Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04

! see the justice and expediency Of making
| substantial Increases in pay Of these INTEL
ligent workers in one arm OF the District
educational system as it did last year In
the case of the teachers. The Commission
ers cordially approve the estimates OF the
| library trustees and earnestly commend "a
| vorably action on their recommendation Tor
better salaries, including that OF the nbrar-
ian under whose administration the library
has made such rapid progress. Inc need
| for additional assistants 80 that the whole
OF the central building can be opened ana q
the work developed to its full capacity. 10
| also apparent. The Commissioners are Wei
satisfied that the books purchased for the
| library are carefully selected. 1t certainly
ought never to be necessary to deny any
| reasonable lest for books because OF the
lack Of an adequate book fund.
| The demands made upon the settlement
stations plainly show the need for building
the branch libraries offered by Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie. Favorable action by the Rouse
is recommended on the House bin No.
20066. enacted by the Senate on June IL,
library building at Takoma Park with
part OF the money offered by Mr.. Carnegie.
| The Commissioners renew their recon-
mendation for favorable action on the item
| of $4,000 asked by the superintendent OF
| buildings and grounds for the Improvement
of Mt. Vernon square and the. approaches
to the library building. SO that the curb
| ings and walks in the grounds may be COM
/
| Board Of Charities.
The board Of charities has continued its
good work of executing the will of Con-
gress that it should bring about "uniflca-
ton of control and the proper co-ordina-
ton of the various agencies comprising the
public charitable and reformatory work Of
| the District" The progressive legislation
| of Congress and gradual appreciation and
| acceptance in the community Of the prin-
| for vubi nt he hos cfa with
| the cordial approval of the Commissioners,
F, have enabled it to secure much of what
Congress expected. including greater eff
| cheney and economy in public institutions
| of charity, as well as more harmonious
| and economical and effective cooperation
| by the private institutions. Although the
| public charitable and correctional work is
the second largest item in the District ex-
| penses and affects the public in many i'm
| portant ways, the work of the board of
| charities has been so quietly done that its
success and far-reaching significance are
| not generally recognized. The policy Of the
| board has the earnest Endorsement of the
Commissioners and they desire to record
| their appreciation of the value Of its I'M
| compensated services. In this connection
they express their regret at the retirement
| from the board of charities of 8. w. Wood
! ward. who was its president for the first
| six years Of its existence, and who de-
| clined reappointment and was succeeded
| on the 1st of July last as a member by DR..
George M. Kober. and as president Of the
| board by John joy Edison. The Commits
| sioners besides approving the recommen-
| dations Of the board of charities in it's an
| nual report and estimates, renew their
recommendation that Congress provide for
| the appointment OF the members of the
| board Of charities and the board of chill
| dren's guardians by the Commissioners.
Six Years. Work Reviewed.
The annual report Of the board reviews
| briefly the work of the past six years since
| its organization, calling attention to some
| Of the things that have been accomplished
| during that time. Among the more import
| ant things that the board has been largely
| instrumental In bringing about are the fol-
| lowing:
| Purchase Of ground and erection of suit
able buildings for a home for the aged and
| inf1rm. These unfortunate persons have
| hitherto been cared for at the Washington
Asylum under the same administration as
| the workhouse and in intimate association
with the inmates thereof.
The conditions at the workhouse nave
| been much improved by the erection of
| additional buildings providing increased cell
accommodation. Still other buildings are
| needed at this institution, as there is not
yet sufficient room to provide a separate
cell for each prisoner.
An appropriation was secured, and the
buildings are now almost completed, for an
Industrial home school for colored children
An appropriation has been secured for
| the erection of q hospital for INDECENT tu-
berculosis patients. 1t is intended to pro-
vide accommodations for about 120 pa
tients.
The large annual appropriations for the
| care of INDECENT patients in private hos
pitfalls have been changed from the subsidy
| system to the contract system. The board
| Is now able to secure accommodations for
every INDECENT acute case requiring treat
| ment. as payments are made only for serv-
| ices rendered.
| The supervision Of child-caring work has
| been very much improved by the introduce
| ton of the contract system in private in
| situations. The work Of the board of chill
dren's guardians, always efficient and
valuable has been expanded, enabling them
| to provide care for the great number OF
| children for whom private charity has not
provided.
An examination Of the appropriations
| made for charities in the District Of Co.
| lumbia since the creation Of the board of
| charities shows very marked develop
ment In the line of purely municipal chari-
ties, such as the workhouse. the Home for
| the Aged and Infirm. the Industrial Home
School. the tuberculosis Hospital. etc.
Prior to that period. the municipal chart
| ties had been in many instances very sadly
| neglected, while corporate institutions were
generously aided
The administration of the Washington
| Asylum has been reorganized. and, as re-
| suit thereof, service at this institution has
| been greatly improved. The administration
| at the other institutions shows marked
| improvement as the result of the super
| In the year 1901 the work of the investi-
cation of nonresident insane persons COM
| mitted to the Government Hospital for the
| Insane and charged to the District of CO.
| lumbia. was undertaken. and since that
| time 1913 persons have been taken from the
| list Of those charged to the District. The
cost of maintaining this number of persons
| at the hospital for single year would be
$S3, 16O. Although the item of financial
saving is not the most important in con-
sidering the work of the board of charities,
| it Is worthy Of note that the saving effect
ed in the care of the insane alone is many
times greater than the entire cost of MAIN
tanning the board and its force o. agents
and investigators.
The board has also exerted it's influence
in favor of the passage of all legislation for
the Improvement of social conditions among
the poorer classes. Especially has it given
active support to the movement for the
creation of the Juvenile court. which court
was established by act of Congress, ap-
proved March 10, 1906
The board, in its estimates for the COM
ing year, especially urges the Importance
Of an appropriation to provide for the
care of chronic and convalescent INDECENT
patients 1t also strongly recommends an
appropriation for the further extension Of
the workhouse. to provide, as soon as pos
1