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

in other neighborhoods and in the adjoin-
ing counties OF Virginia and Maryland, for
instance, that If a woman wanted TO get
rid of an illegitimate child she could bring
ii to Washington, and in cases where
parents had children that they wanted to
get rid of. they knew they could get rid of
them by bringing them here. Paupers
were shipped here to be supported by the
District of Columbia. 1t was for the pur-
pose of correcting all that and of giving
Congress a controlling hand over all of
these institutions that the office of SUPER
inteudent of charities was established /
think Congress meant that the functions of
that officer should not be in subordinate
to these institutions. but that he should
have power to superintend their workings
and to see that the money which they got
was earned by the work done. and, again
that they were not creating work in order
to have their appropriations increased.
take 1t that those were the functions of
the superintendent of charities.
To Save Them II Possible.
AT the last session Of Congress another
step forward was made in the same direc-
ton. 1t was seen by Congress that there
We're a large number Of institutions whose
objects We're to provide for INDECENT help
less. and in some cases. criminal children
by bringing them into good associations
and to save them if possible. 1t was also
known that work of that kind could be
done only by some central body One way
i'm which work of that kind could be prop
erly done was to follow the lines of SINH
lar work which are successfully pursued
elsewhere by taking these children, proyid-
ing them with private homes where they
might as near possible receive the edu-
cation and care and attention which for
tunate children receive in their own homes
and that their future would be somewhat
looked after, thus laying foundation in
the children themselves for a future useful
life. OF course II was seen that IL was a
dangerous thing for a number of institu-
tions to have the power of disposing of
chiidren IN that way. There Were several
reasons for that To do IT successfully re-
quires experience and wide KNOWLEDGE and
after 1t is successfully done in the first
place. 1t requires that there should be
some supervision over those children Very
few children when they are placed out have
adequate supervision made for looking after
them for the purpose of seeing that the
obligations incurred by the families taking
them had been fulfilled. For that reason
Congress created the board of children's
guardians. and IL members will look ar the
title of the act and its preamble and then
at the section which defines the clauses
they will see that / do not state II too
broadly. The object was that every child
who was dependent on the charity of Con-
gress for ITS support should be under the
control of this board Of childrens guardians
for very many reasons. One reason is that
central unified control is the only one
which would be effective, and which would
aHord the machinery to carry out its OBJ
iect.
The Composition of the Board.
There are nine members of this board
and l think I can say that it is a represent
alive board, composed of all colors and
faiths. Congress provided that that board
should be authorized TO employ an agent.
and thus control could be exercised over
those children by the supervision which
he would give them. 1t was necessary 10
have one person who was absolutely re-
sponsble to the board. and one board abso-
lutely responsible to the community, first.
from the fact that 1t provides a respon-
sibility for the community's bounty and
secondly. because the children are cared for
in every respect-physically morally, and,
so far as possible, educa tionally. That
think was the object OF Congress. This
, committee. representing the board Of chill
drens guardians. takes absolute issue with
the present superintendent of charities.
1t seems to US that the Recommendations