Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-07

had not by their neglect forfeited their right
to the exploitation Of their children. If IL
be shown that any institution is discharging
privately an obligation which properly rests
upon the public, such an institution should
be reimbursed in direct proportion to the
public service ii performs, such proportion
10 be determined by some authoritative and
impartial public tribunal The public is not
morally bound. however. to support any
private institution because of its private
work, however commendable that work may
be. In fact, no public Official has a right TO
spend or ask to have spent public money
for such purpose.
The Scope OF the Boards Work.
There can be no doubt that the board Of
children's guardians was created for the
purpose Of performing the whole public duty
toward the public dependents. II is given a
jurisdiction broad enough to embrace every
child needing public care. whether such
need arises from restitution, III treatment
or misbehavior. AS regards feeble-:ninded
children. II was intended to assume original
and hnal Jurisdiction Jas regards Others. juris-
dicuon originally is given to certain judicial
tribunals. and then transferred TO it. While
this judicial Jurisdiction was given for ad-
illustrative convenience. to the police and
criminal courts. no implication of criminal
ity attends commitment by these courts
TO the board, and comparatively few in
fact, of the children committed are charged
with any o1ense. The children may be
D.
pear in court. Not one child need suffer a
DAY from neglect or III treatment IL IL has
a Just claim on the District for protection
since there exists no other pubic agency
for the discharge OF this public obligation
1t seems proper that the whole of the public
means for the discharge of this obligation
should be placed in its control THIS does
not mean that the private agencies and in
stltutions shoCid be destroyed. The board
OF children's guardians itself has use for
such institutions. and would need 10 es-
tabllsh a public one il no private ones ex-
listed. But the private installations far ex-
ceed In extent any public need, and could
only be maintained by the public at ex-
cessive cost, as compared with their public
service, on their present scale. The crea ton
or the board OF children's guardians has re-
neNed all private benevolence Of obligation
TO support public burdens, which formerly
Eecessitated such benevolence IL they were
To be lifted at all. The private Institutions
are now Tree TO perform their legitimate
and chosen functions unhampe-ed by public
burdens. They certainly cannot justly ask
to be maintained by the public in memory
or their past service II that service is 10
longer needed.
The board of children's guardians has
made no attempt. to take away from any
institution one Of its beneiciaries but on
the contrary, free offer was made TO re-
heve every institution of such children as
were properly chargeable upon the public
The best evidences that an enormous excess
or children were maintained in the institu-
tons for the sake OF the institutions and
their supporters. and not for the sake or
the children or because they were public
charges, are the facts that so few were
offered for public support under public
charge, and that so many were provided Cor
10y parents or relatives as soon as institu-
ton support was withdrawn
Some statements in The Star of May s,
that might convey a wrong impression III
unexplained. are here noticed.
Not only the House subcommittee but
the House committee on appropriations,
recommended the appropriation OF the
Whole amount TO the board OF chIldrens
guardians which is now proposed by Sen
ator McMillan's amendment, the two prop
ositions being Identical (See Report No.
800 An amendment in the House was &C
coded to. with the understanding that he
original proposition would be revik ed in the
Senate, and there considered No change OF
policy was involved In this action. Last
year the appropriation bill. as it passed the
House. gave TO the board of children's
guardians $50. 900. and II was only cut down
in The Senate, and pToratsd with the insti-