Evening star., 1897-04-08
Hearing Before the Joint Congress
sional Committee Today.
SEVERAL EXPLANATORY LETTERS
Mr.. Wilson's Criticisms of the Con-
duct of Hospitals.
TIL E FORM SCHOOL

Joint committee on charities now In prog-
ress is likely to prove a matter of consider
able Importance to all charitable and .-I.e-
mosynary institutions in the District From
questions asked by members OF the COM
mittee IL is already apparent that the COM
mittoe proposes to sift the subject thor
oughly. and there is evidence of possible
recommendations by the committee which
will change materially the present methods
OF conducting these institutions
Yesterday afternoon after The Stars re-
port had closed Secretary Wilson OF the As
sociated Charities recalled and uues-
TONED at some length by Senator Mcmillan.
Mr. Wilson stated that in his opinion the
institutions that are now receiving govern
ment aid could he conducted more ecnorni-
caily ana as efficiently If the appropria fions
were withdrawn. Mr.. Wilson made some
'atner caustic comments upon the conduct
OF the hospitals of the city that are now
being aided by the government He cited a
case where little boy suffering from diphs
'heIla nad been carted around from one to
anotner OF these hospitals and refused ad-
MISSION, and the health officer of the Dts
trict had no authority TO comDel amy of
them TO take him in. although they were
supported in large part by the government
Mr. Wilson said he knew of one very
prominent hospital whose main supporr
was derived from federal appropriations
ana yet TO all intents and purposes this
hospital was close corporation, private
corporation. in fact. One of the officers
mad admitted to him that the hospital was
TO all intents and purposes a close cor
poration, that the officials could admir-
Whom they pleased and refuse treatment to
whom they pleased. Upon being pressed by
the committee TO name this hospital Mr..
wilson said IL was the Central Dispensary
and Emergency Hospital, which in his
opinion. was a private corporation support
ed largely by the government. Mr. Wilson
thought that If the United States con-
tributes to the support of hospitals I'm the
District it should own them entirely. He
did not recommend withdra wing aid. be-
cause that would be very bad thing but
he thought the government should take
complete charge of them.
Reformntory Instttuttops.
At the hearing this afternoon the pro-
gram laid out by the committee was as
follows: Subject, "Reformatory Institu-
tions." Those invited to attend were the
officers Of the reform school for boys aud
the officers of the reform school for girls
The topics OF discussion were the work of
the reform school for boys and girls, and
the needs of the institutions: the manage
ment of the schools and extent of the
supervision exercised by the Department OF
Justice.
Questions to be asked were: Should the
control be transferred to the District au-
thorities? Do the schools provide for all
necessary cases? What becomes of the
boys and girls discharged from the schools?
and the conditions Of the most economical
management?
II was also proposed to take Up this af-
ternoon the subjects of the insane, the
deaf and dumb and the fceble-ninded.
Those to be heard were DIR. Godding OF
St. Elizabeth DIR. Gallaudet of Kendall
Green and Mr.. Lewis of the board of chill
dren's guardians. These were to be aues-
toned. respectively. upon the provision for
the care of the District insane and the
method OF commitment; of the deaf aad
dumb of the District at Kendall Green: OF
the feeble-minded, in what insti.l.ions
placed, the comparative cost at various In
sttutions and the increase or decrease in
The number of cases; also the need of an
institution for inebrates
Letters Received.
At the hearing this afternoon letters
were received from DIR. Godding OF the
Insane Asylum and Prof GaIlaudet of the
Deaf and Dumb Institution, setting forth
the work of those institutions. and giving
statistics of the cost of their conduct and
number of inmates.
The interests OF the reform school were
represented by several members of the
board of trustees, consisting of Col. Cecil
Clay, president; Mr.. n. W. Burchell. Mr..
James f. Fitch, Mr. Crosby s. Noyes, Mr.. !:
w. NJ. Shuster. jr.. Mr.. s. w. Currden and
Supt. Geo. A. Shallenberger. Col Clay
submitted written statement I'm answer
10 the questions propounded by the COM
mttee.
This statement showed that the average
number OF inmates is 2l9 of whom 90 per
cent are committed by the District courts,
IL per cent by the United Sta. IS courts and
IA per cent by the president of the board.
The paper set forth the need for an assem-
bly, hail. and suggested legislation giving
the trustees some control over the boys
after their discharge from the school.
In reply to the question. '-ShoIld the
control be transferred to the District au-
thorities," Col. Clay's paper said:
The Attorney General being charged by
law with matters relating to the ir1prison-
ment discharge of convicted o.fende-s
against the laws of the United States as
well as with matters relating to the reform
school and jail in the District of Columbia.
IL does not appear that any part of his
duties in respect to these matters should
be taken from him ard put in other hands.
For some years after its Incorporation
no appropriation was made for support
OF the inmates of the reform school, the
District Of Columbia paying a certain SUN
per week for such of its boys were COM
mftted to the school. Shortly after the
adoption of the present system of gov
ernment for the District of Columbia and
agreeably to the plan of placing upon the
District Of Columbia the obligation of slar-
ing with the general government in the
payment OF certain expenses. appropria-
ton was made for the support OF inmates
of the reform school. ono-nalf to be paid
by the District of Columbia.
APPROPRIATIONS nave Detn 60 maze an
nually since. This legislation simply pro-
vided q different method for paying for
the support of such boys as should be
sent to the school from the District of CO.
lumbia- Before that time the Districs Of
Columbia pail board for them.
by the act of June f. 1880, IL was pro-
vided that one OF the Commissioners Of
the District of Columbia. to be selected
by the board of commissioners, shall tie
with all the powers, privileges and
duties ,of other truste IS of the school.
And by the act of March 3, 1881, IL was
provided that the officers of the reform
school should, at the end OF each fiscal
year, make a report to the Commissioners
giving certain Information as to property,
employees, their employ ment. results, etc.
This connection of the Commissioners
with the school. their representation upon
the board OF trustees-one of their number
for several years serving as president of
the board-and the supervision exercised
by them. through the accounting officer of
the District. over the accounts of the
school. has 80 far worked well, and amply
protected the interests OF the District in
the school.
ANY change in the direction of adding
to the present authority of the Commits
sioners over the school would seem TO be i'm
antagonism to the tendency OF recent legis-