Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-29


ditional hospitals are fit for such pur-
poses. They could be made to serve after
extensive changes. but would always be
discreditable makeshifts and monuments
to disconnected, patchwork policy, and
l cannot support the request for either of
these appropriations.
Washington Homo for Incurables.
This institution asks for 5000 instead
of the 5000 which it now receives. In
this it exhibits the common tendency of
the assisted institution to lean more and
more heavily upon the appropriation. and
to secure less and less from private sources.
Encouragement of this tendency would be a
wrong to the institution. 1t would soon
have no private income, and, being en-
tirely supported by the government, would
have to be taken in charge by the gov
eminent. The promoters and managers of
this institution have done nobly. They
have merited, and no doubt will receive,
the gratitude Of the entire community in
which they have labored. They feel just
pride in the institution. 1t is a charity
which, being properly presented, will i'm
press persons able to give to it and en-
list their assistance. 1t should ac-
qure sufficient endowment and speedily
disappear from the list of those depend
ing upon the bounty of the government.
l recommend for its assistance the same
appropriation as 1t has received for the
present year.
Reform school for Girls.
II have been unable to have any con-
ference with the board of trustees of this
institution, for the reason that no quorum
of the board can be gotten together Alb
sent members are expected to return early
In October, when such consultation will
be had and an estimate made.
The Chfld-Caring Charities.
I'm considering the appropriations to be
recommended for the support of the child
caring work to be done at the expense of
the District of Columbia, one is confronted,
at the outset, by condition which does
not prevail with regard to any other group
of charities
I'm the first place, it is in this group that
radical move was made, five years ago,
IN the creation of the board of children's
guardians. Again the declaration by the
0ongless mat 1t Is the policy of the gov
eminent of the United States to make no
appropriation of money or property for
the purpose of founding, maintaining or
alolng by payment for services expenses
OF otnerWlse, any church or religious de-
nomination, or any institution or society
Whlcn is under Sectarian or ecclesiastical
control, and the enactment that from and
after June 30, 1898, no moneys appropriated
LOT charities in the District of Columbia
snaA be paid to any institution or associa-
tion Whlch is under sectarian or ecclesias-
tcal control, affect this group of charities
almost exclusively
" ANh w arner frSt made
study OF the condition sufficiency, and
needs OF the charities of the District of
Columbia, he advised against a continu
ance or the policy of granting subsidies to
good reasons for his recommendation tho
poEcy. Upon his recommendation the
board of chjldren's guardians. a strictly
puplc agency, was created, in order that
its continuance.
superintendent Tracy reversed his rec
plan. N'
IN making up the estimate. 1 have, in
oDedlence to the enactment above quoted.
lett of the list of institutions to be pro,
Vlded for all those which are under soc
tarlan or ecclesiastical control This leaves
10 pe considered the private institutions
NOT unoer sectarlan control and the public
agencies.
am required by law to formulate such
d pan OF expenditures for charities in this
Dlstrict as will promote safety and eff
cheney, avoid waste, duplication and inter
lefence' ana by combination, consolidation
or direction best secure the objects con-
Iemplated by the Congress in making ap-
preparations Tor charities. These objects I
Deem to be the prevention of suffering and
the provision of such resources as will give
S.eiy real dependent an opportunity to get
out OF the condition of dependency just as
soon as possible. With regard to the child
caring charities, these objects can never
De realized until it is ascertained i'm some
authoritative way which and how MANY
cnitqren are really and necessarily depena-
eht. FOR this purpose Congress has estab-
lished in the law creating the hoard Of
cnHuren guardians a test of necessity to
De applied by competent authority. The
test mas been applied in more than thir-
teen hundred cases since 1893, and ii is
working well except for the fact that fail
ure 10 meet 1t does not exclude from par
tlcipation in the appropriations The only
way 10 control the matter Is to place the
in no how. lie,
receive children only in the manner pro-
vided by law.
In my judgment, the public agencies al
ready IN existence are well able to deal
WIN the whole situation, wanting only TO
be provided with resources commensurate
with their responsibilities.
1, therefore, recommend that all direct
appropriations to private institutions of
this class be discontinued, except in the
case Of the National Association for Relief
of Destitute Colored Women and Children.
In winch special arrangement is proposed
as follows:
For National Association for Relief of
Destitute Colored Women and Children.
maintenance, $4,000: Provided that This
sum, or so much thereof as may De neces-
sary, shall be expended for the mainte-
nance at the asylum conducted by said as
ISOLATION of aged and destitute women,
and such children under twelve wears of
age as shall have been received at said
asylum prior to or before the Both day of
VA "a
of June, 1898, the president of said asso.
citation shall certify to the superintendent
of charities the names of all aged women
and the names and ages of all children I'M
der twelve years of age, to be maintained
from this appropriation; that thereafter
said association shall be entitled to receive
compensation from this appropriation at
the uniform rate of $25 per quarter for each
aged woman and each child under twelve
years of age maintained at the asylum
conducted for such purpose, and not other
wise; that from and after the said Both day
of June, 1895, no children shall be received
solely upon the authority Of said associa-
ton. and that all applications made to said
association for the admission of children
shall be referred to the board of children's
guardians.
The purely public agencies for the cares
OF children are the Industrial Home School
and the board of children's guardians
"Of the first of these it is unnecessary
that should say more than that 1 have
examined the estimate submitted to me by
the board of trustees, that 1 am familiar
with the workings of the institution and
its needs and that I find no reason for
changing the estimate in any particular.
The institution shows a progressive spirit,
and the plans of the trustees, If carried