Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-04
Commissioners and Citizens
Before Committee.
DISCUSS APPROPRIATIONS
Henry B. F. Macfarland Speaks for
Chamber of Commerce.
URGE SEVERAL INCREASES
Ask More for Library, Schools and
Charity and Division on
Fairgrounds.

Increases of appropriations for the Pub
lie Library, the Board of Charities and
the public schools and provision for pay
ing for supervision of public Fairgrounds
on the half -and-half basis were urged
before the Senate subcommittee on Dis
trict appropriations this morning.
Several prominent citizens of the Ma
tional Capital joined with the Commits
sioners and other District officials in urg-
ing that the Senate committee incorporate
in the District appropriation bill authori-
zation for expenditures in accordance
with the estimates submitted by the
heads of the local government, and the
several delegations left the committee
room with a feeling that the Senate sub
committee would make material additions
to the bill that will allow the expendi-
ture Of more money for the public
service.
A delegation of the Chamber Of Com
merce, for which former Commissioner
Henry B. F. Macfarland was the spokes
vision of the House bill that all of the
appropriation of S15,S7O for supervision
of Fairgrounds should be payable from
the District revenues.
Violates Old Agreement.
1t was pointed out by Mr.. Macfarland
that this provision was a violation of the
pact of 1873, by which it was specified
that the expenditures for the government
of the National Capital should be paid
half out of the District revenues and half
out of the federal Treasury. The expen-
ditures for the public Fairgrounds, he
said, are not different from the expendi-
lures for any other branch of the munich
pal service. and these latter expenditures
are all paid on the half-and-half basis.
AS to all other expenditures, Mr. Macfar-
land urged, the House has respected the
half f-and-half agreement. and there is no
reason for not respecting it in connection
with the playground supervision expense.
The appropriation for maintenance and
repair of Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds
equipment, amounting to 5000. Mr.. Mac
farland pointed out, is payable on the
half-and-half basis by the House bill.
1t was urged that the supervision OF
as the maintenance and that both items
should be treated alike.
The estimates of the Public Library,
just as they had been approved by the
Commissioners, were also approved by
Mr. Macfarland in behalf of the Cham
ber of Commerce, and that body, he said
requested that the Senate make provision
for the Public Library in accordance with
those estimates.
Prominent Citizens Attend.
An increase of pay for the District Com
missioners, that they will receive
stipend in accordance with the responsi
bilites of their offices, was indorsed by
the spokesman for the chamber.
Accompanying Mr.. Macfarland as rep
resentatives of the trade body were Capt
James F. oyster, president, w F. Guide,
former resident: d. S. Porter, w l..
Shannon, A. D. Prince and A. T.. Sim
clair. Mr. Macfarland pointed out that
he spoke the sentiments of the 1cO bust
ness men of the city who members of
the chamber, and, To large extent. the
sentiments of the community.
In behalf of the Public Library there
appeared two of the trustees-Justice w
r. Stafford and Theodore w Noyes-and
To discuss the school appropria tions
Capt. Oyster H. p. Blair and w. v Tun-
nell of the board of education: A. r. Stu
art, superintendent of schools and Percy
NJ Hughes, assistant superintendent,
were before the committee. one of the
probe ms they discussed was that grow
ing out of the ruling of the controller of
the Treasury that the present method OF
paying substitute teachers vas illegal
The school representative submitted =
genera proposition that the bill should be
amended to give the board of education
authority to employ substitute teachers
For Buildings and Sites.
President Oyster told the subcommit-
tees that the board would be satisfied
to have the Senate incorporate the pro-
visions for new buildings and sites
which the House committee on appropri-
ations favored. Several of those pro-
visions were knocked out on the floor
of the House, and the board wants Just
those restored.
Larger appropriations for manual
training equipment and provisions for
special teachers in high schools were
also urged.
In behalf of the board of charities, John
JOY Edison and DR.. George NJ. kober ap-
peared and urged the inclusion of the
items estimated for. All the Commission
ers were at the hearing and made sug-
geStionS. and Engineer Commissioner Jud-
son was accompanied by Daniel F.
Garges, chief clerk of the engineering de-
partment, who has the details of that
branch of the municipal government at
his fingers ends.
subcommittee this afternoon, and the esti-
mates of the health. fire and police de-
partmentS and probably others will be
taken up in detail.