Evening star., 1897-01-13
BOARD OF CHARITIES
Public Hearing Today by the Commission.
sn Of the District.
Views Of q Conmittee of the Board
Of Trade and Of Supcrin-
tendent Tracy.

charities Of the board Of trade. which call
ed to present arguments why the office of
the superintendent Of charities should be
abolished and why the Commissioners
should favor such a proposition.
Mr.. B. T. Janney opened the discussion.
He said the board of trade. after consider
ing the subject at considerable length. ar
rived at the conclusion that board of
charities composed of nine members was
preferable to superintendent. He did not
want it considered that a personal fight
was being made upon the present superin-
tendent, but upon the office, which could
not be held by citizen of the District.
Further, he believed, as did the board Of
render much more efficient service IN the
care of the dependent poor of the city.
Mr.. H. B. F. Macfarland followed. He
was chairman of the subcommittee of the
DCard OF trade appointed to consider this
question. He disclaimed any hostile per-
sonal feeling toward the incumbent of the
ONCE OF superintendent of charities 1t
was the system that ne opposed. The
board OF trade, he explained, had acted
upon this matter as early as April, 1895,
Dut for certain reasons no definite action
had since been taken. 1t was no new aues-
ton then. The object of the committee in
ers was to get their approval of the plan
Not in a formal way, but 10 ne assured
that they did not oppose the idea. This was
thought best, SO that when the committee
went before Congress it could REPRESENT
that the proposition mad the Endorsement
Oh the District Commissioners. The plan OF
having boards to regulate charities and
corrections was not new one. In ninet zen
states OF the United States such boards ex-
is,eu' ana II was general; regarded as the
Dest way OF dealing With the subject The
District Of Columbia certainly should he in
the procession. The board, he went on to
say, was to be composed of nine members,
who should be citizens of the District. an
tne most eminent men and women of the
city, II the Commissioners decided to an
point the gentler SEX This board was to
nave secretary who was to be n paid
oiaclai ana who should be an expert upon
the subject of charities and corrections.
In reply to a question from one t.f the
Commissioners, Mr Macfarland stated that
the secretary wo,i1 occupy virtually the
same position as the present superinten 5ent
OF charities did. except that he would be
merely a ministerial agent of the boart,
ana not nave any powers except those
winch came through the board This secre-
tary should receive a compensation COM
mensurate with he duties. lie Was in ia
Vor OF having an expert, well paid, who
should be competent to advise the bo;;y d
upon Fexed questions. H thought a good
analogy of the plan of the board of trade
was a board similar to that Of the As
soclated Charities. He promised the Com
mlssloners to send them list of the states
where these boards had been formed He
remembered that in Michigan and Massa-
chusetts such boards were in existence
The national conference of charities and
corrections favored such plan. and he
quoted from some of its reports unon the
subject. He would furnish the Commits
sIoners, he said, with the reports in uues-
tion.
Mr.. TruesdeH's Suggestion.
Commiss ioner Truesde1l, in discussing the
plan with Mr.. Macfarland, asked If the
same result as that sought by the proposed
scheme would not be obtained by associat-
Ing with the superintendent of charities
such board as that recommended.
He thought not. The committee was of
the opinion that the board should have
more power than the superintendent now
has, and that the power should be with
the board and not with its ministerial Off
Ger. The board would be composed of citi-
Zens representing every part of the Dis
trict, of such men that would Immediately
command the respect and confidence not
only of the citizens. but of Congress. Such
a board. by its work, would bring the pri-
Vate institutions into a closer relationship
and greater cooperation than now ex-
lists. The appointment of such board
would have far-reaching influence. There
would then be no occasion to appoint CEN
ready to take up such subjects and render
efficient aid.
Col. Tracy's Statement.
Col. Tracy said that the presentat ton to
the Commissioners of such recommends
ton regarding the superintendency of char
tiles and in a public and official manner
seemed to render it incumbent upon him to
say few words regarding the duties Of the
office. which evidently were not fully un-
derstood in their practical operation. 1.-THE
fundamental error made by the commit
tee," he continued, seems to be failure to
appreciate the fact that there is already an
official board of charities for district pur-
poses. composed of the Commissioners Of
the District, through whom all official ac-
tion is taken and official payments are
made. And that for all District relations
the superintendent of charities Is simply
the inspecting and examining officer of the
District board
'.An estimates for appropriations and all
action regarding the expenditure Of them
are under the direction of the Commits
sioners. and the superintendent of charities
does nothing in such matters, however
great the exigency. without instant report
or previous authorizing concurrence of the
president of the board of Commissioners,
within whose immediate province charita-
BILE administration falls. There are how
ever, relations OF the District with the
United States government, the latter pay
ing half of all expenditures and the whole
OF some OF them, which Congress saw fit
to consider in establishing the office, and
made it United States office to facilitate
cooperation, save money and improve ad-
ministration in the federal capital city.
For example, Providence and Garfield
Hospitals. provided for under the sundry
civil bill. receive District patients, and are
to that extent general municipal hospitals
On the other hand. there are institutions,
such as the Temporary Home for Soldiers
and Sailors. and the Municipal Lodging
House. exclusively for the accommodation
of INDECENT strangers, very large number
of whom come here entirely upon business
connected with the federal government
I'm his relations to the District the sup
erintendent of charities fulfills precisely
the functions mapped out by the commit
tee of the board Of trade. AS to the ques-
tion of economy, the superintendency of
charities costs the public 81, $40 per year
only. namely 5000 for superintendent, $40
for messenger and $50 for contingencies
and all Office supplies. Whether the pro-
posed board should consist of nine mem
bers. as suggested by one plan. or fifteen,
by another. the cost of its support would
necessarily be much greater, as the execu-
tive officer or secretary would need to he
under suitable salary. with subordinate
clerks and inspectors to the board" Col
Tracey gave a sketch of the duties Of the
Office. He asked the representatives of the