The Washington herald., 1921-01-19
Senators Stage Lengthy
Scrap on Community
Forum Money.
CALLED BREEDERS
OF SOCIAL UNREST
King Asks Why Govern
ment Must Pay Washing
toms Dancing Bills.

civic centers prevented final action
in the Senate yesterday on the Dis
trict Appropriations bill, and the
measure went over until today as
unfinished business
4 substitute to the Ssnate amend
ment, offered by Senator King. Of
Utah, was adopted. providing Sl5,-
900. making the work entirely edu-
cstionaI in character with Board Of
Education supervision and limiting
the pay of teachers and employees
10 only half the appropriation.
Compares to Rome.
Senator King charged that there
is nationwide propaganda TO
bring States under Federal CONTROL
with Washington as another Rome
where edicts and rules governing
the activities Of the people would
be sent out by a horde Of agencies
in a socialistic form of government
and that the ciyic centers of Wash
ington were in line, according TO
complaints of many citizens, with
that kind Of a movement.
He said the tendency of the times
was too greatly toward restriction
Of personal activities, and that In
dividualism, which has done so
much to make this the greatest
country in the world, was being in
vaded little by little through just
such fostering movements as that
Of thetCiviC centers OF Washington.
Most Of the propaganda in favor OF
the Appropriation, be charged. was
made by those who are to receive
salaries or their friends.
Pays for Dances.
Senator Robinson. of Arkansas,
declared the government should not
be asked to contribute money for the
amusement of the people Of Wash
ington, who were able to hire halls
and pay for their own dances and
dancing instructors, which, In part
the bill. he said, provided for. lie
saw no objection to dances, singing.
concerts and other forms of enter
nent such as the forums and CEN
ters provide. but il they were for
the benefit Of citizens and not the
nation at large the taxpayers OF the
United states, he said, should not BET
asked to pay.
Senator Myer. of Montana, was
for no appropriation at all, because,
no said, II was purely a local bene-
fit. He called attention to the fact
that the appropriation was opposed
by a great many citizens of Wash
ington, and that to allow 1t would
be forcing something upon the pub
lie here that the whole public does
not want, and even that at the ex-
pense of the people of California,
Texas and other States.
Defense by Hale.
Replying to the charges of Sena-
tor King that the forum was a place
where people were given free op-I
portunity of antagonizing the gov
ernment and teaching Bolshevism.
and that Socialism was the tendency
encouraged by the regulation Of hu-
man activities from babyhood on up,
Senator Hale, of Maine, stated that
he saw nothing Socialistic in the
activities Of community centers,
which were found in nearly every
state of the Union and were pro-
NOTED by the best citizenry.
To the rescue Of the amendment
Senator Harrison. of Mississippi,
arose to say that he was a member
Of the recent Congressional school
investigating committees and that
he had found the centers to be of
much benefit to the communities in
which they were located. He said
they afforded social intercourse for
young people under the watchful
ness of their parents and that the
forums were places of educational
Importance, where learned men dis
cussed scientific subjects.
Observes Work.
He said he had attended one of
these entertainments recently at
\ - -
Of the good II seemed to be doing. |
Many State societies have their
meetings, he said, under the aus
pices Of the various cenSers and |
Senators sometimes were themselves |
sneakers. He read the long list of |
rules which he said tended only toI
upIift and patriotism, and he read |
programs of the various forums and /
cpnters to show that only the most |
beneficial character of entertain |
ments were given.
The centers Of Washington are |
better than those anywhere in the |
United States" said Senator Harri- |
son. "and the government has an
interest aside from the good derived |
by the citizens of the governments |
capital city in the fact that the /
great army of departmental en-
DIoyes availed themselves of the |
smusements and entertainment. 1t |
is better that young people should |
dance and enjoy themselves under |
the chaperonage of their parents |
than that they should flock to pub |
lie dances where their moral welfare |
could not receive this attention"
Talks Nearly nm Hour.
II was near the hour of by the |
Senake clock and the Mississippi |
soIon had occupied the floor for
nearly an hour. When he turned to /
senator Smith, of Colorado, a mem |
Der Of the Appropriations subcom- |
mittee. and suggested that Senator
smith might himself be a speaker
AT one Of these meetings. the latter |
arose and announced that he had an !,
appointment for Thursday night, II
The Senator from, Mississippi could |
manage to finish his address by
that time, at which there was a |
ripple OF laughter.
Senator Curtis, chairman ~of the
subcommittee, Informed the Senate i
that the amendment providing the
sos. 600 had been inserted after a.
N.-o,yh hnarinn of the naads ana