Evening star., 1926-06-11
Criminal Law Held
Violated in Spirit
If Not in Fact.
PROFIT In DEALS
WITH ID. C.. SCORED
Rudolph and Graham
Named by Gibson in
Statement.

Noicing strong criticism OF Com
missioner Frederick A. Fenning for
his work as guardian of insane per-
sons: declaring that the conduct Of
certain other unnamed officials of
the District government is contrary
TO the spirit, if not the letter, of the
criminal code, and outlining a long
list of conditions found in the District
which should be remedied by legis-
lation and further study by joint
committee Of the House and Senate,
the subcommittee of the House Dis
trict committee headed by Repre-
sentative Gibson OF Vermont yester-
day presented its report to the full
committee.
The report is the result of two
months of investigation, and was
Immediately approved by the District
committee.
While the report does not specifical-
ly recommend the removal of Commits
Sioner Frederick A. Fenning from Of
fee, Representative Gibson, who laid
the report before the full committee,
declared that such a recommendation
was deliberately avoided out of cour-
tesy to the President, as such action
is entirely within the province Of the
President.
The subcommittee was, however
unanimous in it's conclusion that a
series of practices by Mr.. Fenning Of
fensive to the subcommittee as de-
veloped during the two months inves-
tigation and specifically mentioned in
the report with consequent loss Of
confidence in him on the part of the
public, makes his continuance in Of
flee incompatible with the best inter-
ests of the District
Other Officials Accused.
The report further declares that
certain high officials of the District
of Columbia are sharing in the earn
,ngs and profits Of firms and corpora
tions doing business with the Dis
trict in furnishing materials and
supplies. 1t is the opinion of the
subcommittee that the practice is
contrary to the spirit, if not the let
ter, of section Al of the criminal code
OF the United States,'' which is
quoted.
Conditions existing in the school
board as disclosed during the hear
ings are vigorously assailed. The
report charges that "the present
school board is under the control of
one man, connected up through fnan-
cfal. business and social relations
with small corterie of citizens who
appear to be in strategic positions
In control of the government affairs
or the District" The report empha-
sizes that the only purpose of the
schools of the District should be to
educate the children The schools
should not be made the medium of
politics or used to encourage a de-
sire for personal or financial gain"
While the report does not name
Commissioner Rudolph and Edwin c.
Graham. president of the Board of
Education, Representative Gibson of
Vermont told newspaper men that
they were the ones the subcommittee
had in mind in connection with the
charges.
Joint Survey Is Asked.
It is emphasized that the Gibson
subcommittee, consisting of Repre-
sentatives Gibson Vermont: Houston
Delaware, and Bowman, West Vir-
ginia, all Republicans, and Blanton,
Texas, and Gilbert, Kentucky. both
Democrats, "endeavored to discover
conditions that appeared to require
remedial legislation with the sole
view of improving the government of
the Capital City. We have followed
a definite policy of making our work
constructive and not destructive" the
report states.
The review of the testimony leads
to a recommendation for the adop-
tion of a concurrent resolution pro-
viding for a joint committee of the
Senate and House to make com
plete survey of the government Of the
District of Columbia and report such
recommendations as are deemed ad-
visable, both as to changes that VIII
improve conditions in the District and
relieve the Congress of many detalls
of legislation relative thereto
Among the particular recommends
tions made in the report are:
ST. EIiZabethS Hospital for the In
sane-'"rhere should be a full investi-
cation made by the Controller Gen
eral Of financial conditions and by
Joint congressional committee as to
the management and practices there.
Court Building Recommended.
Police Court-"We recommend the
early erection of such a building as
will answer the requirements of
Washington 20 years hence"
reformatory-"T institutions rep
resent an advanced idea in the han
ding Of prisoners, and we recommend
the scheme employed as model for
other sections of the country"
Referring to the subcommittee find
ing several prisoners in chains at
Occoquan who had attempted to es-
cape, the report recommends: This
practice should not be permitted in
this enlightened age. 1t is unneces-
sary and wholly at variance with all
ideas Of prison reform and the pur-
pose Of these institutions" Passage
Of a pending bill providing that an
escape or an attempt to escape be
made a separate penal offense" is
urged.
Sale of space i'll public streets-"A
provision of the new traffic bill pass
ed by the House sought to cure the
evil complained of. We think it
should be retained. If it is not re-
tained, then early legislation is neces-
sary to meet the situation"
Schools and school building: 1.-THE
school problem" should be thoroughly
surveyed. Until the survey of the
controller generals Office lin regard
to tho erection Of school buildings) is