Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-02
COAL AND WOOD.
The Board Of Chfldren's Guardian
and the Industrial Home School.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Referring to a communication in your
paper this evening on The Troubles of the
Industrial Home School," lamenting the
past and still more the prospective chan
nels of application of the appropriations
upon which this institution has relied for
its maintenance. 1 beg to offer some ex-
planatory remarks.
l have no doubt every member of the
board of children's guardians Is impressed
with sense Of the value of the Industrial
Home School to the community Were
there no such institution the board would
need to create or to procure the establish
ment Of one for the training of such of its
wards as are not in condition TO be placed
in families Immediately. Therefore the
board would be first to regret the cr,ppling
Of this institution. The Industrial Home
School has a devoted board of managers
who have experience, enthusiasm and repu-
tation. the value of which should not be
lost by the discontinuance of the school
The school, however. as the superintan lent
states. is adapted to care for 100 children
or more, but experience has shown that
there do not appear to be 100 children in
the District of Columbia who are eligible
to it's care and at the same time entitlei TO
many children of this class they have not
yet come to the knowledge of the au;hori-
ties. The trouble with the school nav
therefore be that it is established on too
large scale for the public needs. Ii will
not be contendei that for the sake of main
tanning the institution on this scale I'M
necessary appropriations should he made
With 90 per cent of its former appropT;a-
ton and with the payments made by the
board of children's guardians for the care
of its wards in addition TO this 90 per cent
the school has reduced the number OF chit
dren cared fer out CT its own funds to -
per cent of the former number, and yet it's
expenses outrun its receipts. Ii this is be-
cause the board OF chiidren's guardians has
not paid its share OF the expenses. that is
has not paid full value for services render
ell, proper showing would undoubtedly
result in an increase of payments 10y the
board of guardians. but if the establish
ment Is too large for the public need the
public should not be expected 10 pay for The
excess. The communication here comment
ed on says that some OF the children sent
were returned TO the pover-y from
which they came" IL these children were
entitled to public support there was no rea-
son for returning them to poverty" as
the board of children's guardians has not
yet run short of funds to support such
children, and the retention OF such children
in the school at the expense Of the board
would have helped to support the school
ne SpSCidi case UltnliCNSI. OF CHIC
whose last remaining. responsible relative
was about to die, shows no reason why the
child should be taken by the school at its
expense rather than at the expense Of the
board.
While under the law the wards of the
board of chiilrcas guardians taken In
the first place wholly out of the legal con-
troi of their parents and other relatives, it
Is the pride of the board of guardians as
much of the Industrial school, to re-
unite families when such reunion Is for the
good OF the children, and these wards are
frequently placed with their mothers or
with the nearest relative fit to care for the
child. There IS this difference between the
practice of the Industrial School and that
OF the board of guardians, that while the
school has no control of the children after
they leave its grounds and no authority 10
keep the children within its grounds, the
board of guardians watches over The child
until il comes of age and can protect 1t
legally from unfit relatives. parents or
others, while insuring ii adequate support
and proper education, industrial and social.
3. PICKMAN MANN.
February l. 1874