Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-21
may here be stated that no such criticism
is intended. 1t is the system, and not the
individual work, that should be changed.

may here be stated that no such criticism
| is intended. 1t is the system, and not the
| individual work. that should be changed.
| Reforms Proposed.
First. The police officer now detailed as
an agent of the Washington Humane So
ciety should have his services transferred
| to the board of children's guardians, with
| which board his official rela tons are now
| much closer than they are with the HUI
| name Society. Inasmuch as cases of cru
| city and neglect are reported to this officer
for investigation by the members of the
| police force, the field may thus be properly
coveredwithout requiring the services of the
agent Of the board of children's guardians,
as at present. Offenses reported at the Of
| flee of the board could be investigated by
| the police officer.
Second. The courts that now have juris-
dtction over the cases of neglected and de-
pendent children should have the power to
commit such children to any institution in
the District that receives a public appro-
| priation for such work. At present the in
situtons may refuse such children; but it
seems only just to the District that they
| should stand ready TO perform service
| commensurate with the amounts of public
| money they receive. While such a provis-
| ion is not essential to the new system. it
would offer an opportunity to the courts to
| place children in institutions during the
temporary inability of their parents to
| care for them. and thus would offer
means Oh uOlHS away with the OBJECTION
that children once committed to the board
| Of childrer.'s guardians cannot he restored
to their parents.
Third. TIE two industrial schools now
supported wholly from the public funds
should be placed under direct District SUI
pervision, else the Industrial Home
School should provide for the care of col
ored children taken up as dependents. The
schools should draw their revenues from
the District funds under the same system
| of accountability that is row in use in
| gard to OIL er District institutions. and the
Commissioners should have control over
the appointment of their officers. The
| teachers for these institutions should no
| longer be detailed from the public school
| force but should re especially selected for
| the particular work they called upon to
| do. Their salaries should be a charge up
| on the funds of the institutions, and not
| upon the school funds. at present.
Fourth To insure an economical work
| ing of the charities involved the board Of
| childrens guardians should have the con-
| troll of schools supported by TIE District;
and If this step should be taken 1t would
seem but proper that the members should
! be appointed by the Commissioners. and
| should submit to the Commissioners annual
| estimates for carrying the work with
| which they may be charged. This board
| should be composed of the very hic hes.
| class of citZens-men ard women who are
| fitted by experience and zeal 10 supervise
| the responsible and delicate work ntrusted
| to them-and every care should lie taken to
| secure members who will work together
! tremendously. and who VII labor discree.-
| ly to avoid unnecessary antaSonisms. The
success of the work of caring for depend
ent children wisely should be more import
| ant tAar the promotion of any Theory
Amor the philanthropc people of the Dis
'tr:ct tGere are many who would fill the re-
| quireTn@ntS and whose standing in the COM
| mUnity would give the board a standing
| In the District and before Congress that
| this organ cation, for several reasons. has
! not attained, in spite of much excellent
| hoard MI CT aI
| The Humane Society Agent.
The report then states in great detail the
facts on which the proposed plan is based
After sketching the history and work of
! the Humane Society, the report goes on:
| From the correspondence it appears
that the agent OF the Humane Society," an
| officer of the metropolitan police is ac-
| customed to go beyond the law in taking
up children, and, without the instruction OF
! the courts, placing them in institutions
willing to receive them. This plan seems
to the agent most satisfactory one; but
| the committee can find for it no warrant
| of law.
THE committee is of the opinion that
whenever child is neglected or cruelty
| used to such an extent to call for the
intervention of police officer, the courts
| should decide whether the child could he.
committed to an asylum to the reform
| school, or to an official board. The de-
| cision should not rest with the Officer
Board of Chfldrcn's Guar,Iians
Next. taking up the history of the board
| OF children's guardians, the report con-
| tinues: "One very serious defect appears
In the work of the board of children's
| guardians, defect SO serious that it
should be corrected at once The board
| receives from tie courts children of all
| ages "hte and colored from the streets
ard from homes of vice and degradation
| Unless children are very young no homes
! worthy of the name will receive them
In order to prepare children for such homes
course OF training is necessary The
| board however, has no place under its con-
| troll In which such training can be given
! and therefore has to resort to the !nstitu-
! IONS receiving public aid. and obtain from
lnem the FAVOR of the reception of chill
| dren In return for the money which the
! hoard pays
| The 1ndustrtal Home School,
The Industrial Home School is also ex-
| am.neh in this same manner, and it is
SHOWN that 1t is now struggling for the
lack CT adequate income, and that Congress
Is confronted with three alternatives:
| Either the school must be closed entirely.
or its appropriations must he ma.er;aliy
| II creased in order that it may be managed
| as an Independent institution or it must
be placed under the control of the Dist riot
| authorities and maintained a part of the
regularly constituted means of caring for
| deDel dent children.
The committee recommends the third
| proposition as the most expedient and wise
! of the three.
The best results would be attained" the
report goes on, by consolidating the work
| Of the Industrial Home School and the
| toard of childrens guardians, and giving
enc board the control of the work of both
Perhaps. however, this Is a longer step
than should be taken at present and the
committee therefore recommend an amend
ment to tie bill, requiring the school to re-
celVe the wards of the board of children's
guardians without cost to the board
70 Relieve Destitute Colorcd Women.
AS to the National Association for the
Relief of Destitute Colored Women and
Children, the committee says: I'm examin-
ing the work of this school we find that it
| has been maintained by the care and de-
votton of few women who have done the
utmost with the means at hand. At the
same time we find that the District is ex-
tremely remiss in doing its duty toward
dependent colored children. In these DAYS
OF general knowledge as to the need of in
dustrial education for the colored people
especially, in order that they may become
useful members of society, there is abso-
lutely no provision for such education for