The morning times., 1895-11-03

Washington dispenses annually through
various public and private channels over
one million Of dollars in charities, not
quite one-haif of which comes from Con-
gressioDal appropriations. This really
munrlcent sum, considering the population
of the District, reflects much credit upon
the municipality. The proportion averages
well with that of any other city, and the
known aggregate cannot be said TO en-
brace the eutlre amount, since there is
very considerable sum That finds It's way
TO the distressed by means known only
to the giyers.
There are seventy established charitable
anu reformaJory institutions in the Dis
trict, devoted TO the care OF the INDECENT,
the aged, the sick, the wayward, and the
children bereft OF their natural protectors.
Thirty-flve of these are maintained wholly
by voluntary offerings from individuals,
not ali of whom are ricn i'll worldly pos
sessions; and of those not self-supportlng,
but few get absolute support from the
government.
Charities are systematized and con-
Quoted under well-deIined rules, for the
most part, and accurate account is kept OF
all expenditures. Under the present or
ganiZation, iu one way and another, all
associations and re1UrmatOries organized
and receiving Sovernemt money are subject
to the inspection OF the superintendent of
charities, an office established by Con-
gressionai enactment In 1880.
The supervision thus provided for was
adopted after long discussion, succeeding
the trial of other methods that proved to
be more cumbersome and less satisfactory,
and is for the purpose of advising Con-
gress and the Commissioners from an in
dependent view, as 10 the operations of
charitable organizations aud their methods,
particularly with reference to their ex-
penditures. The supcrintendency was made
q Presidential office that it might not be
In anywise dependent upon OF allied TO
any one of the various local beneficiary Or
ganizations.
TWO CLA SSES.
The institutions denominated as charities
are separated into Two classes, those that
receive and those that do not receive aid
from the government. Some have inGe-
pendent boards OF mana cement, in others
the government is represented, as, for
example, in the reform school for boys,
the management of which is selected by
the President, and the Columbia Hospital,
which has in its board representative
of the District and OF each branch of Con-
gress. Quite a humber have been incor-
porated under the auspices of one or another
of the religious bodies. Ii is worthy OF
note that Providence Hospital is the only
one of this class of Institutions that is
controlled wholly by g church society.
The House of Mercy, a reforniatory, and
the Church orphaDage OF st. Johns parish
are both under the control of the Protestant
Episcopal denomination. There re Others
of more or less importa nee, that are respect
lively under other denominational influ-
ences.
Ali of the institutions and associations
over which the District has any super
vision are required 10 report quarterly to
the Commissioners, giving detailed ac-
count of the operations, receipts and ex-
penditurcs.
Under the Dockery law, lately enacted.
all previous payments must be accounted
for before a requisition can be hOnorcd,
and IL is only upon acquisitions duly drawn
that money ca n be obtained. Tue organiZa-
tion must make a detailed showing of the
administrative affairs as well as the finan-
cial exhibit.
There are three forms OF report en-