Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-09
House Supports Conferees on
the District Bill.
DISPUTE ON FAIRGROUNDS
Observance of Spirit Of the Or
ganic Act Urged in Vain.
Sulzer Asserts That Compact Be-
tween the Government and the
District Should Be Kept.

The Fairgrounds controversy is still
House Of Representatives today refused
to accept the proposition advocated by
the friends of the Fairgrounds. that the
ST., 200 in the District-leill for this pur-
pose shall be paid. half by the federal
government and half out Of the District
revenues.
The House insists that the entire
$4,000 shall be paid by the District.
The Senate insists that the sum shall
be provided on the half and half basis.
Enemies Of the Fairgrounds made
charges of bad faith today against Rep
resentative Parsons of New York and
others who have been doing their best to
preserve the organic act Of the District
from violation and TO befriend the little
children of the National Capital. The
gentlemen accused spiritedy denied the
charge.
One of the features of today's row over
the Fairgrounds was a speech by Repre-
sentative Gardner Of Michigan. declaring
that the delay in passing the District
bill was costing 5000 day at least.
the District of Columbia appropriation
bill was resumed in the House of Repre-
sentatives shortly after that body con-
vened today. Whichever way the row
turns OUT the District will get ST.
600 !. for playground purposes. This
amount, according to decision of Speak
en- Cannon some weeks ago, is firmly
hxed in. the bill, The controversy now on
is to decide whether this sum shall be
paid half cut of the revenues of the Dis
trict and half from the federal Treasury,
as the Senate proposes, or entirely out Of
the District revenues as the House in
sists.
Immediately after the reading of the
journal this morning Representative
Washington Gardner of Michigan, the
head of the House conferees. in charge
of the conference report on the District
bill, called 1t up and yielded ten minutes
time to Representative Herbert Parsons
Of New York, the Fairgrounds champion.
Mr.. Gardner made a brief explanation
Of the proposition, adding that he did not
know the fight was to be resumed today.
month. is reserved under the rules for
business reported to the calendar from
the District committee. But as a con-
ference report is privileged, Mr.. Gardner
decided to call 1t up.
Mr.. Parsons, Statement.
when the District Of Columbia appro-
priation bill passed the House. said Mr..
Parsons, cit provided ST, 600 for the main
tenance, equipment. etc, Of the play
grounds. payable wholly out of the reven-
ues of the District. The Senate agreed to
this amount, but struck out the provision
that it should be paid entirely by the Dis
trict. When the conferees reported the
first time they had. stricken out every
thing, including the ST. Coo The Speaker
ruled that in doing this the conferees had
exceeded their authority. Now, both the
Senate and House having agreed to the
amount of $1,000. the only thing in dis
agreement is with reference to the man.
ner in which it shall be provided.
1.-The Fairgrounds give to the children
of the poor the same chance for exercise
that our children have. They are Of the
greatest benefit to the health of the chill
dren.'
Mr.. Parsons then read letters from
mothers telling how the health of their
children had been benefited by the super
vised games at the Fairgrounds.
Mr.. Tawney Of Minnesota. chairman of
the House committee on appropriations
took the floor to insist that the contro-
versy did not involve the merit OF the
Fairgrounds proposition.
I'm any event." said Mr.. Tawney, 1.-The
$1,000 will be appropriated. The only
question Is whether the House will stand
by it's unanimous action when it adopted
the amendment making this $1,000 pay
The Fairgrounds advocates got what they
asked for and now they propose to go
back on the agreement they made at that
time
Sressional Record Of the day on which
the last fight over this Fairgrounds item
occurred to show that his amendment had
been accepted by Representatives Foster
of Vermont and Parsons Of New York,
who were leading the Fairgrounds fight
at that time.
Would Stand by Organic Act.
Representative Olcott of New York sug-
sested that, no matter how often Congress
had been guilty Of bad faith with the
District of Columbia, it was time in this
case to get down to business and. to live
I'D to the spirit OF the organic act.
I'VE have no legal right to violate in
one jot or little the act Of 1873.
Mr. Foster said that he did not relish
the suggestion from Mr. Tawney that he
was acting In bad faith In wanting to re-
cede and concur in the Senate amend
ment 1t was true. Mr.. Foster said. that
on one vote he did assent to the payment
of all the Fairgrounds appropriation out
OF the District revenues. But he had not
done that, ne insisted, to win over Mr..
Tswney's consent to the general PROPOSE
ton. because. he said. I'VE had the gem
tlemen from Minnesota and his followers
beaten to q FRAGILE
The Senate was insisting on it's policy
Mr. Foster pointed out. and IT was moth
ing new for the House to recede from
its own contention.
Question One Of Good Faith.
The question before us today" de-
clared Representative Sulzer of New
York, lis one of good faith between
Congress and the District of Columbia.
We ought to live up to that act. 1t is
a compact between the government and
the people of the District.
Il for one am opposed to violating
that compact. If We are true to our
selves and to the compact we will vote
with the Senate on this proposition.
We ought to be ashamed of ourselves
to hold up this appropriation bill and
to stand here for months quibbling over
a thing like this. What do the people