs. VIM H
King, Nicholas StuGer, Robert Bowdler and
J. II. Wood. called Upon the District Com
missioners today for the purpose of ask
iEg them to support the DILL introduced in
the House of REPRESENTATIVES the nth OF
this month by Mr.. Richardson, ito reg
ulate the disposal of the products of gov
eminent greenhouses and grounds in the
District of Columbia
The bill provides that from and after
its passage lit shall be unlawful for anv
person in charge of any establishment in
the District of Columbia supported in
whole or in part by the government of the
United States, or for any of his subordi-
rates. to appropriate to his own use, loan.
distribute gratuitously, or sell or offer
for sale in the District of Columbia any
product of the greenhouses or grounds I'M
der his charge: Provided. That nothing in
this act sEall be construed as prohibit
Ing the President Of the United States
from using, at his pleasure, the products
OF the White House Conservatives and
grounds: And provided further, That moth
ing In this act shall prevent the Secra-
tary of Agriculture from distributing any
new or rare plants not I'm general cultiya-
ton Section 2 provides that "violators
OF this act or any of it's provisions shall be
subject to dismissal from the government
service
The Charges Made.
The delegation charged that flowers and
plants from tine Boys Reform School and
the Industrial Home School are being sold
in the city markets and in other places at
about any price which will bring punches
ers. These flowers and plants, the Com
rotc sod Sr, <Io
schools, and in the case of the Industrial
school the boys sell them on commission
Such things. the florists claim, are I'M
fair to them, who are not only paying
taxes, but are also under great expense
In raising their products.
They also submitted that the sale of the
products of the schools, whether they are
flowers and plants or what not, is illegal,
unless made at public auction. Not only
that, they stated. but the flowers and
plants raised in these two institutions are
sold at such ridculously low prices as to
make competition by other growers simply
impossible. In some cases, the Commits
sioners were informed the florists have
been compelled to buy out the boys simply
to get them out of the market but recently
the boys have been instructed not to sell
to them.
The Returns Small.
The Commissioners were further inform
ed that the returns from the products of
the schools are so small that their reve-
nues cannot be increased to any apprecia-
BILE extent. More good could be obtained
it was said, should the plants and flowers
be distributed among the hospitals, among
the poor and set out in the public school
grounds. so that the sick and the poor
might be gladdened and the pupils of the
public schools might be taught horticulture
and the school rooms made bright and at
tractive.
he
consider the matter, as well as the pro-
posed measure. and will probably report
to Congress their views. AS the reform
school is under the management of a board
of trustees, it is understood that the Com
missioners are not convinced that they are
authorized to interfere as to that institu-
ton, even If they be of the opinion that
they should interfere