Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-24
ANIMATED ARGUMENT
Divergent Views at Meeting OF
Board of Trade.
OVER FOUR-LINE PARAGRAPH
Report of the Committee on Charities
and Corrections.
WAS CAUSE OF QUITE A STIR
Home Rule for District-Nothing but
"Hot Air - Streets and
Avenues Opened.
WAS CAUSE OF QUITE A STIR

Argument and oratory were accorded
precedence over the ordinary business pro-
| cedure by the Washington Board OF Trade
| at its regular monthly meeting held last
| evening at the New Willard. Routine meth
DDS which characterized the opening of the
| meeting gave way to animated dis
| cussions, out of which grew eloquent adj
dresses. Widely divergent views appeared
as the deliberations progressed The zeal
| and fervor with which the different conten-
| lions were supported furnished flow of
oratory and prolonged the session beyond
the usual period
Parliamentary law also played a prom
inent part in the proceedings. Brig. Gen.
John NJ. Wilson, the president of the
ganization, who occupied the chair. adj
ministered the rules according to the ac-
cepted manual with firmness and impair
tiality. Gen. Wilson was always to be reck-
oned with, and he kept the parliamentary
reins in hand, delivering prompt rulings.
accompanied often by such sententious and
striking comments that the members ceased
their argument sufficiently long to indulge
In mfrthfui outbursts.
Lines Of Contest Formed.
The principal business before the board
was the reading and discussion of annual
reports from several of the committees
There was plain sailing with the report OF
the special legal codlfcation committee and
the same was true with the recommended
ton of the committee on sewerage both
reports being adopted without dissent. The
same atcion was taken on the report Of the
committee on public schools. which was
commented upon and discussed at length
But when the paper submitted by the COM
mittee charities and corrections was
read by the chairman, Mr.. Walter c. Gle
phane, the lines of contest began to form.
Mr. B II. Warner opposed that section
OF the report which declared in favor of
placing the management of local corrective
agencies, such as the boys reform school
and the girls reform school, under the con-
troll of the District Commissioners. He
thought the present arrangement the best
and moved to strike that provision out of
| the report
| Then the merry war began. This brief
| paragraph of four lines, in report cover
| ing more than six pages. became the storm
| center of the evening. The more its pro-
visions were discussed and scrutinized the
| larger. more threa tening, dangerous and
| offensive they became in the eyes of one
| party, while growing opposition was met
| with increasing defense. The range of dis
| cussion was gradually broadened until
1 many themes, which the advocates of the
| report charged to be either only remotely
connected with the subject matter or en-
tlreiy eXtraneous We're included. Among
these were the work of the board of chart
| ties along general lines and the methods
| OF inquiry into alleged abuses, whenever
| they arise. in the institutions concerned.
| These and many other questions, the oppo-
nentS OF the recommendation claimed,
| would be involved by the adoption of the
| report.
| Defended the Committees Report,
Mr.. Clephane defended the comnittee's
report, saying that the conclusions therein
contained had been reached after the most
careful consideration, in which facts and
figures We're taken into strict account In
regard to the two reform schools named he
said that while 1t is true that the title to
each Is in the name Of the United States a
large proportion OF the boys and girls there
are sent from the District of Columbia All
| the facts showed. he thought, that the in
stitutions are essentially local and should
be under local control He declared that
when abuses creep in and Investigations
are necessary the District Commissioners
before they can make any inquiry, have to
obtain suffrauce from the authorities OF the
two schools The Department of Justice
which has the supervision of the schools,
had Endorsed. he said. the very thing rec
commended by the committee.
MI Clephane was aF2lauded he fin
| ished his remarks
Col. George Truesdell then made an ad-
| dress in opposition to the report saying he
! thought the board should not go upon rec
| ord in a matter of such a character He
| pointed out that the question is of great
| Importance to the District and one about
! which there Is the widest divergence of
| opinion. He thought that before the recon-
| mendation of the report in that particular
/ could be adopted there would be very bitter
| controversy. He believed that the board of
| charities should not be allowed to take over
! the control of all institutions which have
! been built up and maintained by charitably
| inclined individuals of Washington. In hts
| view interference on the part of the Board
| of Trade, an unselfish and non-partisan or
ganization, would necesSitate a departure
| from those lines of conduct followed by the
board for many years and which have con-
| tributed largely to its usefulness and popu-
! larity. The private persons interested in
/ the Institutions affected, he said would
| certainly resent any move which would
| have the effect of taking away the appro-
priations which these concerns now receive
from Congress.
Home Rule for District.
DIR. Charles p. Neill told the board that
the committee in making the report was
simply recommending home rule for the
| District. This, he said, was only one in
| stance In general effort to place the con-
troll of local institutions in local hands.
| DR. Neill suggested that 1t was a question
/ for the taxpayers and therefore suitable
| for consideration by the Board of Trade
| Mr. John F. Crowell defended the report
| OF the committee. Mr.. Samuel W. Curri-
! den also spoke, commencing the present
| arrangement for the control of the schools.
! The same ground was taken by Mr.. M. |.
! Weller. On vote the motion of Mr.. War
| ner to strike out was lost by a tie Col.
| Truesdell moved to postpone final action
| on the report until the next meeting of the
board and this motion was carried by
| large majority.
| The following was the bone of contention:
cit is essential for the unification and eff
| fective management of local correctional
! ager cies that such institutions as the Boys
Reform School and the Girls Reform
/ School should be placed under the control
| of the District Commissioners
| The report of the committee on taxation
and assessment read and action de-
ferred. The same disposition was made of
/ the report of the Lincoln celebration COM
| mittee.
The secretary read a letter addressed to
President Wilson from Mr. Byron s. Adams
| of the Washington Typothetae, asking for
the moral support OF the Board of Trade In
| the. struggle which the Typothetae is wag-
| ing with the Columbia Typographical
Union The letter referred to the ex-
/ ecutive COMMITTEES with Instructions to re-
| port Commenting upon the communication
! President Wilson said that 1t had been re-
! ceiyed before the controversy had been
| taken into the District courts
Nothing but Hot Air"
! Two reports were received from the. com