Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-27
WORK OF CHARITIES
Board Submits It's Annual Report to
the Commissioners,
INSTITUTIONS UNDER SUPERVISION
Sum of 100000 Estimated for
Construction of Workhouse.
THE FORM SCHOOLS

The board of charities, consisting of
Messrs. S. w. Woodward Chas. P. Neill,
George w. Cook, John Joy Edison and
Simon Wolf has submitted it's first annual
report to the District Commissioners. The
most interesting feature of the statement
is the following comment regarding the
management of charitable Institutions:
1.-THE board believes thoroughly in the
principle of keeping the management Of
charitable institutions, so far as possible
on a volunteer basis. That is those who
are to have the general supervision of the
work should serve without compensation.
1t believes that this principle Invariably re-
suits in securing higher degree of talent
and of character for the management and
supervision of such work than is the case
where small allowances are paid to officers
or to board members for attendance upon
meetings or as an annual compensation.
OF course, those who give their whole time
to this work must be compensated the same
as in any other calling or profession, and
the routine and laborious work should be
done by the paid employees; but the board
firmly believes in the non-paid volunteer
system for boards of supervision such as
the boards Of trustees of hospitals, or
phanages, temporary homes etc, etc.
Under Different Departments.
THE public charities of Washington are
organized, some under the District Com
missioners, others under the Department
of the Interior, and still others under the
Department Of Justice. All this simply
tends to confusion and lack OF uniformity
in administration. The board believes that
all District charities should be under the
immediate supervision of the District Com
missioners, and it therefore recommends
that those charities now organized under
departments of the federal government
yt.n hn tro, fnr 70 ,trol 80 |,
District Commissioners, and that the men,
bers of the board of chiIdren's guardians
be approved by the Commissioners
The board states that it's report is nee
eSsarily of somewhat preliminary and
historical character and deals, to con-
siderable extent with the principles in
volved in the administration of charity and
the conclusions of the board in reference to
important matters of policy, rather than
chronicle or statement of things actually
accomplished by the board during this first
year of its existence. The board was es-
tablshed, in the language of the joint Sc
lect committee, ''as the first step toward
the efficient reorganiza ton of the District
charities" 1t has been apparent for many
years that the District charities lacked or
ganization, and, after lengthy and thor
ough investigation of the subject by this
joint congressional committee the board of
charities was established for the special
purpose Of evolving a reasonable and eff
cieIlt system of organization for the chart
ties of the District of Columbia.
Institutions Under Supervision.
In regard to the various institutions under
its supervision the board says:
'Workhouse-The daily average number
of prisoners shows a slight increase, the
daily average for the year 1901 being 260,
as compared with 255 for the year 1900.
The most satisfactory feature In connection
with statistics of commitments Is the fall
ing off in the number of commitments OF
boys and girls fifteen years of age and I'M
der, the number of such commitments for
the year 1901 being ninety-three, as COM
pared with 10 for 1900. At the same time
the number of commitments of those from
sixteen to twenty fell from S7S to 637.
Hereafter there will be very few COM
mitments of children under seventeen years
of age to either the workhouse or JAIL be-
cause such commitments, in the cases of
these charged with petty offenses. have
been prohibited by law enacted at the
last session OF Congress, which law pro-
vides for the release of such children on
probation, and for commit ments to the re-
form schools for boys and girls in such
instances as the probation system does not
seem to fit. The conditions at the male
workhouse are still very unsatisfactory be-
cause Of the necessity of confirming from
eight to twelve prisoners in single room;
but these conditions will soon be remedied
by the construction of the new workhouse
for males, work upon which has been COM
menced and Is progressing satisfactorily.
Asks for 100000.
with reference to the future of the
workhouse, the board, after very careful
consideration, has estimated for an addi-
uonal appropriation of 100000 for continu-
ing the erection of this institution. While
1t is true that the building now under con-
struction can be completed for sum with
in the appropriations now available the
board has made this additional estimate be-
htsil1 inc IL
struction will not be nearly large enough
for all the male prisoners, and additional
buildings will be needed. The institution is
SO planned that several additional build
tngs could be erected and still leave the
Institution a convenient unit for purposes
of administration.
Reform school for Boys.
1.-The work at the Reform School for Rows
has continued along the same lines as for
merly. The daily average number of in
mates at that institution during the past
year was 22O as compared with daily
average of 1871 for the preceding year. The
law prohibiting the sending Of boys under
seventeen years of age to the Jail or work.
house will doubtless result in more bows
being sent to the reform school. The sys-
tenn of parole discharge, now in operation
under the act approved June 3, 1900 en-
ableS the school to discharge boys on pa
rcle whenever their conduct seems to war
rant such action. The system of parole
has been in operation for only one year,
but it seems to work satisfactorily 1t is
probable that the school will find it de-
sirable, in the near future to employ some
competent person as visiting agent or In
spector, to look after the interests of the
Boys after they leave the institution. This
work cannot be done in a wholly satisfac-
tory manner by correspondence, and tn,
operation of the system of parole discharge
VIII occasion a greater need for the work
OF such visitation, because larger num-
Der OF boys VIII be discharged and still re-
main In some degree under the care of the
institution.
Assembly Hall Completed.
THE Assembly Hall was completed during
the year, and Is. as the president Of the
institution well says, a well designed and
weii-construeted building, creditabie alike
to the architect and to the constructors