Evening star., 1924-12-07
HOWARD j. FUNDS
CUT OUT BY HOUSE
Point of Order Strikes COL
ored Schools Appropria-
ton From Bill.

With the entire appropriation for
Howard University stricken from the
measure, the House yesterday COM
pleted consideration of the, Interior
Department appropriation bill in the
committee Of the whole, but post
poned a final vote until Tuesday.
This postponement was taken as
renewed assurance that tomorrow
will be devoted to District legisla-
tion by the House.
This supply bill. the first consid-
cred, for the various activities of the
Interior Department, including such
Washington institutions as Howard
University. Freedmens Hospital, the
Columbia Institution for the Deaf and
St Elizabeth's Hospital, carried $685.,
600, 900, a decrease of 10000 900 from
the total available for expenditure
this year and $l,5O0,0O0 from budget
estimates.
Approve Reclamation.
Among the items approved without
material change were those for rec
lamation projects in the West, the
total amounting to SS,943, 900.
The entire item of s406 600 recon-
mended by the House appropriations
committee for Howard University,
which was $4,000 above the current
'
of the Budget Bureau, was stricken
from the bill on a point of order by
Representative James +. Byrnes of
South Carolina, a member of the ap
propria tionS committee. This was
the only important change in the bill.
The $lS5,000 increase over the
budget figures was on account of
proposed appropriation of s1S5,00 to
begin construction of new medical
building at an authorized limit of
cost of s370,000. with provision for its
equipment at a cost of not less than
$3.50 600 by alumni and other friends
of the institution.
Representative Byrnes argued that
there was no substantive law author
izing the appropriation for Howard
University and that the new medical
school was new legislation on an ap-
propriation bill and that the Budget
Bureau had not estimated for it.
Admits Point of Order.
Representative Louis c. Cramton OF
Michigan, chairman OF the sub-com-
mittee. which drafted the bill, and in
charge of this measure in the House,
admitted that it was subject to this
point of order, pointing out that for
more than SO years these appropria-
tions have been made on account of
custom rather than law.
Similarly a point of order was laid
against the Howard University items
last year by Representative Byrnes,
and to meet this objection Representa-
tive Cramton introduced a bill which
would authorize such appropriations
for the future. This measure has not
yet been considered by the House
Representative Cramton admitted
that the action taken by Representa-
tive Byrnes definitely eliminates all
funds for Howard University from the
bill as far as the House is concerned,
because it will not be in order to
restore these items when the final
vote is taken in the House on Tues
day.
There is no doubt, however, but
that some funds for Howard Uni
versity will be put back in the bill
by the Senate and then held in con-
ference between the two houses as
was the case last year.
Freedmen's Hospital Funds.
The items for Freedmen's Hospital
were not disturbed and were approved
by the committee of the whole House
as recommended by the appropria-
tions committee. They total S202, $50,
which is an increase of S28,250 above
the current appropriations.
This includes an item of S50 900 for
an enlarged and remodeled nurses
home, payable from the revenues of
the District of Columbia. In the
current appropriations for Freed
mems Hospital there was an item of
s1S,700 for equipment of path
illogical building, which does not ap-
pear in the bill now before the
House. There Is also a reduction this
year of s3.050 in the item for sub
sistence. fuel and medicine.
An appropriation of S113,40o for
the Columbia Institution for the Deaf,
which is an increase Of $4,000 over
current appropriations, was approved
by the House. Most of this increase
is for the installation of a new type
setting machine for instruction pur-
poses.
Increase st. EIizabeth's Funds.
For st. Eliza beth's Hospital the
House approved appropriations total
ing $1,023, 900, which is an increase
over the current fiscal year of SIS 900,
$4,000 of which is an increase in the
item for support, clothing and an in
crease of $4,000 for maintenance and
repair of buildings and grounds
bringing this sum up to $113,000, of
which not to exceed $1,000 may be
used for the construction of two gate
houses.
Representative Cramton announced
he would demand another vote on the
Sinnott amendment which eliminated
q provision for abolition of 80 land
offices next July l.