Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-03
Method of Using Fund.

lie REMAINING SECTIONS OF the Gali1nSer
bill deal with the method of using the
Districts share of the Morrill, appropria-
lions after it receives it. This is ques-
ton which the Morrill, acts have left en-
tirely to the discretion Of the state and
territorial legislatures, which have al
ways been permitted by the Interior De-
partment, having charge of the admins
tration OF the Morrill, acts, to designate
the institutions within their respective
borders that are to receive this money
and do this work. In all except three of
the states institutions entirely supported
and controlled by the states have been
chosen for these purposes. 1t is needless
to say In this connection that state con-
troll involves state support
The three exceptions to this rule are
New York, which uses the services of
ices of Rutgers and MaSsa chusetts, which
for the work in the mechanic arts turns
over part of the Morrill, appropriation
to the Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology. giving the balance to the state
College of Agriculture.
''The action Of these three states is within
the letter and spirit Of the Morrill, acts.
and for twenty years or more has been
approved by the Interior Department,
with no objection on the part of Congress.
Two Plans Available.
IF Congress admits the District to the
benefits of the Morrill, acts, the District
would have to choose between two meth
DDS OF utilizing this annual appropria-
ton:
Congress could ask the District tax
payers to add to the public school system
college Of the mechanic arts, with a
four-year course on top of the Mckinley
Manual Training School. At the very out
set this would mean an expenditure of
from $4,000 to $500 200 for a proper site
and the buildings and apparatus needed
for this expensive kind of education.
"Or It could save that large amount
Of money by following the example of
New York, New Jersey and Massachu-
sets and make use of an institution al
ready established and doing solid work
in the mechanic arts.
This second plan is the one followed
in the Gallinger BILL which designates
the George Washington University as the
institution to receive the Districts share
Of the annual Morrill, appropriation and
acts
Already Occupies the Field.
by means of its new college Of engi-
neering and the mechanic arts. its schools
Of architecture, pharmacy and veterinary
medicine and its other courses In scien-
tifc subjects the George Washington Uni
versity has already entered the important
field mapped out BY the Morrill, acts
Hence 1t would be able to make the Nor
rill appropriations Immediately useful
upon a large scale to the young people OF
the District by doubling the efficiency of
the work 1t 10 already doing along these
lines.
las taxpayers I believe we would gen.
orally agree that the designation Of the
George Washington University for these
III
ly economical.
"Of the universities doing work among
the white people no other institution here
seems to have attempted to cover the
templated In the Morrill, acts nor have 1
heard that any other institution here has
plans In that direction.
Moreover, being a non-sectar!an tnsti
tuition, the George Washington University
is proper recipient of public money.
Therefore for this practical kind of edu-
cation 1t offers a platform upon which
men of all creeds can freely unite.
Passed by the Senate.
The bill was passed unanimously by
the Senate of the last Congress March
3. too late to call it up in the House. It
has. therefore, been reintroduced in the
Sixty-drst Congress, with excellent pros
poets of being passed, provided only that
the citizens Of the District will realize
that the fight for the Districts share of
the Morrill, appropriation is their fight.
But, in the midst Of the thousands of
bills clamoring for the attention of Con-
gress, we all know how difficult it is for
any one bill to get a hearing. If the
District is to secure its equal rights in re-
gard to the appropriation for these prac-
ticar forms OF education. it will be neces-
sary for our citizens to make their voices
heard. without delay, during the first
weeks OF the coming session.
1T would be peculiarly fitting for the
Chamber of Commerce to take hand in
this fight. 1t has always been deeply in
terested in everything that concerns the
all-around development of the city's life
Besides which, the practical education of
the industrial classes, which would be
promoted by the passage of this bill, Is
| subject appealing with peculiar force to
the membership Of the Chamber of Com
merce.
Joint Action Suggested.