Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-05
WILL GET THE FUNDS
REVENUE FROM BOYS REFORM
SCHOOL.

Despite the contrary wording OF recent
act of Congress. the District is not to be
deprived Of S529.07, part of the proceeds
of the revenues of the Reform School OF
the District of Columbia, accrufng between
| March and June 80 last. This is the
statement made on the strength of re-
cent decision OF the mooted point involved
by the controller of the treasury.
AS stated at the time, Congress on
March 3. 1905, enacted into law an appro-
priation bill for the maintenance of the
Reform School OF the District of Columbia
by the terms OF which the District was re-
heved Of the necessity of bearing one-half
CT the total cost of conducting the institu-
ton. this law to go into effect. as usual
with appropriation bills on July /, the be-
ginning of the ensuing fiscal year. Up to
that date accordingly, the local govern
ment was charged with its proportion of
the expense.
The problem of reciprocal share OF the
proceeds of the Reform School shops and
farm grew out of the provision of the Dill.
which read as follows:
Hereafter the net proceeds of the farm
and shops (of the Reform SCHOOL, shall bs
covered into the treasury to the credit OF
the United States"
This act was approved March 3. and a
literal translation would have meant the
loss to the District of one-half of the
money earned by the institution on and
after inauguration day. Just such posi-
BILE state of affairs brought to light in
a letter written to he Commissioners a
month ago by Auditor Timme of the Treas
ury Department, In which he stated that
there were before his Office two certificates
of deposit for money Go, s:ted with the
trnasurer of the United =, August IL.
; by 8. w. Curriden. srs-- urer of the
Reform School. District e. CGly rbia. One
OF ti.ese certificates. said n. Z Tsme, was
for Si,0l1.49 on account of revenues OF the
Reform School. District OF Coluns .,ia. de-
rived from labor of inmates, credit to the
District of Columbia Ike ether was for
s:.cu,.43, marked credit of the United
States..' Repl-ing to an insairy from the
Office of the auditor Of the treasury. Mr..
Currieen wrote as follows:
The sum of 81 .011.49, stated by yoI.~ is
one-haif Of the amount received from July
l to March 8 from proceeds from. work on
farm and In shops, etc. The sum of
$2Nnss3 Is the other half of the above re-
ceipts plus all the receipts from those
sources from March to June 80 last
Referred to Auditor.
On motion Of Commissioner West the
matter was referred first to the auditor OF
the District of Columbia. and A. 1NTeedaie,
the acting auditor. wrote an explanation of
the act of Congress at issue, in which he
stated that the rev appropriation bill, be-
sides providing S29,552 for salaries, etc, at
the reform school, L-ade a separate allow
ance OF S2o,0oo Tor malnta1nence OF the IN
MAIDSTONE OF this latter sum payable
by the District. The at. as the acting dis
trict auditor saw it. wcs meant to allow
the local government pay for mainten-
ance OF only such e 'Gren as might be
committed to the inst on by the District
courts. Mr.. TweeGa.e :, ed that the ques-
ton concerning the cert ticates of deposit
mentioned by Mr.. Timme. lie referred to the
controller of the treasury. ar this was
done.
After stating that an ordinary interpreta-
ton of the word hereafter would mean
that the income from the reform school
would have been given wholly to the credit
of the United States on and after March g.
Controller Tracewell said that lit was
plainly the intent of Congress that the
profits of this farm and shops should he de-
posted to the credit of its supporters in tire
proportion in which they contributed
Thus was the sum of $529.07 saved to the
District.