Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-03
DISTRICT CHARITIES.
Superintendent Warmers Report to
the Commissioners.
PLANS FOR FUTURE WORK
Progress Made Toward the Reorganization
Favored by the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
Board of Chiidr~n's Guardians VIII Do
Consolidating Appropriations-The Munic-
ipzl Lodging House.

pl tbISlltFaDtt IenRIu. tnu uls-
cusse- in general and in dssail the subject of
charities in the District. In the beginning. re-
ferring 10 the scope OF the superintendent
powers. Mr. Warner states that the work falling
under the supervision Of the superintendent de-
ponds very largely upon the Classification of
the institutions adopted in the annual apprO-
priation bills
The placing Of the provision for the deaf and
dumb in another part of the a preparation bill
at the last session Of Congress takes this work
from under tnc supervision Of the supcrintend-
ent. lille the of the feeble minded children
OF the District. which are sent to Elwyn. Pa.
has been Lee, in that Tar. % the appropriation
bill for which the superintendent must furnish
estimates.
The girls reform school Cor which an appro-
Priation was first made at the lust session OF
Congress. has been Included in this department..
although IL sens 20 be BY previous legislation
In some sort under the Department OF Justice,
a veil under tie District Commissioners
THE PoYs' EE.oEN SCHOOL
For many Years. Mr. Warner says. the
boys reform school was under the Department
Of Justice only. but la..erly the District Com
rsissioners were gwen power of supervision
over 1T and required TO furnish the annual esti-
mates for its maintenance. b. order Of the
tNfnfn.s-iOnSSz. tsafCA rcptC.lD-F "a. 4os-. II
was directed 'cIt hereafter all reports. volch-
err aud recUiyisl0us Of the bows reform school
b referred 10 the superintendent of charities
and hat ths annual estimates for this
insti..uoH be inciIded il his annual
report. This order was made against nay
Ic,SIaEle e. ..atloI. a. II seemed - me tina: NV
work lo- the charities 81 the Dis .rict would be
more successful II it did not cover too large
fi-ld. Msaiiesty the reform school, and posi-
biy the NashIagton asylun Itself. should be
grouped VI ls- some single O.hcer or board,
tina: should be given power in all matters rels-.-
ing 90 cksrities and corrections IN the District.
A. the oTd.r hR- been m2do for m 20 assume
the duties Of supervision and report regarding
the BOYS reform school. sCCcPt tEe new duties
imposed. but II Is clear that cannot report H.
diligently uEor ;kC WORK Of an institution wHlc
added - my department. after the close of
the fiscal wear for which this report WAS made.
j have therefore simply included in rly est
nt:s> those nsdc by the board os trustee Of
the boys reform schoo! without weighing their
= lIi.vc importance or ycnturlng 10 make any
Deductions whatever. BY the time the CO.. gres-
si1ral committees begin work upon ;he annual
HpUrouriatI5us hope to be more fully informed
regarding the work o: this Institution and 10 be
abe To answer all questions TO its require
mcuts.
Another matter which nav lead to the ex-
tension Of Ia. department. OF Chs superintend-
emit OF charitles was the transfer OF the freed
man Hospital from the sundT- civil bill to the
District az uroI ration bill. With the result ihgt
this institution viii hereafter be supported
from district instead 81 from purely federal
revenues The old legislation, which placed
th,s institution aadcr the Department; OF the
Interior. l. not repealed. and therefore it,
prescnt administrative status l. somewhat
anomalous.
For n number Of years fund of $4,000 has
been placed AT he disposal %: the COMMISSIONERS
for tn relief Of the poor. In compliance with
the ~ the N'rmFnlSzI have sub
nitted recommendation regarding the appOr-
tioumen; # this sUIn. - also regarding the fund
''for the temporary support OF INDECENT per-
SONS"
The superintendent reviews briefly the legis-
Etion Of the first session OF he IlYty-secCrd
Congress affecting charities of h. District.
ferrirg TO the act to provide for the care of de-
pendent children In the District and 10 create "a
board Of chlldren's guardians and the act to
prevent cruelty to children and 20 animals in
the District a. laws Of considerable Importance.
PUBLIC SUBSIDIES TO PRIVATE CHARITIES.
Uader this head the superintendent again dis
cusses a question which occupied a considers-
BILE portion Of his first annual report.
The experience Of a year with the charities
OF the District. he saws. has convinced me
more fully than ever that the present manner
Of according them public support Is undesira-
bic. The appropriation for the several institu-
tiosls bears no relation 90 the number of bene-
hciarles nor to the amount OF support
which Il provided from private sources. Ii
might have been thought. and indeed was by
many. thai the superintendent. OF charities,
having thu specific duty assigned him Of
estimating for the various institutions. would be
able ~ reach conclusions fair and satisfactory
to all concerned but on reflection il will be
seen that there l. guide for him to follow
any more than there has been for the Commits
sioners or the committees in pas; years. To
make an appeal FOR public money on the
general ground that the institution lis doing
good putt that appeal upon exactly the same
basis manv possible that all would see
60 be unailOwable- For instance, a church.
or a private school. OF n Temperance asso-
citation. or a society for the suppression
Of vice, OF an association OF volunteer
sanitary inspectors docs good" and vet it
would not be desirable under ordinary circum-
stances to sub-idize any Of these private pro-
motors OF the pubic veal. IL l. clear that after
AZ l. a-certained that an institution Is doing
good" We must also ascertain whether the good
that a. Is doing Is Of the sort that can be paid
for with taxpayers n oney. and II so. what pro-
portion Of the good done Is of this character.
The first step in preparing 10 grant public aid
90 private charities must then be to asce tain
clearly what II Is proper should be done By
means Of public appropriations, and then to
ascertain vi equal clearness Just how much Of
this particular works. being done by the several
Institutions
has existed IN the District. nor vas II in the
power Of the -aperlnse Of charities 10
create such machinery. For instance, the in
stitutions for children receive benefcinries,
each according % very flexible rules Of it's own
enactment, and these rules were administered
By m.trons or committees having full power in
the premises. Each Institution l. serving
several interests. Often one Of these Is a
dcnOminatioual interest. and Il Is within the
knowledge OF the superintendent that many
children are admitted OF retained primarily for
the purpose Of securing their education in the
faith u particular sect More than this.
the institutions serve general humanitarian
interests which the taxpayers of the District, as
taxpayers, would hardly care TO serve. For
instance. while ! WAS at one Of the
institutions application made for the
admission Of ht;le girl from Viz
ginia. The one Who applied on her be-
half was a missionary Of church supporting
the Institution referred 10. IL clear from
his statements That the gIrl growing up
under considerable abuse and under conditions
that made II probable that her life would be
wrecked The lady IN charge of the institution
asked me what should BE- done In n case Of this
character and could only answer that as a
piece Of church work Il eminently proper
that shs should receive the child. while as a
pi.cs Of public work paid for BY the taxpayers
Of the District 10 not at all proper TO admit
her At another institution IL Ma found that
nore than half u the children had been re-
Ceised directly from Institutions in other states,
some Of them coming from far away ~
M..-.ehu.rft. IL yn- dcrIrable uuloubtetily