Evening star., 1898-12-21
Appointment of Five Citizens.

THE present bill provides for an appoint
ment of five citizens of the District of Co.
iumbia to serve without pay and to control
the admission and dismission of persons
needing public aid. to the end that those
who deserve such aid shall receive it, and
those who do not deserve IT, or who are
able to pay for what they get shall be eX
cuded from the list of District charges.
Such law also should be able to break
up the prevalent practice of sending per
sons to the District of Columbia from states
a far west as the Mississippi and as far
south as Florida, to enter the hospitals of
this city at the expense of the taxpayers
of the District of Columbia.
THE proposition fO- board of charities
has been urged upon the District commit
tee by the Medical Association of the Dis
triCt of Columbia, by the Washington board
of trade. by the Civic Center, by the Asso
ciated Charities and by the District au-
thorities.
From the many things that need correc-
tiCn. such as 4 board Of charities would
bring about. are the following:
Although the United States and the Dis
triCt of Columbia expended in 1888 for char
liable objects in the District of Columbia
the sum of $9S1 $50, there was but one hos
p.tal (Gnd that one connected with the
pOOrhOuse) where an INDECENT sick person
could be sent by the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia. with certainty that
the person would be received.
The SECRETARY of the Interior has the
authority to ADMIT persons to Freedmen's
Hospital The District of Columbia pays
for the support of that hospital.
The surgeon general Of the army sends
residents OF the District of Columbia to
Providence Hospital The United States
pays for their support.
The United States gives to the Garfield
Memorial Hospital $4,000 n year and no
SPECIFIC return is required. The amount is
a pure gratuity.
Columbia HOSDftal iS SIR noSed to ba +b,
maternity hospital of the District. but ma
terntty cases ale taken at almost all the
other hospitals
Citizens of neighboring states are reeu-
larly sent TO the District of Columbia to be
treated and supported at the expense of the
government and the District.
one-FOurth the Population Receive
Charity.
a number of persons equal 10 one-quar-
ter OF the population OF the District of Co
lumbia receive public charity in some form
every year.
The provision for the care OF white or
phans is so profuse that parents can place
their children to board in orphan asylums
and take them out at their pleasure.
The provision for colored children is so
inadequate as 10 be dangerous to the COM
munity.
The Secretary of the Interior has imnosea
on him the duty of sending District deaf
and dumb pupils to the Columbia institution
and of sending blind children to state in
Stltutl0nS, duties that should devolve on
some District authority.
Money has been wasted on buildings not
htted for the uses to which they have been
built.
hree of the hospitals Of the District are
now In a dilapidated state and need renewal
and consolidation of work
Persons are admitted to institutions by
favor of the management and not by right
E.NB n liz
a police patrol wagon while being cartel
from hospital to hospital. seeking entrance.
1t IS believed confidently that the crea-
uon OF board of charities will be a real