Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-11

The New Board Of Children's Guardians
Organized Today.

The New Board Of Children's Guardians
Organized Today.
WHAT THE LAW PsovrDIs-rHE WORK BEFcRI
TEE BoARD-MoSEY AsxEp ron THEN ny THr
sUryRfSTESDgST OF cHARrrrKs-wHAr Is
HOPED TO Ell ACCOMPLISHED DI THE NEW sYs-
TIN.
The first meeting OF the board OF children
guardians WAS held this afternoon in the rooms
OF the Humane Society, Sun building. An
/ organization WIS effected and the important
work intrustsd to this body was inaugurated.
This board was created by an act which was ap-
proved July Is. 1872 Their functions are, first,
I the care and supervision Of all children COM
mitted by police magistrates. Second, all
children destitute Of suitable homes or means
OF earning an honest living or abandoned by
parents OF guardians or having drunken parents
or guardians, all begging in the streets all kept
In vicious or criminal associations, all vicious
or incorrieible children, whoever such may be
committed by the Police Court or Criminal
Court OF the District, &C.. and that the
board shall be the legal guardians Of all chill
dreu so committed, and shall have power to
board them in private families and institutions
TO bind them out, apprentice them or give
Them In adoption to foster parents, &c. The
net further provides that the board shall con-
sst OF nine members. who shall serve without
compensation. and who shall be appointed by
the Judges Of the Police Court and the judge
holding the Criminal Court OF the District, met
together for that purpose. the assent of .
majority Of such judges being necessary to ap-
pointment in each case.
In pursuance to this act the Judges Of the
two courts named on September IG. 1899, ap-
pointed a. members Of the board for the term
OF three years Joseph ]. Darlington, Crosby s.
Noyes and Miss Harriet Loring; for the term
OF two Years, d. Pickman Mann, Simon Wolf
and Mrs L. s. Dooiittie; for the term Of one
year. Albert A. Wilson, George ". Moore and
Mrs H. d. F. Mcfarland. 1t not being pos
sible for Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Moore to serve
the judges in November appointed William J.
Miller and John E. Cook TO I'LL the vacancies in
the board
THE WORK BEToRH THE BOARD.
The superintendent Of charities, Mr. Warner,
through whose efforts mainly this legislation is
due, in his annual report Ind the following to
say OF the work Of this board:
at WAS not intended, or, indeed possible, that
this board should begin work during the cur
rent fiscal year, but only that j. should organ
after the coming session Of Congress.
1T will hereafter be unnecessary that the Dis
trict should be asked to contribute to the sup
port Of AM dependent child unless that child ie
the legal ward OF the board of guardians.
There il certainly enough provision made by
charitable means for the temporary care Of the
children Of the poor After organizing and ap-
pointing its agents IL will be the duty Of the
board to investigate and pass upon the case OF
every child. whether at present in AN institu-
ton or not, which 1t Is thought desirable that
the District should support II the court ap-
pealed to makes the child dependent then the
board OF guardians can place il to board in any
private institution, in any private family, or
give it in adoption to foster parents if oppor-
trnity offers. The way in which a private in
stitut!on can secure public money will be to
bring the cases of the children in it's care before
the board of guardians, aud il the children are
adjudged dependent then public money will be
available TO pay for their care so long as they
are In the institution 1t will be seen tina. if
the institution then wishes to serve denorlina-
tional or general humanitarian interests it can
do 50, but at its cost, and not at the cost Of
the taxpayers of the District.
1T is further hoped that the ovsrcrowded con-
dftion o! the institutions for children may be
lieved in consequence Of % expert and thor
ouSh investigation OF all cases (2), Of the grad
ual introduction Of the placing out system
The introduction OF this system in the District
is somewhat experimental, but in SO far as ii
can be introduced it is undoubtedly much bet
ter and much cheaper than institution care.
The board OK guardians will have authority to
place out any child for the support OF which the
District In contributing.
Another possible benefit to be derived from
the operation OF the new board Is the mitiga-
ton of the pressure upon the reform schools.
Many children are sent to these schools whom it
ID not necessary to retain in the institution for
any considerable period and BY the ne " legis-
lation the trustees OF q reform school can give
such inmates conditional liberation under tho
guardianship of the board Of guardians
As considerable time win be necessary for
the investigation of the OF the 600 OF
more children now in subsidized private insti-
tutions. it is necessary that the board of guard
isns should be At work some time before the
new fiscal arrangements for these institutions
90 into effect. l shall, therefore, ask that the
money for the administering expenses for the
board be made Immediately available upon the
passage Of the appropriation bill. This will
give four months in which to investigate cases
before the institutions will have used up the
money appropriated to their use for the current
fiscal year.
THE APPROPRIATIONS.
Nr. Warner recommended the following ap-
preparations to be made by Congress at the
present session:
For administrative purposes, including sal-
aries OF agents, expenses in placing and visiting
children and all Office and suudry expenses,
&C. 900. For the care of feeble-minded children,
$4,000 For the care of children under three years
OF age, white and coiored. 500 For the
board and care of children over three wears Of
age, S2S. 900. For the temporary care Of chill
dren pending investigation or while being trans-
ferred from place 10 place, in all $50 600 The
House Committee reduced this amount TO S53,-
0O0