The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-13
OPPOSE CHANGE TN
CONTROL Of CHARITIES
District Board DiSapprOveS
Mr.. MCMillan's Bill.
WOULD MEAN DISCRIMINATION
Separate Consideration Given 10
Each of the Installations which
Would Be Affected If the Measure
introduced should BecOme "A Law.

The District Boar1 OF Charities has
placed the stamp Of its disapprovaI upon
Senate BIN 3as2. To transfer the control
o. tae Government hospital for the In
sane, the Ffeedman's Hospital and Asy-
lum. and che washington Hospital for
Foundlings tc the Interior Department
This biu vas introduced in the SENATE
by Mr.. Mcmillan OF Michigan at the in
stance Of Dr. Z. T. Sewers. who has re-
corded his objections 10 the supervision
Of the Board OF Charities over the Wash
ington Hospital for FoundIings. Of which
he is president.
It is said that the bin was Inspired by
a wish Of the beard Of directors OF this
institution 20 De relieved Of the control
Of the municipal department Of charities
In Lire of DisinteEratioR.
Referring to the bill and accompanying
papers. the Board Of Charities says in it's
report:
THE board is Of the opinion that the
tendency Of such legislation Is 10 defeat
the very purpose for which the Board OF
Charities was created This board was
created for the purpose OF enec.ing an
efficient reorganization of the District
charities. while the legislation proposed in
this bin is directly iu the line Of dIsin-
tegratioa-
Freedmnn'S Hospital and Asylum.
-As 10 Freedman's Hospital and Asy-
lum- This institution. supported for
many years by the Federal Government.
has since 1888 been supported By District
appropriation in the same manner as
other District charities. and is 10 all in
tents and purposes a part Of the chL-il-
able system Of the District Of Columbia.
The honorable Secretary OF the Inte-
rior states in the accompanying letter
that out of 2.241 patients admitted dur
ing the fiscal year. but $50 were residents
OF the District OF Columbia.
These figures have undoubtedly been
copied 10y mistake from the tables in the
report Of the hospital giving the nativity
Of the patients. not their residence
According to reports submitted to
this board by the surgeon-in-chief Of the
hospital, only 413 patients treated at
Freedman's during the last fiscal year
were nonresidents Of the District Of Co
lumbia; that is. persons who had resided
in the District less than one year.
Divided Control Unsatisfactory.
This board agrees with the Honorable
Secretary Of the Interior in his opinion
that the divided control at present exist
ing in reference TO this institution is un-
satisfactory and tends 70 interfere with
an efficient service; but as the institution
is essentially a District charity. and the
Congress has decreed that il shall be
supported by District appropriation, this
board is OF the opinion that its manage
ment should be vested in the District au-
thorites. and has recommended in its an
nual report that the management Of this
institution be transferred 20 the Commits
sioners Of the District Of Columbia.
This change would bring the institution
into harmany with other Institutions sup
ported By District approximations
Government Hospital for Insane.
'In reference to the Government Hos
pital for the Insane: This is a national
institution. owned and managed by the
Federal Government, and the District au-
thorities have absolutely nothing to dc
with its eAscutive control The only pow
eTs that -lIis board now has in referenc,
to the in.une asylum are what are gen
orally krown as the powers Of vista
| tion, and surely the District auth0ritie
should have the right Of visitation anC
inspection in an institution where about
] 600 District patients are confined and
maintained at the expense Of the Distric
Of Columbia. We believe that our rela-
tiOns to this institution. as provided by
the present laws, are eminentIy satisfac-
tory.