Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-30
BILL HELD ILLEGAL,
COUNTY PAYS IT
Doctor Given $40 for Treat.
ing Prisoners in Arlington.
Appeal Threatened.
By a star correspondent of The Star.

BY a Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va. May S0.-Disregarding a
ruling by Commemorative Attorney
William C. Cloth that such action was
illegal, the Board of County Supervisors
yesterday voted to pay special bin Of
$40 for the treatment of prisoners who
had been taken to the Jail following
automobile accidents and fights in
which they were seriously injured:
Among ether matters considered yes
terday was that Of the construction Of
sidewalks for the benefit OF children
attending WaShington-Lee High School,
Robert Z. Lee Elementary School and
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, all
receiving a favorable vote; the question
Of the Injunction suit filed by Lyon d
Fitch against the board and 233 resi-
dents of Lyon Park, coming matters ana
the water hydrant situation.
Bill Causes Trouble.
Presentation Of a bill fer $40 by DR..
B. H. Swain, physician for the jail, pre-
cipitated an argument of considerable
heat and duration between Cloth and
Sheriff Howard B. Fields. DR.. Swain.
1t was pointed out, is allowed rs cents
per prisoner for treatments admin
istered to prisoners, this being paid by
the State.
It has been necessary recently. how
ever, for him to give surgical attention
to four badly injured prisoners. and he
felt that he was entitled to an extra
fee. State authorities refused to pay
the bill, even after Cloth had enlisted
the assistance of Judge Walter 7. Nc
Carthy, and DR.. Swain presented the
bill to the Board of Supervisors.
Payment Called Illegal.
Sheriff Fields stated that it was I'M
fair to expect any physician to admin
lister surgical attention in emergency
cases for rs cents per person and asked
that the bill be paid. Cloth 1nterposea
with a statement to the effect that the
! law holds the inmates OF the JAN 10 De
prisoners Of the State and that the
county could not legally pay the nili:
II object to the payment OF the DILL
he declared.
Fields again interposed, declaring that
he was responsible for the prisoners
and that it was only a humane act to
provide them with surgical attention
when they needed it. If both the
county and State refuse to pay for such
treatment, it will be necessary either
to deprive them of the treatment or
send them to a hospital and let that
institution assume the responsibility OF
collection, he said.
Vote Is Unanimous.
At this point Supervisor B. M. Heo-
rick declared that, law or no law,
think the bill should be paid, and SO
move" The vote was unanimous. .,
Cloth declared that he would appear
the case to the Circuit Court. Wllnem
H. Duncan, clerk of the court, agreed
with him that the payment Oh TIC
money is illegal.
Fear for the safety Of approximately
2. 600 school children by their parents
and other interested citizens resulted
in the vote for the sidewalks Tor the
schools. At the present time this most
of students is forced to either walk on
the roadway or in the gutter, and are
in constant danger from vehicular tra1-
fic. since all three schools are located
on main thoroughfares. A campaign
for this work has been under way fcr
the past several years.
Referring to the injunction suit MED
hy Lyon e. Fitch to restrain the cil-
zens of Lyon Park and adjacent Sec
ttons from further use OF the sewer
age system that was installed at the
time Lyon Park was sIbdivided. Super
visor FIedrick declared that the people
of that section had done everything III
their power in behalf of a countrywide
sewerage system and therefore were en-
titled to all of the help the county can
give.
Case to Be Studied.
Cloth was instructed to make STUDY
of the case and report to the board.
Fearing future trouble with respect
to changes in coming, the board de-
cided to require each person making
an application for change IN coming
Of property to file plat OF the prop
erty and some evidence OF ownership.
A request by the Beautificatlon COM
mittee of the Arlington County Bicen-
tennial Council for the erection in the
court house of case for the display OF
prizes and photographs of prize-w1n-
ming properties was referred to the
county directing engineer for report.
Az attack was made by Col. j. u.
Pepper OF Bancroft on the recent action
of the board In disseminating % tenn
porary water spigots and the instalia-
ton of but permanent MIGRANTS 10
replace them. I nope am not on
the next grand jury" he declared, Tor
it is nothing more nor less than MURDER
to deprive these people of water who
are unable to obtain it in any other way
except through municipal Spigots."
Announcement was made that the
/ board had not definitely committed
itself to only five permanent MIGRANTS
and would consider any future applica-
! lions for community hydrants on the
merit of the particular case. On the
motion of supervisor e. G. TurnburKe IL
was decided to remove the hydrant from
Cherrydale to Halls Hill and to install
I