Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-19
Controller DoWney Settles Old
Controversy With Govern
ment Hospital.
TWO KINDS OF INMATES
CONSIDERED IN RULING,
Criminal Insane and Those With
Pensions Involved in
Decision.

The taxpayer Of the District of Column
bia Is not responsible, and need not pay
for the care and maintenance Of the
criminally insane Of the District Of CO.
lumbia confined in the Government Hos
pital.
Insane other than criminally insane
those committed to the Government Hos
pital by the board of Commissioners
whose expenses for care and maintenance
are paid or partly paid out Of their PEN
sions, are not to be cared for and mann
tanned at the expense of the District OF
Columbia, except to the extent OF the
deficiency where the pensions do not
cover the whole expense.
George E. Downey, controller OF the
Treasury makes these rulings in de-
cision made public today. A controversy
of many years standing between ON
the Insane and the District of Column
bta Is ended. The decision. in every oe-
tail, favors the contention of the au-
thorities of the District Of Columbia.
First Question Put.
Is the District of Columbia liable to
the Government Hospital for the In
sane for payment of care and main
tenance Of the criminally insane OF the
District of Columbia. and is the appro-
priation in the District of Columbia ap-
preparation act for 1914 for the support
Of the INDECENT insane of the Distrlct
of Columbia in the Government Hos
pital for the Insane. as provided by
law, amounting to $350.00O, liable ior
such charge? This was the first ques-
ton put in the reference made by the
board of Commissioners. no" was the
ruling of Controller Downey.
A second question was: Is the District
of Columbia entitled to credit in &C &C.
counts as rendered by the Government
Hospital for the Insane for the care
and maintenance of the insane of the
District of Columbia in that institution
to the extent that the hospital Is reim-
bursed for board and maintenance from
pension payments, when such payments
are made in favor of inmates of the
hospital ehargeabie to the District District. OF
Columbia? Yes was the controller s
when the expense Of caring for a
patient has been paid by or out Of his
pension money" comments Controller
Downey. in ruling on the second refer
mand on the District of Columbia for a
second payment Of that which has al
ready been paid.
Not Wholly INDECENT.
ITO the extent that the pension is
SO applied. the inmate ceases to be an
INDECENT within the meaning of the
District Of Columbia appropriation,
and to the extent that the cost of his
board and maintenance has been borne
by his pension it is obvious that said
appropriation is not properly charge
able Herewith"
The sundry civil bill, appropriating
1902, 400, clearly provides for the care
and maintenance Of the criminal in
sane, among others, in the opinion Of
Controller Downey. He finds that the
law has been practically the same for
thirty years, and that the deviations
in the appropriation for the insane of
the District Of Columbia IN the ap-
Iumbia- emphasize his conclusion.
Older laws applied the District of Co
lumbia appropriation to insane, "as
provided for in sections 4S44 and 1850
of the Revised Statutes" These sec
lions relate exclusively to INDECENT in
sane Of the District of Columbia other
than those charged with or convicted
Of crimes" This clinches his argu-
ment that the criminal insane are
excluded from the responsibilities of
the government Of the District of CO.
lumbia.