Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-20
Picayune, Says Chairman.


ances. Few members would th.nA of seek
ing out informal on to ascertain TO how
much they would amount, and yet, IN
that ingenious way, upon the theory that
1t would not cost the government any
thing, or very little, there would be placed
as a basis of the pension fund a very
substantial amount of money without at
tention being called TO it.
THE committee believed, in view Of the
fact that the legislation was still being
pressed. that If II is to be enacted Il
should be enacted in a maner that would
make clear the part of the burden to be
the temptation 1t was believed desirable
to use up all OF these unexpended balances.
$50 TAR as the criticism OF the COM
mittee Is concerned, 1t Is an empty one
and does not affect the substantial fact
that the manner in which II is proposed
to provide the means to pay school
teachers OF the District the sum to which
they are entitled by law Is the best that
could be devised
Teachers Pension Bill.
Mr.. Mann said his attention had been
called to the longevity appropriation a
year or two ago in discussing the teach
ers' pension bill.
IAN of the teachers pension bills which
have been proposed In Congress for
years." he said. "have contained pro-
vision that q certain amount shall be
deducted from the salaries of the teach
ers-an amount wholly inadequate to pay
pensions-then an additional provision In
reference to certain funds which proba-
bly, will never meterialize. and then
provision that all excess or surplus or ap-
preparations for teachers pay shall DC
turned over to the fund for the pensions.
to become a part of the pension fund.
"A year or two ago / charged on the
floor of this House, in the consideration
of teachers pension bill. which l be-
lieve never came to a final vote, that
owing to the fact that no one could Tell
what longevity pay would amount 10, be-
cause of designations and new appoint
ments which would affect the tutal, and
no one could tell what designations might
happen during a current year, il oHered
opportunities 10 pad the app. op. iation,
and that that opportunity had eeen de-
liberately awaited OF, in the expectation
that they were thereby able to get
large surplus under the longevity pay APP
preparation, which, If the pension bill
passed, would be utilized for the purpose
of paying pensions. The bill on its face
purported to provide that the ptnSion
fund should come out OF the teachers
salaries. and a very limited amount out
posed to a reasonable and proper teach
ers' pension bill, but l have always been
opposed to any crooked methods of ue-
ceiving Congress in legislation. and, In
my judgment, the provision In the teach
ers' pension bills, which were then pend
lug, and some Of which have been lend-
ing since covering this very point, was
deliberately intended TO deceive Cong y
into the belief that the pension fund as
being contributed One-half by the teach
ously padding a longevity pay provision
and thereby getting a sufficient fund To
pay pensions"
Burleson Amendment Adopted.
The Burleson amendment, increasing
the longevity appropriation by $4,000.
was the nadopted.
Representative Willis of Ohio made an
unsuccessful attempt to have the appro-
priation in the bill for school gardens
increased from $1,000 to $1.20O.
Representative Mann of Illinois offered
an amendment to appropriate $50. 600 for
the construction of 4 four-room addition
to the Chevy Chase School building.
ut was stated here the other day,
said Mr.. Mann, that there were more
accommodat tons for pupils in the schools
of the District than We're needed. Ger
tainly that cannot apply to Chevy Chase.
What advantage is II to have an idle
schoo.room in the center of Washington
when you wish to educate children at
Chevy Chase? Does any one here pre-
tend that the people who live at Chevy
-
school facilities, or that they must send
their children downtown to Washington
that they may be educated? We have
the money levied by taxation upon those
people, and it seems to me that we may
as we'll construct those buildings which
are necessary for school purposes out OF
this money which we receive, and here
we receive half of It by way of taxation.
Urged by MI. Mann.
81 am willing to economic on great
many things. I recognize the fact that
economies can be found and made In
every department OF the government. l
have no doubt that economies can be
found and made in the school department
In Washington and elsewhere, but we
know what becomes Of the money when
1t is put into school building. where it
can be used by school children, and it
seems to me that is not the proper place
to economic. I would not construct too
many school buildings or spend too much
money in any one year. but We can afford
to spend money every year for school
buildings when additional school build
ings are needed. 1 hope that the COM
mittee will not resist the construction of
this school building, which every one who
spends a summer in Washington ought to
KNOW Is needed Dy reason OF the develop
ment out in that part OF the city. There
has been tremendous growth in popula-
tion out there, and / believe We can well
afford to authorize the appropriation Of
this money
Mr.. Burleson denied the school was
crowded.
I'm the immediate neighborhood Of this
school there are residents Of the state OF
Maryland who are contributing l.45O pu-
pills to the schools Of the District OF Co
lumbia. These pupils avoid the payment
OF tuition which would aggregate. as stat
ed by one OF the school officials, sum
equaling between $4,000 and S6O.oOo by
palpable evasion of the law.
II am not sure whether any OF them
come from Baltimore or not, but i am
quite sure, accepting the statement OF
the members OF the school board. that
there are 1.45O nonresident pupils at
tending the schools OF the District OF Co
lumbia-
I'VE carry In this bill provision that
is going to relieve the stress upon the
schools by providing that non-residents
shall pay tuition IL they attend these
schools.
Mann Amendment Defeated.
Mr.. Saunders characterized the Chevy
Chase School as the least deserving OF
an additional appropriation.
The Mann amendment was defeated,
Il to &c.
The House then adjourned.
n ~.