Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-21
LOCAL CHARITIES
Voluminous Report Submitted by
Senator Mcmillan.
REFERENCE TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN
important Reforms Suggested in
the Present System.
@ U E S TON OF cos
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ate on the subject of local charities, the
measure under consideration being the bill
Is. 1882. which provides for the appoint
ment by the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia of the trustees of the Indus
trial Home School In view of the recent
trouble in the House over the charity pro-
visions of the District appropriation bill
this report has a special value at this
time. 1t states:
1.-The Industrial Home School is an insti-
tuition entirely supported by public moneys
and occupying public grounds and build
ings. 1t is managed by self-perpetuating
board of trustees. The object of the bill is
to vest the appointment of the board OF
trustees in the Commissioners of the Dis
trct of Columbia, and to make the school
in fact public institution.
Results of Inquirics.
THE inquiries occasioned by this bill
have led the committee into an investga-
ton of the subject of the care of depen-
dent children in the District of Columbia,
and this bill is reported to the Senate as
the first step in a reorganization of child
caring-for methods. The committee found
that the work of caring for dependent chill
dren in the District Of Columbia Is al pres
ent in a state bordering on chaos, and that
wei-ordared and effective system is nee
essary not only for the benefit of the chill
tren, but also for the benefit of the tax
payers of the District, as well as of the
government. At the beginning Of the in
qu!ry the committee was confronted with
the fact that the states of Michigan and
Minnesota. whose system of caring for de-
PENDENT children Is admitted to be nearly
perfect from both a moral and an economic
standpoint, support their state public
schools and place dependent children in
families at an annual cost of about 81, 600
raSnaefivaly;- t,rha he
of caring for dependent children in the
District Of Columbia, with about one
tenth the population of the state of Mich
iSan and one-fifth the population of Min
estimate is-based solely or the work done
by agencies supported wholly from the
public funds. and does not include the
amounts paid to charitable institutions
supported in part by private contributions
Leaving Out of consideration the amounts
paid to founding institutions, and includ-
Ing the appropriations to other private In
situations caring for dependent children,
the amount is Increased to s5O, $50
The question to be answered is, Why
should 1t cost the District of Columbia
flcm 5000 to sib,G'o year more than it
costs the entire state of Michigan or the
state of Minnesota to care for the DEPEND
ent children within their borders? This
question is one which deeply concerns both
the citizens of the District and those who
meke its laWs.
Items of Expense.
THE items of expense for the work
among the dependent children and for the
support of institutions sustained entirely
from the public funds are as follows:
Beard of childrens guardians, s2O,O0O; In
custriai Home School. s., 800; National -Asso-
citation for the Relief of Destitute Colored
Women and Children, $500; salary of DO
ice of1cer detailed as agent of the HUI
mano Society, $1oS0; total, $4USSO.
A n ~.
Orphanage of st. Johns Church. $500:
German Orphan Asylum, 81 800; St Rose
Industrial School, $500; st. Joscph's Or
IRAN Asylum. $500; total, $500. 5'
No Hostility to Private Instftutions.
The committee disclaims any hostility to
the various private charitable institutions
established in the District of Columbia. 1t
has been the policy of Congress to aid such
institutions both by annual appropria tons
FOR their support and by gifts to purchase
lands and to erect and improve buildings
Inc utmost that the committee would ask
OF the private institutions, however, is that
IN proportion as they receive public aid they
shall render public service-not as a favor
put as right due to the public-and the
committee has no reason to believe that
they will object so to do.
me most effective plan for dealing with
neglected and dependent children Is that
which finds such children, brings them be-
1ore proper tribunal to establish the fact
or dependency, then turns them over to an
established public agency to be restored to
nome LIE, either in the improved homes of
their parents or in the homes of foster
parents. In order to fit children taken
from the streets or the slums for home life
course of training for a longer or shorter
time Is necessary. 1t so happens that the
District of Columbia is already supporting
all the agencies that go to make up this APP
proved system. The difficulty Is that these
agencies mr. flx
ana OFTEN In antagonism to one another
1t is the purpose of this report to suggest a
way oi Placing them under single control
IN order to secure harmony Of effort unity
VI aiih ana economy in expense.
Plan of Reorganization.
The committee proposes no new plans,
no novel laws, the establishment of no
new institution the assumption of control
over no institution not already supported
entirely from public fuads. The plan
proposed by the committee involves simply
d reorganization of the work now being
attempted, in order to prevent duplication
dispute us and waste. This plan provides for
neglect of children, the official ascertain
ing or dependency, either the placing of
children for longer or shorter time in
LIlVate institutions supported in part by
me PUBIC or the commitment of such
children to public control, to be fitted for
MONIES, placed in homes and visited there
as means of protection. All this work
can be accomplished, the committee be-
leve, at least without any increase in the
annual appropriations, >'and probably with
some saving.
The System Should De Changed.
IL Is fact to be roted that the Senate
committee ON appropriations, working on
hnes similar to those followed by this COM
m1ttee reached the same goal as is herein
attained. the only difference being that in
Senate amendment to the present District
OF Columbia appropriation law the Senate
committee undertook but a part of the re-
organization recommended in the bill now
under consideration. The amendment failed
IN conference, thus leaving the way open
for a complete instead Of partial reor-
gantzation. The amendment in question
proposed to create a public board of con-
troll FOR the Industrial Home School, which
insulation was required to admit the wards
Of the childrens guardians without cost
comprehensive plan would systematic
the work of the Humane Society, the board
OF children's guardians. the Industrial
Home School and the National Association
for the Relief Of Colored Women and Chill
dren, by placing the control in the hands
Of single board. And lest this statement
may be construed as a reflection on the
management Of these several agencies, 1t