Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-07

whether they be delinquent or Dependent,
or both. should be aseertained by. public
authority to hA proper subjects for the pub
lie care, and 3that care should be admins
tered ny pubic authority. No institution
maintained Ia whcle or IN part by direct
approprfa tienss from public funds should be
able TO declineft to receive public dependents
appropriate teoits purposes, nor shoaid it be
able to receive such public dependents In
dependently Of public authority. As 1t 10
now. such institutions cannot IN some In
stances be reanfre6 to take public depend
1t has been of1cialay declared after careful
Investigation to be not proper subject for
public charitys Even the Industrial Home
School. now atpubhe institution. cannot be
ceive a childe whom the authorities have
refused to make atcharge upon the public
funds. r.
Central Authority Necessary.
'Tt Is equally important that there should
be one central authority for the supervision
OF the care Of all delinquent and dependent
children received as public charges. and not
committed to the reform school, as Of the
distinctively criminal class. Whether these
children are placed In private or public
homes, in families, or in institutions, they
officials representing the community. and
jealous for the interests alike of the chill
dren and the taxpayers.
So far as the children are concerned the
object to be kept in view should be the de-
velopment of the individual from a state OF
dependence to a state of independence, in
GLIDING reformation in case of delin-
quency (and excluding the hopelessly fee
bic mtnded), by such education, through the
environment and formal instructions as
will best fit the child for good citizenship
and private usefulness. Each case must
be treated separately, SO as to be treated
appropriately, therefore, 1t should first be
sifted out by proper tribunal. and then.
having been committed to public guard
ian, the child should be placed for nurture
and instruction wherever. in the whole
yantageous for the child. The state cannot
and would not discourage private philan-
thropy, and the outlined system leaves
perfectly free field for private institutions
but they should receive neither public de-
pendents nor public money. except through,
public channels and under public supervi-
sion. So far as the question of expense Is
concerned, 1t seems reasonable to expect
that II such system should be adopted
there would be reduction in the cost of
maintatnance of the public dependents
which would be greater than any possible
increase in the cost of administration. and
that the general result would be more
economical as well as more efficient.
THE board of childrens guardians Of
the District of Columbia was established
by act OF Congress approved July 26. 1892,
children until July l. 1888 It consists of
nine members, serving without compensa-
tfon. each for a term of three years. under
the appointment of the Judge of the Police
Court and the judges holding the Criminal
Court Of the District Of Columbia.
Intention of Congress.
THE principle Congress had in view was
to provide for judicial ascertainment of
the need Of public support for children,
nd m pfro1 fv nd
sponsibility for the care of children prop
erly chargeable to public funds. All
classes Of dependent and delinquent chill
dren, except those properly belonging to
the reform schools. and including the fee
ble-mlnded, were placed In the care of this
board. In the ten years the board. through
it's agents. has investigated 1880 cases; 1t
has had 1.437 permanent wards and ILL
temporary wards, or an average per year
Of 733 cases investigated, 143 permanent
wards and III temporary wards. On the
LIST Of December, 1908, the board had 1912
permanent wards. aOf these 800 were white
and 673 colored; eg7 were boys and 345
girls: 200 were in institutions, for whom
board was paid; ZIG in private homes, for
whom board was paid: $40 in free homes,
costing nothing except the expense OF SUI
pervision. which, according to the latest
report of the board Of guardians. was
$11.21 per annum per capita Free homes
have been found chiefly in the states con-
tiguous to the District of Columbia. al
though few have been found in the north
ern and western states.
THE board has no institution of its own,
or under its control, but ut1lfzes pubic IN
situations by agreement and private insti-
tutionS by contract, as the needs OF the
children require, Care is taken to give full
weight to religious and racial considera-
tions, and the education of the children Is
kept continually in view.
Under the act Of Congress approved
March &. 1901, the functions of the board
of childrens guardians were enlarged SO
as to provide for Investigation OF cases OF
alleged delinquency or dependency of chill
dren required of 1t by the courts, and also
for the supervision Of children placed on
probation by the courts as the result or
probation of1cer has been provided, but
larger number is required as in the case of
general agents Of the board. The board
ought also to be given larger appropria-
tions for administrative work.
Aided by Public Funds.
1.-THE institutions maintained or aided by
public funds, which care for dependent
children. are as follows:
First the Industrial Home School,
public institution entirely supported by
public funds, but which cannot under the
law be required to admit children by any
public authority.
Second the National Association for the
Relief of Destitute Coiored Women and
Children, private institution, maintains
daily average of 100 dependent children, all
of whom are received through its own
board of management without reference to
public authorities. 1t receives annual
appropriation of $500. and has practically
40 other revenue. 1t has no adequate
means of finding homes for children in Its
care or of supervising the homes in which
children may be placed by it.
Third the Washington Hospital for
Fo,udIipgS private institution, receives
founding children, without investigation,
as rule. and without reference to public
authorities 1t receives an annual appro-
priaton of $4,000 and about 81 500 is con-
tributed annually from private sources
Fourth, ST. AIMS Infant Asylum. pri-
vate institution, admits children from in
fancy up to six years of age. Most of the
children are admitted without reference to
public authorities. The institution receives
S. 400 annually from public funds
Fifth, the German Orphan Asylum.
private institution. maintains daily aver
age of about forty-five children. These
children are admitted by the management
without reference to the public authorities.
1t receives annual appropriation OF