The Washington herald., 1910-03-30
PEACE PLEAS HEARD
Congress Asked to Give Nor
rilI Fund to District.
WOULD NAME SCHOOL LATER
p. j. Ryan, of Central Labor Union,
and George A. Provost, n High
mittee to Leave Disbursement of
Funds to District Committee.

Realizing that continued fighting among
the several interests can only result in
depriving the District of the benefits
Ryan. on behalf Of the Central Labor
Union. and George A. Provost, yesterday
petitioned the Agricultural Committee, OF
the House to enact the first section of
the bin pending, appropriating the money
for the use of the District. and leaving
the manner in which It is to be disbursed
TO further action.
Tho petitioners claim the time has
| come when concerted action is indis-
pensible If the benefits are TO be obtained
for the District, and the minor differences
should be buried until this is attained
They claim 1t was a mistake TO have
coupled the two propositions in one bin,
and any interests that now oppose the
present plan, the promoters think. viii be
acting contrary to the best interests OF
the people of Washington.
Proposed Plan Cited.
Under the proposed plan, after Con-
gress, acting as the National legislature
has appropriated the money provided I'M
der the Morrill, acts for a college of in
dustrial arts, the same body. acting as
the legislative body Of the District. can
with greater ease dispose OF the opposing
interests and apply the money where it
will insure the greatest benefits.
As a precedent for such a course the
petitioners cited the case of Hawaii,
where the fund was made available be-
fore the legislature Of the islands had
taken the necessary steps to establish a
college. Indeed, while the fund was made
available to thirty-six statutes when the
original Morrill, act was passed in 1862, it
was years later before some OF them by
establishing colleges or designating bene-
ficiaries under the act made use of the
money thus appropriated.
At the hearing yesterday. which was
the last that viii be held on the bill
those who opposed the allotment OF the
money TO George Washington University
supported their position on the ground
that tuition fees we're charged there. that
in violation Of the provisions of the Nor
rill act. the color line is established by
the university. They also contended
the meager equipment as compared with
the plant available at the Mckinley and
Armstrong Schools should bar its claim.
Those who appeared before the commit
tee were careful to make clear their posi-
ton, in that they were no longer con-
tending for the allotment OF the money
to the manual training schools. but
merely asking that it be made available
for the District.
This viii dispose OF the case in so far
as the Committee on Agriculture is con-
cerned, and a new measure designating
the institution would receive the consid-
Grafton Of the subcommittee on education
Of the District Committee.
Some Criticism Heard.
Some criticism has been INDUCED in at
the action of the board of education in
taking preclpitate action on Chairman
Scotts letter to President Oyster.
To P. J. Ryan. r. r. Horner, a member
Of the school board. is quoted as saying
that he was advised that the purpose of
the special meeting was to ask that the
funds be awarded to the District, and
that no action was TO be taken for or
against any institution.
Disregarding this agreement, he con-
tinued, with but five members of the
board present, the resolution presented by
Mr.. Hoover was rushed through.