Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-12

The FIRST annual report of Mr. A. G. Warner,
the superintendent of charities, was handed to
the District Commissioners today. Mr.. Warner
was the tirstappointee under the law approved
August 8, 1880, which created the Office Of su-
perintendent of charities. Mr.. Warner says
that as he took the oath of office April H. 1891,
he was called upon to write his first report
after an acquaintance of only four months with
the charities Of the District-months in which
many of the persons actively interested in the
charities Of the city are away from home, max
Ing 1t for the most part impossible to secure
meetings Of the boards of trustees and other
official bodies, whose advice and criticism
might have aided him in the formulation of
definite recommendations. For these reasons
Mr. Warner says his present report must be
little more than description of existing con-
ditions and all suggestions of changes should
be OF tentative character. Mr.. Warner states
that the act creating the Office establishes
arbitrary classification OF institutions for the
purposes of District administration. While
directing him IN general terms tc consider and
report upon all the charitable work OF the Dis
trlet 1t gives him specific powers Of investiga-
ton and control only over a group OF institu-
tions that are provided for IN the District ap-
preparation bill under the heading For Char
tiles" Curiously enough the District aims
house. branch of the Washington asy-
lum, is classified by the appropriation bill
under the heading '.For Reformatories and
Prisons" and therefore the superintendent of
charities has no official relation to IT. He
mentions other institutions excluded on ac-
count of their classification in appropriation
acts from his supervision. although receiving
appropriations to aid in work which is of
charitable character. There are, he says. at
the same time some institutions grouped as
belonging TO his department which their friends
WOnlI r1la Rls beaa
Is the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb, which Is o private corporation. sup
ported mainly by federal subsidies, but the
fact that an amount to defray the expense OF
educating the deaf and dumb children
of the District is placed in the ap-
preparation bill under the heading
For Charities" brings il TO the Official
attention of the superintendent of charities
In its early years the Columbia Institution in
its own annual reports was spoken of as a
charity" but now Mr.. Warner says its presi-
dent desires to have it otherwise classed. Dis
cussing the question OF the proper classification
in such cases Mr.. Warner remarks: Even if
We admit that there is something opprobrious
in the term object Of charity (which do not
admitl, 1t is hard to see why We should fastep it
upon a person who is sick and destitute and
must go to the free wards of hospital while
being treated, and then not apply it to one wEo
Is deaf and destitute and must be boarded gratis
while being taught" When matter is placed
|
lumbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, MIR.
Warner says, further supervision or inspection
may be considered superhuous. Yet in as far
| as District funds are used to provide for the
education OF these classes, sound principles of
administration seem to require that some Dis
trict authority should be made responsible for
their proper expenditure He therefore recon-
mends that If IL be considered best to take the
matter from the care Of the superintendent Of
charities, where it now ia. it be definitely trans
forr ad t<< ha zf IL
schools, and the amounts required be placed
under the head public schools" in the annual
District appropriation bill.
Conditions Peculiar to Washington.
The shifting character of Washingtous pop
ulation, the report continues, must be reck-
oned with in any attempt to provide for the re-
lief Of poverty and the prevention Of psuper-
ism in the city. A large number OF both the
benevolent and the INDECENT classes reside here
only temporarily. On the one hand this makes
II difficult to procure permanent and reliable
revenue for the charitable institutions from
private contributions, and on the other it gives
US q large number Of applicants foc relief who
properly belong to other states, but who have
drifted in here while seeking unsuccessful.y to
secure position or Q pension or the payment
Of claim
While this consideration is important it has
possibly been given undue Importance by the
managers OF the local charities. Those who
are acquainted only with Washington and who
complain Of the shifting character OF its pop
ulation forget how shifting is the population Of
all American cities. The number Of inmates
in our aims house VINO are natives of the Dis
trict bears about the same proportion to the
total number Of inmates as doea the number
of native Baltimoreans who are inmates Of the
Bayview aims house in that city to the total
population of the institution. An examination
Of the reports from other states does not con-
firm the impression that we are especially I'M
fortunate in the matter Of having to provide
for destitute persons VINO should be cared for
elsewhere. What we nay suffer in this matter
is more than made up By our independence OF
industrial crises and the fact that we have no
large masses Of population lowering on the
brink Of pauperism because Of bad trade con-
ditions. Indeed, the problems of pauperism
are not rs intricate or a. difficult in Washing
ton as in most American cities. The poor of
its 0Aice-holding population, however, are in
some respects not easy tohelp, because they are
frequently not able to do heavy work. and the
much-tslked-of work test is not easily ap-
piled in relieving them.
THE coLoRED POOR
OF the dependent population that for one
reason or another has drifted to the national
capital the colored people who require help
are, of course, the most difiicult class to deal
with. In contriving to keep out of the aims
house. and even out Of the hospitals, they have
done remarkably well, considering their un-
prOpert1tu ana uHe1ucatSu coAdltlOn at the
close of the war. An instructive and often
superstitions aversion to these institutions has
enabled them to do better in the matter of self
support than could have been hoped. But the
experience of the city shows that any attempt
to provide public outdoor relief would almost
certainly result in undermining their spirit OF
self-dependence TO an alarming extent and as
matters now stand the Willingness OF many Of
! this part Ct the population to abandon their
children 70 care of Tie public and the largely
dispropcrtiouate number of coiored Juvenile
delinqusrts OF both sexes present the gravest
! problems which confront the benevolent peo-
| pie of the District. AS we are free from many
| Of the difficulties which perplex the benevolent
OF other cities, il seems but just that should
| give special and most earnest attention 70 this
matter OF wisely providing for the dependent
and delinquent children of our large urban
| eolorcd population. As yet any serious con-
sideration Of the problem indicated seems to
| have been shirked.
Turning next to that aspect Of our unstable
population which relates to the well-tc and
presumptively benevolent portion, we are con.
stantly reminded that the people OF Washing