Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-26
The Annual Report Of Superintendent
Tracey Submitted.
RESULTS OF FITS OFFICIAL SUPERVISION
His Comments on the Different
Institutions Examined.
ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR


the superintendent of charities, has been
submitted to the District Commissioners.
At the outset Mr.. Tracey states that 'in
the District of Columbia there are seventy
we'll established charitable and reformatory
institutions and associations, devoted to
the care of the INDECENT, the helpless,
| through childhood or extreme old age; the
sick, the injured and the hayward. OF
these thirty-hve receive no public aid.
These self-sustaining benevolent organiza-
tions for the most part founded through
the munifcence of philanthropic men and
women, living ard dead, are currently sup
ported by individual contributions from not
only the rich, but also from those of mod
crate means and the relatively poor. That
they exist and thrive without official sup
port is one manifestation of the never fail
ing charity of the residents of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, which was signally il
lustrated in the successful relief movement
during the hard winter of the past year.
1t Is fitting that this acknowledgment of
the abundant charity of the federal city
should be made by the superintendent upon
whom the law places responsibility for
supervisory cooperation not only with Of
ficial and semi-official institutional char
tiles, but also with 'other charitable work
or the District" Candid observation re-
flutes the erroneous opinion, still frequent
ly urged, especially in connection with
congressional discussion of appropriations,
that the benevolent establishments of
Washington constitute an imposition upon
the United States government, and an I'M
due burden upon the treasury.
Self-Sustaining Work of BencvoIcnce
On the contrary. rot only is half the Of
fetal outlsy for charities through the Dis
trict appropriations met by the local tax
alton, but much larger sum is given with
free hand, without governmental interven-
ton. Prominent among the local works of
benevolence, self-sustaining, as regards the
government, are: The Associated Chart
ties, the Epiphany Home for Aged Women.
the Home for the Aged of the Little Sis
tiers of the Poor, the Lenthall Home for
Widows, the Louise Home, the Lutheran
Eye, Ear and Throat InfiTmary, st. Vim
cents Female Orphan Asylum, the Wash
ington City Orphan Asylum, the Washing
ton Humane Society for Children, the
Washington Home for Incurables, the So
ciety of st. Vincent de Paul, the Deaconess
Home, the Central Union Mission, the
United Hebrew Charities.
Those That Receive Public support.
The asylums, refcrmatories, homes in
dustrial schools, dispensaries and benevo-
lent agencies that receive support from the
public funds are thirty-five in number. OF
these there are twenty-four specifically
provided for in the District appropriation
Dill, SIX indirectly through allotment from
the poor fund, granted in that enactment,
two through the sundry civil bill and three
through departmental appropriation acts.
Private means contribute in greater or
less degree. varying from 10 per cent to
30 per cent, to the maintenance of these
establishments. The strictly official insti-
buttons, thai is to say, those supported ex-
clusively by public funds and located on
property owned or rented by the govern
ment, number eleven in all. The fact that
some of these institutions supported entire
ly by taxation are managed by incorpora-
tors not designated by public authorities
is not material to the purpose of this clas-
sifCation.
The form of management in several such
cases is in process of change and soon
the rule will prevail that the directors
trustees of official Institutions shall be APP
pointed by the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, or by higher authority.
Entirely and Partially Aided.
OF the recipients of appropriations
through. the District BILL those supported
entirely at public cost are the Washington
Asylum, the Reform School of the District
of Columbia, the Government Hospital for
the Insane. the Columbia Institution for
the Deaf and Dumb. the Municipal Lodging
House, the Temporary Home for ex-Union
Soldiers and Sailors, the Columbia Hos
pital for Women, the Freedmen's Hospital
and Asylum. the Reform School for Girls.
the Industrial Home School, the Board of
Children's Guardians.
The aided institutions in which public
grants supplement unofficial resources are
as follows: The Woman's Christian Asso-
citation, the Central Dispensary and Emer-
gency Hospital the Children's Hospital
the Homeopathic Dispensary, the Eastern
Dispensary, the Women's Dispensary, the
Hope and Help Mission, the Aged Woman's
Home, the Newsboys and Children's Aid
Society, the Washington Hospital for
ton of ST. Johns Parish, the German Or
phan Asylum, the National Association for
the Relief of Destitute Colored Women and
Children, st. AIMS Infant Asylum, st. Jo-
sephs Asylum, the Association for Works
of Mercy.
The appropriat lions for strictly official
organizations proposed for the coming fis-
cal year amount to $780,
The appropriations for the institutions
conducted by unofficial corpora tions in
part with private funds and property
amount to So, 700.
AS closely as can be estimated, exclusive
of the Government Insane Asylum and the
Columbia Institute for the Deaf and Dumb
the relations of which with the District are
only partial and incidental, the value of the
property occupied by District institutions
derived from public sources is about $500
900, while the value of that derived from
private sources is approximately, $1,1OO,OOO.
Duties of the Superintendent
Mr.. Tracey quotes the law which de-
fines the duties OF the superintendent and
states that the duties thus imposed, ad-
visory as to legislation and administrative
organization, are necessarily of an execu-
tive nature in the general expenditures
authorized by law. Frequent inspection
of institutions and offices, he says is an
essential part of the superintendent duty.
Such inspections, he adds, are not made
at merely stated intervals, but as
often as practicable, and especially when
ever, through acquisitions, reports, applica-
ton or information from any source there
is a belief in opportunity for improving
efficiency or remedying fault. Since July
l, 1894, over 300 visits of inspection, the
report states, have been made to local in
situations, and to some in other cities for
the purpose of comparing operations, with
view to improving local methods and
appliances. In addition to the authority
given by law there is a standing order of
the Commissioners, which sends to the
superintendent as their examining agent,
as well for his official information and
guidance, all financial papers within his
province regarding the objects provided
for in the District bill.
No Sweeping Changes In the Law.
The superintendent states that 1t is not
deemed desirable to ask that there be