Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-12
GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN
REPORTS MADE TO BOARD AT
THE JUNHI MEETING.
Closing of the Relations With Hart
Farm SchOOl-Exhibits by
#
the Agents.

L hC SdiiS AicStAi6 VI Tic OooiU "a SAA1A
dren's guardians was held on three days
recently by successive adjournments. AT
the second session Mrs. J. w. Babson, Mrs.
Lucy s. Doolittle, Mrs. Mary L. D. Mac
farland and Messrs. John F. Cook, B.
Pickman Mann. William ]. Miller, Louis
Stern and James B. T. Upper, members.
and Mr.. John w. Douglass, agent, were
present. The last meeting was attended by
Mrs. Babson. Mr.. Cook, Mrs. Doolittle, Mr..
Mann. Mr.. Miller and Mr.. Upper and
Agent Douglass. On both occasions Presi-
dent Doolittle was in the chair.
Letters were received from Mr.. VIM. H.
H. Hart, one explanatory Of previous COM
munications to certain members of the
board. and the other in response to propo-
sitions made by the board looking to the
execution of a contract for the retention OF
certain wards of the board at the Hart
Farm School during the ensuing fiscal
year The Hart farm committee reported
upon a visit made by 1t to the Hart farm
on the oath of May last, when the District
harbor masters boat was placed at the dis
poSal or the members for the purpose by
the District Commissioners. Mr.. Hart at
one of the meetings insisted that he could
not carry out the contract on a smaller
monetary basis than the rate Of $40 per
capita per annum and the guarantee of
nifty boys at that rate for the year. He
asked also that provision be made for pro-
tecting him In case an epidemic Of disease
should come upon his institution A mo-
ton to allow the rate of s21O per capita per
annum was lost. but motion to grant the
rate Of 500 and to provide for the case Of
an epidemic was adopted
Declines the Offer.
Mr. Hart, in response to notification of
the action Of the board, expressed regret
that this conclusion was reached. 1t makes
1t impossible, he said. for him to continue
the work of the board. He repeated his
proposition, previously made, and claimed
In this letter that the contract with him.
from October 1. 1899, to June 30. 1900,
should be made to apply to the period from
July ! to October 1, 1899.
AS the board had several months pre-
viously reached the conclusion that it
would, as soon as authorized by the Con-
gresS to do so, seek to obtain a farm of Its
own upon which to conduct a school, and
as 1t IS without power to make contract
extending beyond the year for which appro-
pr1ations have been made, and has hot in
its custody fifty boys of a character suited
to the conditions of the Hart Farm School:
also as 1t has on several occasions decided
that 1t should not pay more than 5000 per
capita per annum for the care of the boys
at the Hart Farm School. this letter was
regarded as closing definitely the relations
OF the board with this school. at which 1t
has maintained several of its wards since
November, 1897.
Statistics Given.
A report by the agents of the board show
ed that of the 46 boys at the Hart Farm
School l was received by transfer from an
other institution. 3 were committed because
destitute OF a suitable home and AZ were
committed because. in the language of the
law. they were vicious and incorrigible'
or the AZ. 16 were committed on complaint
of parents or near relatives. substantiated
by Investigations made by the agents of
the board. these 16 boys being entirely I'M
manageable at home and in great danger
of becoming criminals; II were convicted in
court on charges of larceny, and 8 on
charges of other crimes, sentence in each
case being suspended and commitment to
the custody Of the board being made.
The Hart farm committee of the board
wass enlarged by the addition of Messrs.
Cook and Upper to the committee and
was instructed to give renewed considera-
ton to the matter of providing for the care
Oh the boys now at the Hart Farm School
The draft of proposed contract between
the board and the Negro Reformatory AS
ISOLATION of Virginia for the care of certain
wards of the board at the Virginia Manual
Labor School, near Hanover. Va, was APP
proved, with the exec otion of minor item,
and its ratification, amended, was au-
thorzed.
Mr.. Upper. as committee for the past
month on the visiting list, recommended
that agents of charitable or similar asSo-
Citations in the vicinity in which certain
wards of the board reside at distance
from the District of Columbia be engaged
to report upon the condition of these wards,
in lieu of the dispatch of the home agent of
the board to such distances to make re-
port. This recommendation was approved.
Mr.. Cook was appointed committee on the
visiting list for the ensuing month.
Reports of Agents.
The monthly reports of the agents were
received and considered. These showed the
whole number of wards of the board to be
6:3s3, of whom 11S were in institutions on ex-
pense, 100 in boarding homes on expense, 3
in free institutions, 1863 in free homes and -
at large. self-supporting. Thirteen wards
were visited in homes outside the District
and 81 visits were made to wards in the
District; ii children were placed in APP
proved homes and 1 child, because of its
physical condition, was returned from
free home and placed in a boarding home
during the month.
The physician reported no deaths nor seri-
illness.
A resolution of confidence in the integrity
of Mr. Herbert w. Lewis. heretofore pub
lished in The Star, was adopted, Mr.. Miller
desiring to be recorded of the opinion
for tla ord