Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-05
NEW BUILDING NEEDED
RECoMMENDATIoNS REGARDING
DISTRICT REFORM SCHOOLS.
The Attorney General Favors Legisla-
ton Removing Doubt as to Juris-
diction Over Local Institutions.

Attorney General Moody's annual report.
! submitted today, has a number OF recon-
mendations of local interest.
THE attention of Congress is again earn
| estly invited to the urgent need of q new
| building for the Department OF Justice"
| says the Attorney General. .Belieying that
| the inconvenience and embarrassing condi-
tons at present surrounding the depart.
ment in this respect are not fully realized
| by Congress, / desire to repeat what was
said by my predecessor in the last annual
| report of the Attorney General. and 10 COM
ment on conditions which have come under
my own observation.
THE department has been occupying
| rented quarters since 1899. when Its build
| ing on Pennsylvania avenue was condemned
| and torn down.
Annual Rental $25, 800.
"a year ago 1t became necessary to rent
an additional building. and the department.
| now has fits official force distributed in
| seven buildings, including the quarters oc-
cupied by the Spanish treaty claims COM
| mission and the space In the Court Of
| Claims building occupied by the library. The
| total rental now paid by the department Is
800 per annum.
"The library of the department. consist
| ing Of $4,000 volumes, is several squares
distant from the main offices. Much incon-
venence and annoyance are experienced
owing to the lack of room and facilities for
proper arrangement of the various offices.
1.-The buildings are not freproof. There Is
not a vault In any of the buildings occu-
pied by the department. and all once rec
ords documents, papers and books are eX.
posed to the ravages of a fire. Under me
supervision of the chief engineer of the nre
department additional appliances for extn,
gushing fire have been installed, and all
possible precautions are being taken TO pro-
| tect the buildings and their contents.
Il earnestly recommend that some acton
| he taken looking toward the erection or u
suitable building for the Department OF
Justice"
District Reform Schools.
The report contains the following remarks
as to the reform schools OF the District Ok
Columbia:
..rbe renort of the board of trustees OF
tho reform school of the District of Column
bia shows that at the beginning OF the last
fiscal year there were in the school 40
boys. There were received during the yea. ear
oo3 making a total of 4!3, as against 81
for the previous year. There were as
charged during the year 10. leaving in the
school June 30. 1904, BIS
Il agree with what the trustees say as 10
the method of appropriatins for the sai-
aries of the school employees. and the an"
propriation of a lump sum instead or de
vidng all the salaries individually and spe-
officially.
"The report of the board of trustees OF
the reform school for girls. District OF Cos
lumbia, shows that larger number OF M
mates have been confined in the school dur
ing the year ending June 30, 1904. than our
ing any other year since its institution; that
the highest number of inmates was reached
during the month of June. 1904. at which
time there were 80, being an increase OF IL
inmates over the number confined during
the month of June, 1908.
Two More Teachers.
cit appears from the report of the board
of trustees that on account of the increas-
ing number of inmates II is necessary 10
have additional industrial teachers, and In
accordance with their report / recommend
that two additional industrial teachers be
provided at a salary of $3.50 per annum.
1T also appears by the report of the
board of trustees that last years appro-
priation for supplies was insufficient, al
though strict economy had been observed in.
the purchase Of supplies, and that owing to
the increased number of inmates an addi-
tional appropriation will be necessary for
the coming year. / therefore recommend
that 50 eco additional be provided for sun,
plies, over and above the amount provided
for last year.
Another Building Needed.
1T also appears that another school build
ing is needed at the present time, and that
the need will increase in future, not only
on accouI of the increasing number of in
mates but in order that the trustees may
adopt system for the care of the inmates
which it is not possible to adopt under the
present conditions. 1 recommend that SJo,s
600 be provided for such a building.
In the opinion of the board of trustees
the act of Congress of June 4. 1900 (R s.,
vol. 81. p. 664), creating the board of chari-
ties of the District Of Columbia, does not
apply to this or similar institutions under
the direction of the Department of Justice.
Cogent reasons are given by them why the
provisions of this act were not intended to
apply to this similar institutions under
this department.
Disputed Jurisdiction.
II think it advisable that the management
of any public institution should be divided,
The board of trustees under the direction Of
the Attorney General, and not the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia or the
board of charities are charged with the re-
sponsibility for the management and con-
troll of this school, as l understand the law.
1t seems that some claim of jurisdiction in
the District Commissioners and the board
of charities has been advanced. i recon-
mend that such legislation be enacted as
will remove all doubt as to the exclusive
thority Of the Attorney General over this
school and similar institutions under the
Department Of Justice.
The District Jail.
THE report OF the warden of the United
States Jail, District of Columbia, accom-
panies this report.
Il repeat what was said in the last years
report that the jail is old. without modern
improvements, and of insufficient capacity
for the present needs. and that something
should be done at once toward remedying
the present defects in construction, increas-
ing its capacity, and providing a suitable
dining hall that the present system of
feeding the prisoners can be done away
with. These conditions make il difficult for
the Jail officials to care for the prisoners
according to modern ideas. but the insti-
tuition has been conducted during the past
year with the same regard for economy
and the interests of the government as
heretofore"