The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-07
CLAIMS THE COURT ERRED.
Two Commitments to the Industrial
Home Called Into Question.

| At the request of the Commissioners
| Clarence Brandsnburg. Assistant Attorney
| for the District has submitted an opinion
upon a communication Of ]. B. T. Topper
Chairman Of the Committee of Admissions
Of the Industrial Home. relative to an or
der of the Supreme Court of the District
! in the case of Margaret Jewell against AL
bert H. Jewell. Mr.. Upper desired to
know whether the court had authority TO
make such order without notice to the au-
thorities of the school, and this was the
point submitted by the Commissioners to
the Attorney for his opinion.
In reference to the matter, Mr. Branden-
burg says: 1.-The case referred to was a
suit for divorce. In the process of the
case. on July 3, 1900, the justice holding
the Equity Court committed John Jewell
and Elsie Jewell, minor children to the
parties to said cause, to the In
dustrial Home School, and directed said
Albert H. Jewell, father OF said children,
to pay for their maintenance the sum OF
SO weekly This order was obtained with
out notice to the school and without any
opportunity being afforded to be heard in
the matter.
The Industrial Home School was incor-
porated as a private corporation. on March
II. 1892, under the provisions OF the act
of Congress approved May 5, 1870, being
the general Incorporation law.
Pursuant to the provisions of a clause
In the District Appropriation bill approved
June IL, 1896. the board OF managers of
the school transferred said school to the
Commissioners OF the District, who there
upon appointed its board of trustees con-
I'll.
required by said act to manage the school
under regulations then existing or there
after made by said board, subject to the
approval of the Commissioners. Thereaf-
ter, the board of trustees, with the APP
prevail OF the Commissioners, on August
81, 1897, promulgated, among others, the
following regulations
" 'Object-The object of the Industrial
Home School is to provide for destitute
white children OF both sexes in the District
of Columbia a good home, in which they
shall receive the moral, mental, and in
dustrial education calculated to make them
pure, intelligent, and useful citizens upon
arriving at years Of maturity
Duties of the Committee Of Admis-
sion-They shall exercise control of the ad-
mission OF children and placing them in
homes under regulations approved by the
board of trustees.
those depending upon charity for support
and care shall be admitted and no child
under FIVE years Of age or over twelve
years of age shall be admitted, except By
special order OF the board.
Whenever a satisfactory
home can be found for any child of the
institution the Committee OF Admissions
shall select a suitable child to be placed
in such a home
1T is quite evident from the papers re-
lating to the matter, and from informa-
ton received. that the attention of the
court was not directed to the regulations
relating to the admission of children to the
school. and that the order was under mis-
apprehension. l am OF the opinion. under
the circumstances, that the Industrial
Home School is not required by Law to re-
ceive and care for these children"
1t is understood that the Commission
ers, acting on the advice of their attorney,
will inform the chairman of admissions to
the school in accordance herewith.