Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06
DECLINE TO COMMENT
QUESTION REGARDING THE he
FORM SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
Commissioners Refuse to Discuss At
torney Generals Suggestion-Their
Views Previously Made Public.

The Commissioners today declined to
make any comment upon the recommends
tions contained in Attorney General
Moody's report relative to placing the re-
form school for girls entirely under the
control of the Department of Justice and
taking away the limited supervision exec
cised over the school by the Commissioners
through the board of charities. 1t is stated
that the Attorney Generals attitude with
respect to the matter Is the traditional po-
sition of the Department of Justice on the
subject. and the recommendation of MT.
Moody did not occasion any unusual stir
among the District officials.
Ever since the board of charities was Gre
ated, it is known the Commissioners have
urged that the charitable and reformatory
institutions in the District, which are sup
ported wholly or In part by public appro-
priations, should be under the supervision
and control of the local authorities They
still maintain that position and do not In
tend to recede from it, but propose to re-
iterate their arguments before the congress
sional committees in favor Of placing the
public and semi-public institutions in the
District under local control.
Former Opinion Cited.
With reference to the right of the Com
missioners, through the board Of charities,
to investigate the reformatory institutions,
the opinion of former Attorney General
Griggs, dated in October. 1900. Is cited. In
this opinion, which was given to Secretary
Hitchcock of the Interior Department, rela-
tive to the relations of the board of char
tiles to the Government Hospital for the
Insane, the Columbia Institution for the
Deaf and Dumb, Freedman's Hospital and
Asylum and the Washington Hospital for
Foundlings Attorney General Griggs,
among other things. said:
1.-The first point to be investigated Is
whether the four institutions mentioned are
subject to the supervision of the board OF
charities The general supervision which
they are to maintain embraces all charlta-
BILE, eleemosynary, correctional or REFORM
atory institutions. 1 do not proposed to
construe the act in general. but may point
out what seems to me it's salient provisions
in the light of its purpose as drawn from
the history of the administration Of char
tiles in the District. 1t is L believe. COM
monty understood that the evil or defect IN
the charitable work of the District hereto
fore has been a lack of uniformity OF super
vision and of coordination or cooperation
among the various agencies of control and
direction.
What the Act Provides.
sNTbis act seems to be the last step in the
efforts of Congress to remedy this defect.
In brief. the act directs the board Of chart
ties to visit inspect and maintain genera.
supervision over the institutions described.
situations for any resident of the District
who is not received and maintained therein
pursuant to the rules established by such
board Of charities, with certain exceptions,
and directs such institutions subject to the
supervision of the board of charities to fur
nish, on request, Information and statistics
in such form as the board may deem es-
Sential.
1.-The District Commissioners may order an
Investigation by the board of the manage
ment of any such institutions, and the board
shall report to Congress annually an ac-
count of all matters placed under their
supervision, including In their report their
recommendations for the economical and
efficient administration of charities and re-
formatories of the District, along with esti-
mates for such future appropriations as
will best promote these Objects
Again in the opinion Attorney General
Griggs says: 1T Is at least certain that the
board of charities is charged with the duty
of visitation and of general supervision over
all the institutions described, is clothed with
a power of investigation in conjunction with
the Commissioners of the District, and is
directed to report the results of it's work
with its recommendations and estimates to
Congress-.