Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-05


lumbia Several times We have approached
this end when some of the ladies connected
with Institutions we suggested coming into
the uniiication plan ruffied up and then
there was trouble IT is quite true that
many Of these institutions very well
run. but feel that there would be very
much better results under the unification
system.
Take for instance the girls reform
school. at which much trouble occurred
some tine ago. 1t Is purely local nstitu-
ticn. supported entirely by District funds
and peoplsd exclusively by residents of the
District Of Columbia. yet the board of char
tiles the District Commissioners have
absolutely no control over it. 1t is entirely
in charge of the Attorney General of the
United States. | might cite similar condi-
tons 50 far as other Institutions are con-
cerned.
Worked Long and Hard.
Probably am wandering from the ques-
ton at issue. In a nutshell it can be stated
that the members of the board of charities
have held many meetings each year. have
worked hard and long for the accomplish
ment of the uniiication system. which they
believe the best, and every time they have
made suggestions along this line that tread
on somebody's corns'-that is to say, took
in an institution that was somebody's pet
hObby-then there was a howl.
This condition of affairs we found very
discouraging so We determined that prob
ably the hest thing to do was to get from
Under and let some one else try to handle
the matter. in the hope that they would be
given more moral and financial assistance.
''Yuu can say. however. that as ~e-
suit of the personal interest President
Roosevelt has taken in the matter and of
the conference had this morning.
we hope for good results to come. We
are at peace and on entirely good -erms
with the Institutions as well as with the
committees of the Senate and House of
Representatives. and there is positively no
friction now
Congress has for a number of wears tried
TO build up q system by which the local
charities appropriations could be governed
by central head OF body. To this end the
board of charities was appointed. and it
has been trying to solve the problem. up
to this time. however. without success.
1t has been generally known that friction
has existed among the various charitable
organizations, some under public and some
under private control. When Il came time
for appropriations to be made for their
maintenance help there was a generally
lobbying at the Capitol for various inter
estS, and that trouble was always the re-
suit.
Views Of Mr.. McCleary.
Representative McCleary of Minnesota
chairman of the District subcommittee of
the committee on appropriations, in discuss
ing the conference at the White House this
morning said the President had called the
conference because of his great interest in
District affairs and particularly with re-
lation to the charitable organizations in
Washington. The subject matter of the
conference which concerned the unifica ton
of District charities was no new thing, Mr.
McCleary said, but had been considered for
several years by the subcommittee of which
he was chairman.
Last year on the floor of the House Mr..
McCleary gave the members to understand
that his committee had been considering
the question of the unification of the local
charities. but had not arrived a a decision
They were marking time, he remarked
then. but would be heard from later. This
year the recommendations of the board of
charities before the subcommittee were
carefully considered, and the committee
had talked over it's own views very fully.
MIR, McCleary said he did not desire to be
quoted on the question, but 1t was apparent
from his remarks that his subcommittee
was unanimous in the belief that public
money should be spent by public officers"
This statement, which amounts to a de-
clslon by the subcommittee, will undoubt-
eddy be incorporated in the District of CO.
lumbia appropriation bill which is to be
reported next week. and it alone will have
most important bearing on the unification
proposition. 1t will, of course, directly af-
feet the Emergency Hospital and other
local charities who desire lump sum APP
preparation to be turned over to them for
expenditure as they desire.
Whatever appropriations are made for To-
cal charities Ii is probably safe to say GER
tainly it is the desire of the committee,
that they be expended under the direction
OF the Commissioners The committee con-
slider that the expenditure of public money
by public officers is principle so well
recognized that 1t is not even open to an
gument
Mr.. McCleary said. in discussing the re-
pert. that members of the board of char
tiles were about to resign as the result OF
lSf1 hot
IN connection with their work that while
the members of the board were at liberty
to resign at any time, he did not anticipate
that there would be any retirement in the
near future. Some of the members of the
board of charities, prominent business men,
whose time is very valuable. thought that
their work had not been sufficiently appre-
clated. and that the results achieved under
the unsatisfactory conditions under which
they labored were not worth the time and
trouble occasioned them.
But this feeling has passed away Mr..
McCleary believed, particularly in view
of the fact that some of the members of
tie board of charities have stated re-
Gently that their hearing before the sub
committee this year was the most salts
factory they have ever experienced.
Started by Private Subscriptions.
Mr.. McCleary called attention to the
fact that the charities for which the uni
hcation plan is now proposed originated
at different times in the past.
Ihey were started by private subscription
and by that means continued for time or
until public enthusiasm in the particular
project had died away and subscriptions
were not made as formerly 1t was thea
that such charities came to Congress for
relief and the committees of that body
after learning that this and that and the
other charity was worthy institution and
doing good work, had granted the relief
desired. Now, however, IL is very apparent
to the members of the committee that this
Struggling growth has gone out of all
bounds and that something should be done
IT may be said authoritative.y that in the
future no influences of any sort will be
considered By the committee in submitting
its appropriations. This. to some extent has
not been possible in the past. There will
be no attempt to discriminate against any
one charity or any particular class of
charities. All will be treated alike and all
will be considered in connection with the
new plan of unification. Where IL is found
possible the annual appropriation made by
the government will be cut down.
II is the hope of members of the commit
tee that practically all of the annual appro-
priations of this character can be gradually
and slowly cut down and possibly elm
mated altogether In the course of time.
In view of the work of the committee
along this line during the present session
the agitation for reform and the conference
at the White House this morning those
interested in charity work and in District
affairs generally will await with consider