The Washington times., 1906-03-11
DISPUTE TIES Up
REFORM BUILDING
Appropriation L or Girls
Institution Yet Unspent.
RESULT OF CONTROVERSY
Parties Concerned Disagree as to
Proper Authority to Dis
buTse Funds.
RESULT OF CONTROVERSY

A long standing controversy. iRvoiv-
ing the District Commissioners the
trustees Of the Reform School. and the
Comptroller of the Treasury. over the
erection of building for the male en-
plOyes of the Girls Reform School, for
which Congress appropriated 900 three
years ago. but which stiII remains un-
spent In the hands of the Treasurer of
the United States. furnishes a strong
argument say District officials. in favor
Of bringing this institution under the
Jurisdiction of the District government.
Disagreement Over Authority.
Although the money was appropriated
at the instance Of the board Of trustees
Of the reform school and became inn
mediately available after the passage
of the District appropriation act of
March g 1903, the parties concerned In
the erection of the building have never
been able to agree as TO the proper
authority sto disburse the funds. The
outlook for the early erection OF the
building, Building Inspector Ashford
says, IS extremely indefinite.
The official records show that the
Commissioners and the trustees Of the
Reform School have never been able
10 agree on the essential point as TO
whether the Commissioners were to
supervise the construction Of the build
ing. as cited ia the law. or the trustees
Of the school. or, in case the trustees
were to have sole supervision, who
would be responsible for the disburse-
ment of the funds This Is the point II
s sad. on which the parties concerned
spit, and no recent attempt has served
TO brng them together.
Money Tied Up.
BY the Comptroller's decision that the
Commissioners alone must disburse the
money and supervise the building. the
money has been tied UP for three years,
with little prospect OF being spent for
its intended purpose. unless the trustees
recede from the position taken in their
correspondence with the District au-
thorities
4 review Of the case from the rec
ords Of the Engineer Commissioners
Office shows that on March !, 1903, Col
onel BiGdIe communicated with the
board Of trustees I'm order to ascertain
what were their intentions as to the
proposed building No answer 10 the
communication was received. and that
Office again on July : addressed the
trustees on the subject On July Is,
1908. letter was received from an Of
fetal OF the Reform School stating that
the president Of the board Of trustees
was absent from the city. AS far as
the records of the office show. no fur
theT communications were received un-
til June 25. 1905, when Chaplin Brown.
Of he ri of ST-77z of
the Reform School, addressed the Com
missioners, asking their acceptance of
plans for the building submitted by
architects selected by the trustees
Frame Building Proposed.
The plans proved to be for a frame
building, whereas the law specified that
the structure must be OF brick, which
Building Inspector Ashford, it is stated.
declined to accept
As the matter now stands, the Com
missioners insist that, inasmuch as the
law places the duty Of constructing the
building upon them. they must necessar-
uy assume entire supervision. other
wise. they contend. il would not be pos
sibie for them to certify as TO the cor
reCtness of any vouchers in payment for
the work. referring justification of this
stand to the decision of the Comptroller
of the Treasury
Up to this time the question Of proper
supervision has remained unsettled, and
neither the Commissioners nor the trus-
tees have revived the subject. The ap-
propriation is stIll IN the Treasurer's
hands and the building is yet to be
erected.
Whether the success in getting future
buildings for the Reform School is to
be measured by this controversy is not
certain. but since the destructive fire
there n December past. movement
has becn started in favor OF additional
buildings. and it is possible that this
may - Instrumental in bringing about
an und RS. andInE between the Commis-
sicners and the trustees over this
buildirc for which an appropriation
was made three years ago.