Evening star., 1896-09-29
Annual Report Of the Board Of Chill
dren's Guardians.
WHAT has BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
Recommendations in the Line of
Changes and Improvements.
W YORK OF THE AGENT

w OIL tOuay transmitted 10
Colonel John Tracey. superintendent Of
charities, the annual report of the board
of chiidren's guardians, A part of the
document was report by the agent of the
beard, Herbert NJ. Lewis. In transmit
ting the report Mr.. Wolf spoke in terms
of praise of the labors of the secretary
OF the board, Mr.. Mann. According to the
report the appropriation for admin:stra-
tive Uses for the year was $4,000 all of
which was expended. The regular appro-
pr1ation for the care of children was
Sl6WO, to which was added a deficiency
appropriation Of s3,S01.S6, from which were
made expenditures as follows:
For feeble-minded children-In the Penn
sylvania Training School, 5000; in the Vir-
sinia Training School. s56725. Total
For children not feeble-minded. Main
tenance-In private homes, s7,42S.O6; in
District institutions. 1133:3 in other in
stitutions, s212.S!i. Total, sl2,773.0s. Cloth
irg, so; medical care, $717.g2; balance
returned to treasury, S.66.41.
The board began the year with 255
wards, not feeblc-minded, in charge, and
closed the year having 81 such wards.
The aggregate number of days such chill
cren We're in charge of the board was 1U5,-
49, or an average of 2SS children for every
day in the year
The board, moreover, has given 27Of
days temporary care to children not it's
wards under authority conferred upon ii
for that purpose by the law and the
courts.
The aggregate cost of administration and
supervision. board and care, clothing and
medical attendance Of these children was
SIT i,96'.IO. This is at the rate of 1862 cents
pei day, or $685. per year. The corre-
spending rates for the year 1895 were ouo
cents per day, or s7".Gj per year.
Feebie-minded children We're maintained
s,'2l days, at cost of $1,56I.25. beng at
the per capita rate of aS.47 cents per day.
or s2lf.O1 per year The corresponding
rates for the fiscal year 1895 were G2.9i
cents per day, or s223.73 per year
Not apportioning any administrative ex-
penditures among the feeble-minded chill
dren, the administrative expenditures on a
basis of 10S, ,S2.i days care of children not
teeb,e-mindej, were at the rate of 3.GS
cents per day, or $l345 per year, per capita.
Important Duties of the Agent.
An increase in the salary Of the agent is
recommended.
The following explanatory notes are Of
fered:
Salary of aGent-The efficacy Of the work
of the board depends in large manner upon
the agent, who alone can know at first
hand the character CT the children taken in
charge, and of the homes in which it is
proposed to place the Sc children.
The board must be guided in it's actions
principally by his recommendations, and
the information furnished by him. The Of
nee is one of great responsibility, and
should be filed by person of experience
and good Judgment The present agent
was engaged three years ago, at a salary of
sl,suo per annurn. he having been induced
TO resign a position elsewhere 10 take
charge OF the work of this board.
The great value of the work which he
has done and the familiarity which he has
gained with the homes of the wards of the
board who have been placed out by his
agency, make it very important that his
services he retained. Had it rot been for
his appreciation of and fidelity to the trust
that was placed in HIM. the board would
not have been able to retain his services
until now, fol the restrictions of the appro-
priation acts for the fiscal years 1893 and
1S,'3 reduced his salary for each of those
years to S1.JH and for the fiscal wear 1897
his salary is restricted to 1,GN. while much
larger salaries have been offered to him
elsewhere. 1t is hardly open to doubt that
similar services could not be obtained in
lieu of his for less than 5000 per annum.
1t seems not only to be the part of honor
that his salary be increased to at least the
former rate. but the part of wisdom to
make it more adequate to command his
continuous service.
The report saws:
1.-The total amount asked for administra-
tive expenses for 1898 (s6. 13noW, when ap-
portioEed 20 the estimated number (325)
rbjcct to supervision in that year, shows
a per capita of S1S.S6."
Estimates for Next Year.
The following estimates are made of the
cost of boaGd and care of children not fee
BILE minded for the fiscal year 1898:
For board and care of an average
of 1D children at Sl1O each. ST. 600
For medical care of children in
boarding homes. Observation-Disclosures. 800
For clothing for D children depart
ing for free homes, at 80 EACH. GOO
For temporary care of children pen-
ding investigation or while being
traI sferred from place to place.. 1000
The agents report contains discussion
OF the proper management of children de-
pendent on the public.
Hodcrn Child Caring Institution.
In his report Mr.. Lewis says:
Let the District Of Columbia buy q tract
! of land within fifty miles of Washinst On
on some main line of railroad and there
build and equip a thoroughly modern child
| caring institution and organize it's work
upon the principles already Indicated Let
! it be made the duty cf the board of control
| to use especial diligence in providing free
| family homes for the children sent to such
| an institution. Let all under three years of
age be boarded out, as is now done by
this board, and let agents be provided who
| Will watch over all placed out children until
eighteen years of age.
80 will the entire field be adequately
covered: SO will the rights OF the children
| be best guarded. Every child is entitled to
| a home. His interest, and that of the Dis
trict of Columbia, alike demand that he be
not deprived in this regard. In order that
/ he may receive it. he must first be made
I cCeptable to some one who owns a home
| There is no other solution to the veNed
| question of child care in the District OF
| Columbia. The temper Of Congress to-
| ward the present system has been sutii
| ciently indicated. Members have repeate ed
| ly said upon the floor of the House OF
Representatives that they would support
| a measure embodying plan for the crea.
tion of such an institution. and valuable
| assistance is waiting for it in the Senate
| There is most urgent need for tho
| enactment and enforcement in this Distrc,
| of a law providing for the compulsory sup.
| hv Tho lo1,