Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-16
Report of Operations the
Past Fiscal Year.
TYPICAL CASES NOTED
AGGREGATE COST OF BOARD AND
CARE OF WARDS.
Separate and Distinct Juvenile Trl-
bunal Asked for-Total of Nine
Deaths During Year.

The eleventh annual report of the poaru
of childrens guardians was submitted TO
the Commissioners today The report COW
ers the operations of the board during the
fiscal year ended June 30. 1904 and among
other things contains interesting reports OF
typical cases" coming within the official
notice of the board.
The report shows that fffty-eight feeble
minded children remained i'm charge of the
board at the, beginning of the year. SIX
were received and nine passed out during
the twelve months ended June 80 last,
leaving ffty-five feeble-minded children I'M
der the care of the board at the close of the
last fiscal year. The aggregate number OF
DAYS that wards of the board were held
under guardianship was 3S5,16I, while 4O19
days temporary care was given to children
not wards of the board.
The aggregate cost of board and care
clothing and medical attendance of wards
and temporary charges not feeble-minded
including cost of administration and super
vision was sos, % The administrative
expenses were at the rate of $500 per an
mum per capita. and the per capita expense
of administr ton and maintenance was
S5lS2 a year The cost of administration
was ~ cents less, and the combined cost OF
administration and maintenance was S,.3S
more. per capita per annum: imam IN the
preceding year. The cost of maintaining
feeble minded children was S2l1.Io per
capita per annum. a decrease in rate OF
sos as compared with the preceding year
Permanent Wards.
The report states that the number of per-
manent wards of the board at the begin
ming of the last fiscal year numbered !93
During the year 213 wards were added ana
- dropped. leaving 1.l34 permanent wards
under the care of the board at the close OF
the fiscal year.
Among all the boards permanent wards
there were during the whole fiscal year but
nine deaths. rms is regarded as a re-
markable record In connection with the
report on tine probation work the report
calls attention to the fact that less num-
Der of juvenile offenders We're before the
court during the last fiscal year than dur
ing the year preceding. Continuing the re
port says:
THE first and foremost need in the bet
terment of the probation system is the Gre
alton and establishment by law of Il sepa-
rate and distinct juvenile tribunal, with
original and summary jurisdiction. Such
court would occupy a commanding position
upon the hilltop, where it could study and
observe the entire field of child dependency
and delinquency ir the District of Column
ba. The Commissioners of the District of
Columbia In q letter to Congress, published
Senate Document No. 81, second session,
Fffty-eighth Congress, recommend such a
court and indicated in general way the
scope of its functions \ bill was drawn
for the creation of such court, in har-
mony with the views of the Commissioners
as expressed in the above mentioned com
munication, and introduced at the last
sion of Congress. But 1t did not receive
consideration. But ii is believed that con-
certed effort on the part of boards agen-
cies and individuals interested. backed by
the official support of the Commissioners,
can cause its enactment into law at the
next session of Congress-
Total of Wards Who Absconded.
During the past year there were 800
placements of children in free homes, and
of these. III children remained at the close
of the year where placed. % We're returned
as unsatisfactory, and % absconded The
total number of wards absconding during
the year was fifty-three.
The report states that because of the lim-
tations placed upon the board by Congress
giving the board authority to pay not more
than 81 900 to institutions adjudged to be
under Sectarian control. the board ceased
its payments to sectarian institutions for
the care of it's wards February l last Com
puted on per capita basis. the board states
the amounts due these institutions for serv-
Ices rendered the past fiscal year are as
follows: st. Mary's Industrial School. Bal
timore. $l649; st. Roses Industrial School,
S2S.S1; s.. Vincents Female Orphan Asylum
il.i9; St AIMS Infant Asylum, S1O6S7;
House of the Good Shepherd Washington
sl53.32; St Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum
SlSI.l2; House of the Good Shepherd for
Coiored Girls. Baltimore. s29654.
1t Is recommended that Congress be asked
for deficiency appropriation of the total
amount for payments indicated.
Some Typical Cases.
Among the typical cases" cited by the
board of children's guardians in its report
are noted the following:
"One case of two white girls aged thir-
teen and ten years respectively. is partic-
ularly pathetic. The parents were both in
temperate and the home life was far from
happy. One day last July the older girl
discovered the lifeless body of her father
hanging from a rafter in the stable. He
had committed suicide The mother evil
IDENTIFY was not deeply grieved over the oc-
currence. as the day after the funeral she
was arrested for keeping disorderly
house. The children were almost pros
trated from grief and nervousness caused
by their dreadful experiences.
"A beautiful intelligent little white girl
of four years was taken under permanent
care as protection against an unworthy
mother. The woman lived in a disreputable
house and boarded the child in cheap
lodging house on Pennsylvania avenue The
father. a respectable young man willing
and able to provide for the child appealed
to the board for its custody. The child is
now with the fathers family in a pleasant
country home and is developing normally
"A young colored girl of fifteen years. ac-
cCmpanied by a matronly woman. came to
the Office dgV recently. She wac NOT