Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-05
Explanatory Statement Made to the
Commissioners.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF CHANGES
Suggestions as to Future Policy Of
the Beard.
PRIVATE INSTITUTION S

The board Of charities today submitted to
the District Commissioners statement in
explanation of Its estimates for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1902, and giving In
connection Herewith an outline OF the pol
icy which 1t proposes to pursue. The estl-
mates submitted by the board were pub
lished in The Star last week, and were ap-
proved, as submitted by the Commission
The President, under authority of an act
of Congress, approved June 6, 1900, provid-
ing for the boards establishment, appointed
as members thereof George W. Cook. John
Joy Edison, Charles P. Neil, Simon Wolf
and S. w. Woodward, and July -, 1900, the
board organized by electins the following
officers: S. w. Woodward, president; Chas.
P Neill, vice president George S. Wilson
was appointed secretary.
AS the board was not organized until af-
ter the beginning of the present fiscal year,
no formal report will be made for the last
fiscal year of the work of the various char
table and correctional institutions of the
District, which report to it, but in order to
maintain the continuity of the records of
this work. the board has collected for pub
lication the reports of such institutions to
the superintendent Of charities, and these
reports Will later be published.
Results of Investigations.
4i"AS iANSsIlSdllOIlS OF lue ClidIit1eS VI the
District of Columbia have been made by
committees of Congress and others in past
years, and the reports of these various in
vestgations have been unanimous as to the
fact that the charities of the District were
in state of confusion, resulting in much
duplication of effort, and attended with
most unsatisfactory results. The joint Sc
lect committee, appointed under authority
OF the act of March ). 1897, in it's report
described the charities of the District in
a chaotic condition, and recommended
as the first step toward the reorganization
OF the District charities the appointment of
board Of charities" In accordance with
this recommendation Congress enacted the
law by which the present board is estab-
lshed
Since its organization the board has de-
voted. 1t informs the Commissioners, con-
siderable attention 10 a study Of the Dis
trict charities, but in the brief time avail
able it has not been possible to familia1ize
itself sufficiently with the various chart
ties in the community to enable it to make
recommendations. at this time for a COM
plete reorganization. The board has, there.
lore found 1t necessary to make recon-
mendations for seme appropriations with no
better justification than the fact that SINH
lar items have been carried in the appro-
priat1on bills from year to year for some
time past. The aggregate of such items is
not large, and the board deems 1t wise to
recommend their continuance for another
year in order that the institutions concerned
De not injured Dy sudden withdrawal or
their appropriations without due notice, and
that the board of charities itself may have
an opportunity to examine with due care
the character of the various institutions
concerned.
Changes Recommended.
The board does, however, at this time
recommend certain definite changes along
the lines of general policy which it is con-
WINGED must govern the work Of reorgan-
ization Of the District charities, as follows:
'First-The board is unanimously of the
opinion that a sound public policy demands
that complete public control should in
and 1t Is convinced that until this policy be
made to apply to every part Of the charita-
Bile system of the District all attempts at a
reorganization OF such system must fall
very short of attaining the ends for which
this board was created.
THE board, therefore, desires 1t to be
clearly understood that while it has recon-
mended a continuance of certain apprO-
priations which are at variance with this
policy 1t does so reluctantly and only be-
cause 1T has not in the short time at its
disposal been able to devise practical plan
for at once applying this policy to these
institutions, and deems it unWise to recon-
mend any hastily formulated plan, which
might work unnecessary harm to worthy
institutions. 1t has, therefore, recommend
ed q continuance Of the status quo until
1t can submit a matured plan that will be
In accordance with It's general policy and
at the same time show due regard for the
private charities concerned
Alleged Unwfse Policy.
THE board is convinced that the history