Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-16

came before them.
These several doc uments show clearly
thors, were the evils this beard was created
to remedy, and by what means the board
was intended to remedy them. These evils
were:
Evils to He Remedied.
1. There existed previously no accurate
measure of the service rendered to the
public by the private charitable institutions
for the care of children, and no certainly
proportionate payment to these institutions
for such care. 4.
2. There existed no agency for the de-
termination in any authoritative way of
the facts of dependency Of children upon
duty of support to the District Of Columbia.
8. There existed no public or private
agency to which the courts had any right
to commit child for care
4. No means existed by which children
could be placed directly in natural homes
IL deprived Of the homes into which they
were or should have been born.
8. No adequate means were at hand to
follow up and watch over any children who
might even indirectly have been placed in
homes.
6. A tendency existed to crowd the in
situations with children who would have
been better off in private homes, and to
keep the children in institutions longer
than was for their good.
Z. There was apparent need to retain chill
dren in institutions at public support for
maintenance. when under different sys-
tenn great proportion of these children
might be placed in homes where they would
earn their living.
8. There existed too restricted range of
legal authority for the disposition of GER
tain classes of dependents and delinquents
the institutions to which binding commit
ments could be made by the courts being
few and not Of a sufficiently varied CHAR
acter.
.. There existed no means of keeping
record OF the children who became de-
pendent upon public aid. their parentage,
the residence of their parents, the cause
of dependency and delinquency, their con-
duct during minority and the probable in
huence OF their training upon their subse-
ouent lives.
10. There was great waste of public
funds by the multiplication of institutions
beyond public need.
The fourth paragraph of the fourth Sec
ton of the act establishing the board all-
thorizes the board to make rules for the
temporary care of children pending inves-
tigation or judgment of the court The
following are the rules established by the
board for this purpose:
Rules Established.
1. Whenever 1t shall come to the knowl-
edge of the agent OF this board, through
his own personal Investigations or by the
representation of any police officer or the
agents Of the Washington Humane Society
or any responsible private person. that any
children. probably belonging to any one of
the classes intended to be reached by the
work OF this board, are in a state of suf-
fering and want, or are being abused, or
are upon the streets without shelter, 1T
shall be his duty to go personally and
take charge of such children and place
them In some institution or private home,
or to give to the person bringing the case
to his notice written order, directed to
the officers in charge Of some institutions
where an agreement shall have been COM
pleted for the reception and care OF such
children, directing that they be received
and made comfortable at the expense of
this board, until their cases can properly
be brought to the notice of the court
which order shall state that /ae authority
therein given for maintenance and care at
the expense OF this board Will terminate
In one week from the date thereof
=. In case any children received tempo
rarily, as provided forein rule /, shall not
be finally admitted to the guardianship of
this board, all clothing which may have
been furnished must be left at the institu-
ton where the children have been cared
for. or paid for at-its actual value by the
person removing the children.
3. The agent is hereby directed to refuse
to give an orde- fol- the admission of any
child who, In his Judgment is liable to alb
scond. or who Wifi probably make trouble
beyond the control of the officers of the in
stitution into which such child would be
eceived.
The board has printed two circulars, one
intended to be put into the hands of all
mquirers regarding ths objects and meth
DDS of the board, and the other setting
forth the conditions son which boarding
homes for infants will be approved by the
board
The annual report of the agent of the
board is hereto appended.