Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18

30th day Of June. 1893, no money appropri-
ated for charitable purposes In the District
of Columbia shall be paid to any church or
religious denomination or to any institu-
ton or society which is under sectarian or
ecclesiastical CONTROL
This enactment became operative on the
first day. of the fiscal year 1899 and at the
made for the maintenance Of several such
Institutions for the year 1899, the grants
being given the institutions by name In the
then current appropriation bill. The ques-
ton was thus raised to which of these
conflicting enactments should control.
The Cancellation Reached
This question was variously considered,
and without attempting to quote from or
repeat the correspondence on the subject
1T can be said to have been settled as fol-
lows:
J. When two statutes are found to be in
con1ifct the earlier is abrogated by the lat
ter TO the extent Of the conflict
me ciause quoted from the act of
warren 8, 1891, Is, permanent general legis-
iatlon, In full force and effect
The subsequent appropriation of funds
TO De PAID TO certain institutions admittedly
uhuer sectartan or ecclesias teal control
constitutes special exceptions to the opera
..oie ol general law in favor of the in
SututlonS named in the appropriation bill
B.. = The exceptions in favor the the
Institutions named are limited to the spe-
c."G appropriations, and funds appropri-
ated LOT general charitabl purposes, such
as relief of the poor or for the board of
ch1tdren's guardians may not be paid ia
such institutions for services rendered I'M
der contract "
On the Sth of April the representatives
OF one institution informed the Commits
sioners that since they were to receive no
turther public assistance after the 3Oth
day OF June, 1890, they would, on that day,
E Hanu over to the public authorities about
lorty children for whom they would be un-
ape TO provide beyond that date BY way
OF response the precise methods by which
children might be committed to public
guardianship We're pointed out but il was
suggested as probable that since the his
tory of the institution shows that five
sixths of the children annually discharged
from II are taken by parents and relatives
II would be found, upon examinati ton that
parents and relatives of sufficient num-
Der would be able to care for their children
on the 10th day of June, so that the fnstitu-
ton could relieve itself Of the necessary
hummer without recourse to the public au-
thorities.
Other private institutions similarly stu
ated have not asked to be relieved of any
OF their inmates in order to reduce their
responsibilities In proportion to the reduc-
ton of their income through the with
drawal of appropriations. and offers to re-
ceive wards of the board of chidren's guar
dams free of cost to the board have not
Children Dismissed.
There has been no perceptible improve
ment in the after care of children dismissed
from the institutions. More than half of
them have returned to the homes of per-
sons who gave them up to charitable care
during their most helpless years. larger
proportion of them have been dismissed at
from ten to fifteen years of age, after
they have become able to earn money
1T IS of little Importance in this matter
whether one adhers to the policy of early
placing out or long residence in the institu-
ton. Soon or late the time of departure
comes. and with it comes the beginning Of
the real struggle for the welfare of the
child.
1T Is no more safe to assume that the
work of a child-caring institution is accom-
piishing the end for which 1t exists when
boy or girl sent out from it achieves not
able success than it would be to assume
that it is a total failure when one of its
benefciaries goes altogether wrong
Question of Maintenance.
During the year repeated efforts have
been made to ascertain the limits within
which appropriations made In terms for
maintenance could be applied to the ex-
tension of the scope and enlargement of
the plant of private Institutions, but no
such limit seemed to have been fixed. The
appropriations made for maintenance
would, from common use of the word, or
dinarily be held to be available only for
such expenditures as were required to hold,
preserve or keep the institutions In the
condition which prevailed at the time when
the grant was made and for the prosecution
of their work as then organized. But the
actual practice in the expenditure of such
appropriations clearly indicated that they
were regarded by those who received them
as simple gratuities in aid of various chart
ties. and therefore not subject to any re-
srrg. f1,, L.t,- mt
view appeared to be strongly supported by
members Of the subcommittee Of the Sen
ate committee on appropriations, which
dealt with the District bill in the Fifty
fifth Congress- while the corresponding COM
mittee of the House Of Representatives
held to the principle that all appropriations
must be used for the purpose for which
they are in terms given"
Expense in Small Institutions.
Mr. Lewis next refers to the work of the
various institutions, as the Central Dispen-
sary, the Eastern Dispensary, National
Homeopathic Hospital, and says
The extravaganza of caring for hospita!
patients at public expense in small institu-
tons, which was first demonstrated in the
statistical tables published last year, Is
again shown by the records this year, the
cost per capita having reached In one in
stitution an average Of nearly $50 per month
per patient, while another makes show
ing only slightly better as to cost 1t Is a
perfectly evident fact that the attempt to
do the charitable hospital work of the Dis
trict through the fundamentally Of insti-
tutions which attract to themselves an
average of less than fifty patients each
must continue to be a most costly policy
unless the money be paid for specific serv-
Ice rendered at reasonable rates instead of
being given, as at present, in lump sums
for maintenance"
Much attention is given to the Maulsby
Home for Newsboys and Children, and Mr..
Lewis adds:
There is now no possible public reason
for the continuance of any appropriation
in aid of this society account of the
work of the George Maulsby Memorial
Home. Every child which Is now accommo-
dated could be transferred to the District
of Columbia Industrial Home School at no
greater inconvenience than the expenditure
of single dollar in car fares and the
whole cost per child there. with superior
advantages, would be but little greater
than is now paid at the Maulsby Home for
salaries alone.
Whether the society should be assisted
by appropriation in its evening work for
street boys and in its maintenance of a
boys lodging house are questions to be de-
cided on their own merits
The private institution which. in the opin-
hos :