Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-23

They simply mean that Congress shall
have 10 administrative control over these
Charities. So far as the board of children's
guardians is concerned. It is proposed now
To restore the appropriations of these differ
emit institutions to former figures. With
respect to the amount of the appropria-
lions given TO these institutions I do not
desire to occupy any time or to be put in
any hostile position to them in any way.
regulated by the efficiency Of the work
they do. The result of placing children In
private homes will be TO lessen the num- I
Der placed in those institutions. and thus
reducing the aid that they receive. I think 4
that II ought to be reduced. Congress does
not want to aid institutions TO increase
pauperism; The institutions which exist /
ought TO be provided for simply to enable 4
them to do what is necessary in order to I
administer the amount which they receive
properly when IL is not adequately provided
for elsewhere"
No Separate Fund Needed.
In answer to a question Mr. Perry saia
that the superintendent OF charities recom-
mends that a separate fund be created for
this board of children's guardians by an
preparations being made they were here.
tofore. The consequence of this would be-
he added. that they would be in a worse Do
sition than they We're before the Office Of
superintendent of charities or the board OF
children's guardians was created. The act
of Congress in creating a board and assign 4
ing II functions. provided. in the first place,
that the inmates of these different instatu-
tions. which received public aid were to be
provided for in these institutions. and sec
ondiy, that there should be no redupiication
OF the work with this public money; that
the institutions should receive IL only TO the
extent 10 which they provided for the actual
needs. Needs were not to be created In order
TO continue them i'm their functions, but
their functions were to be curtailed TO the
extent that they cease to provide for these
public needs. Congress meant that these in
situations should discharge their functions
properly. There is no conflict between them
When we get the children they are the
wards Of the board. / understand that Com
gress meant that every child in the District
OF Columbia who is dependent upon aid
from Congress should be ward of this
board, whether left in an institution or
whether provided with a home and placed
out. L understand. further. that the duty OF
the board is. after child has been commit
ted, to use its best efforts for the welfare OF
the child. If circumstances require that the
agent of the board should leave a child in
an institution Ii can be left there. and IL IL
seems best to put child elsewhere that
would be done"
Where There is a Clash.
In answer TO an inquiry to where this
board clashes with the charitable institu- .
tons Mrs. Mcfarland said: I'VE take away
10 per cent of their appropriation and they
want to get IL back. We are taking care Of
40 per cent of the children. They know
that We will keep them only temporarily,
until We get homes for them. People who
want to take children into their homes want
them as early in life as possible SO as to
make an impression upon them. II has been
my duty to visit some of the children In
homes and / have been delighted with the
happiness of the children. We do not try to
ind homes Incompatible with the stations
OF the children, but try to place them &C
cording to the classes in which they origi-
mated"
What Superintendent Tracey Says.
AT this point Supt. Tracey said: There
is no clashing in the matter of the board OF
children's guardians. II was brought to my
attention simply as a question of adninis-
tration. l am very favorable to the board
of children's guardians. as I think every
| member OF you will bear me witness When
1 was first appointed I gave time and att
| tention to it, and It developed in the course
of time that this plan OF appropriating q
fund of $4,000 for the board of children's
guardians by taking 40 per cent away from
the other institutions who receive children
brought trouble. The trouble came about
practically in the shape of an application
for deficiency during the second quarter.
The first application was made by the Ma
tonal Colored Home, for destitute colored
women and children, of which Mr.. Cook.
who is present. had charge and he was also
| a member of the board of children's guar
| dams. A similar question also arose con-
turned out that these institutions were get
| ting some money from the District, but by
| no means enough to Justify the idea that
| they were being run at public expense.
These institutions were obliged TO spend
some money for work I'm advance Of the
appropriation becoming due. Possibly they
would not have come to that soon but
| for the hard times. That raised a question
| Of administration between these Institutions
| and the board of children's guardians"
Wants To Disentangie ThfnRs.
II want to say that I am standing where
| my predecessor did. and IL he were here and
had observed during the first year the ope-
| rations Of the board of children's guardians,
| as i have observed them. and received the
| reports which have received. he would be
giving the same recommendations which I
have. I have done this in order TO disen-
tangle these things. 1 want to get it into .
condition where there Will be no ground Tor
| the existence of these entanglements"
The board has put out since the LIST OF
| July l25 children. They have in private
homes i'm the District of Columbia % chill
dren; in Maryland they have II: In Vir-
| ginia g. and i'm New Jersey !; a total of 90
placed out. Some have been abducted and
some have absconded. They have now in
| the homes about 80. The difficulty is that.
according to the showing OF the board. ft
| is not able to use the amount of money
| assigned to il, owing perhaps to the limi-
iation of its work. The limitation Of it0
charge of only such children are COM
United to II by the Police Court II does
! not follow that they are criminal children,
but they must be committed TO the board
1 by the court. and that limits the field.
| Those are the only kind of children which
have been taken care Of in the District OF
Columbia. 1t often happens that children
J are brought in by persons in one way OF
the other, without going through the Poo
| lice Court. The statute. as IL has been con-
| strued, is that the board of children'0
| guardians shall not have Jurisdiction OF
/ children of that kind. They acquire jurts-
diction only through the court. i have no.
| serious criticism to make Of any work oe
| the board.
| Wants To Give Them n Lump Sum.
| Il want to give the board 81, 600 for nex1
| year independent of any other Institution.
| Whether IL shall be increased does not ar.
| feet the question. I want them TO have .
| lump sum, that IL can be used for pur.
| poses of administration or for boarding
| children out. The principal difference be-
! tween the board of childrens guardians
| i'm its operation and the operation OF the In
| stitutions in which children are put out 10
| that the board OF children's guardians has
| supervision over them. There comes In .
| question of administration. While the cost
| of putting out the child will cease when .
| family takes a child. the cost OF watching
| over the child in future goes on. These
| children are scattered throughout different