Evening star., 1898-10-25

mlnistration. $500. Board and care of chill
dren not feeble-minded s24e00: board end
care of feeble-minded children $40 1oD
Grand total, s41 800.
If administrative expenses be restricted
as they nave been for the fiscal year end
ing June %, 1880 to $1,000. then the esti-
rate for board and care of children not
1ceple-ninded should be raised to $4,000.
Report of Agents.
THE report of the agents is appended
hereto. We desire to call particular atten-
tioH to that part of their report which
deals with the relation OF the board, act
ing Tor the District of Columbia with the
House of the Good Shepherd for Coored
Girls in Baltimore. AS no adequate faciIi-
ties existed in the District of Columbia for
the care and training of incorrigibe col
ored girls the board, July II, 1897 entered
into a contract with the aboye-named in
stltut1on FOR the care of such girls at the
rate OF 500 per annum each. We desired
10 renew this contract for the fiscal year
lSJS, but We're prevented by the clause in
the Distrlct of Columbia appropriation bill
LOT 1870, prohibiting payment of money ap-
propriated for charitable purposes in the
Dlstrict OF Columbia to any institution or
society under sectarian control but the
cohtroiier of the treasury holds that the
speclhc appropriations were exception to
the law, AMI that otherwise it remains in
full force and effect.
The board now has nine children at the
House of Good Shepherd for whom it has
no authority to pay. There is no room
for them at the District reform school. and
thev are not fitted for placement in private
families: They must therefore, either re-
main where they are else be turned into
the streets to lead lives of shame.
special attention is also invited to the
concluding Paragraphs Of the agents re-
port, in which the urgent need of bas-
tardy and compulsory support law is pre-
Sented.
Report of Agents.
FROM the report of the agents of the
beard it appears that the work of the ad-
ministrative arm of the board for the past
hscal year has been carried on along the
III es OF former years and in conformity to
the policy and directions of the board. and
tney think the board is to be congratulated
upon the results of its years work. for as
IT'S AIMS methods and character Of service
become better known. the value to the
&C immunity of it's existence is becomin,
more highly appreciated.
Gases involving 504 children came to
tue agents notice. each of which received
caIeiul attention and such an adjudication
az the child's highest welfare with due
regard Tor the public and parental rights
ana interests, seemed to require. One hun
drcd and fCrty-five Children We're pre-
seEted to the court by "a petition praying
tor their commitment, Niurty-ive children
were permanently committed, and forty
seven were committed for limited periods
ara IN the cases of three children only
the court did not agree with the recommen-
cations OF your agents and declined to COM
NIT Ffty-three children We're committed
because shown to be destitute of a suit
able home and adequate means of earning
an honest living. Many sad stories OF
broken Zones faithless parents, Illness eX-
treme poverty, Eeplessness and exposure
came 10 llght IN connection with these chill
dren. NlneteeC abandoned children-eigh-
teen colored and one White-Were received.
lItAGNl hoy,
While two We're abandoned by the father
leaving the mother i'll and without shelter
or means; eight were left with private
Eomes and payment for board promised.
SIX infants were found in exposed places
parks, alleys or vacant lots one coIored
baby was left on the steps of the Washing
ton Founding Asylum for white infants,
one on the steps of d private house and one
was abandoned at the Children's Hospital
In several instances the agents have been
instrumental in preventing non-residentS
from abandoning children in the District of
Columbia Two children were taken from
drunken and unfit parents and eleven were
removed from vicious and immoral asso-
Citations.
Ten children were committed as vicious
and incorrigible. These were Colored boys
and girls who were before the court for
minor offenses We were unable to receive
this class until arrangements were made
with the House of the Good Shepherd for
Colored Girls, in Baltimore, in July, 1897,
anu WITH tlt mart fiIU IocHOOl, III No
vember, 1897, both of which are referred to
elsewhere in this report.
Special Exhibit.
Under the head of temporary work are
collected all children committed by the
courts for limited periods, all children tenn
pCrarily committed pending investiga ton,
ali children taken under temporary care by
authority given the board in the act Great
ing 1t, II short, all cases where board has
been paid other than permanent commit
ments. One hundred 900 children are in
Volved III this temporary work for the year,
for whom J,41G days board was paid at an
expense of $1,74s.9D, an average of 54.1U
Cl ildren at cost of $17.49 each
1T is a matter" say the agents, "for
serious consideration as to the propriety or
right of strictly public agency expending,
much of its funds in purely temporary
relief
In all cases, strenuous efforts are made
to find relatives and induce them to make
provision for applicants before publicly de
claring them Dependant. Twenty-Five of
those under temporary care were suhse-
quentIy permanently committed, while hfty-
four We're returned to friends, ten remain
under care at close of fiscal year, six died,
four absconded and were not recovered, and
one was returned to the court as Beyond
the age limit.
In the cases of ninety-five children per-
nanently committed, eight were presented
by the officer of the Humane Society. and
eighty-seVen by agents of the board after
a careful investigation. OF the eighty
seven, twenty-One wer9 those of children
found in the dock of the Police Court and
charged with various minor offenses. In
each of these cases, temporary order was
first made and an investigation followed
revealing d condition of affairs which war
ranted d permanent commitment. One case
was reported to us by the Children's Hos
pital one by Freedmen's Hospital, oLe by
the Bruen Home, and the balance OF them
by police officers, private parties, Associat-
ed Charities etc.
Policy Of Institutions.
In previous years many more children
were placed ir the George Maulsby Home
than in any other institution, the man
ayers of the home were glad to receive any
children sent by the board, and made no
exceptions because of age, color or conGf-
ton. During the year just closed we learn
ed that the policy of the institution nad
undergone d Change, as quite number of
children wee refused admission, and we
were also asked to remove children who
had become Troublesome This is not in
tended as criticism of the institution, but
only to sho y tEat it had realized the ntces-
sity OF narrowing the lines of its work. 1t
bod Eaa fnr nH n nr0DarV