The Washington times., 1915-12-09
Indeterminate Terms and Parole
System Are Urged BY Board
In Its Annual Report.
ASKS FUNDS FOR HOSPITAL
Need For City Institution De-
clared Imperative-Work-
house Population Stationary

Declaring tie greatest barrier TO
the reformation Of prisoners Is the
present system of short s"atehces'
tho Roard of charities in It's annual
report for the fiscal year ended june
so, submittcd to the sCommissioners
TODAY recommends legislation pro-
yiding for an indct inmate sentence
and parole system for prisoners sent
to the workhouse Mt Occonuan. o
Under such a system prisoners
wGuld be sentenced for maNimuni
OF two years. and be subject TO pa
role at an. time prior to the eNpira-
tion Of that period.
"Onc of the results Of the present
system CT short sentences" says the
report, lis the repeated commitment
OF the same persons. 1t il perfectly
obvious that whilo Improvement may
nc effected in some cases, In the vast
majority no gubstantsl reformation
car be accomplished in periods of ten,
fifteen or thirty days"
Municipal Hospital.
Attention is directed by the board
to htc need of an appropriation f"r
beginning work on the new municipal
hospital, provision for which is made
in the Commissioners estimates
"The history of the past year. says
the report serves only to emphasize
the urgent need for the earliest pos
sible provision of such an institution.
Notwithstanding increased facilities
at private hospitals the demand upon
the old Washington Asylum Bospita!
for the care of public patients con-
stantly Increases"
The board recommends changes /
the law to permit direct commitment
of nric tn 1. h1lt in too .,
of through the Washington Asylum
and pail This arrangement was sat
isfactory during the period of Or
ganization of the workhouse when
only limited number of prisoners
could be received. 1t is stated, but
there now is no such reason.
Progress On Reformatory.
Considerable progress. tn ereport
states, has been mrdc toward estab-
fishing the new District reforma tory
\ site for the permanent buildings
adjacent to the workhousc tract has
been selected and If appropriations
be provided, rs requested in the csti
mates, prisoners can be taken to the
institution on July |. 1916.
The daily average number of free pa
tents treated al the various hospitals
under the supervision of the board dur
ing the year was 912. compared with
iS9 the preceding year The daily av-
Crage population at the Tuberculosis
llosDtal was I24 a. compared with lO3
during the proceeding year. This does
not indicate, however. the report says.
an increased prevalence of the disease
IN the community. as while the number
of deaths from tuberculosis accorded in
1859 was 1t6 in 1914. it was only Gil, not
Withstanding the increase in population
oWrkhouse Population.
There has been 20 marked increase
in the number Of inmates at the District
workhousc during the last three years,
the report states. For the fiscal year
1913 the daily average population was
GO: for 1914 1t was 64i, and for 1915,
ga
Marked progress was made in the
ueIelopmeht or the agriculture! and in
dustrial activities of the workhouse
during the year, the report says.
Recommendation is made that the
industrial Home School be MOvcd to-
new location in tho country. Pro-
vision for this is made in the Com
lnissioners' estimates ns well as for
inc boards recommendation for the
erection or new municipal lodging
hou9c. This institution the renort
states, mas been more C0nEested dur
ing th" last year than durin~ any
year in recent times. The ~nunlbcr or
lodP PlnCs fUrniShCd homeless men
vas lo'""3. as compared with Ti27,
lhe preceding year
Number of Insane.
Ihe average number of District in
sane in the Government Hospital for the
insane during the year, the report
states. was 1881. an increase of twenty
elght as compared with the preceding
year All District of Columbia patients
are now chargable to the District gov
ssrnment, and reimbursement is sought
from the estates families. or friepds of
sTeh sSrs patlents The amount collected in
1915 was $lS,S2715 -
me daily average number of boys in
Ine National Training School for Boys
curing the year was 364 as COMPARED
with Ss6 during the preceding year. At
the National Training School for Girls
the daily average number was eighty
as compared with seventy-eight. The
Industrial Home School for CoIored
children cared for a daily average num-
Der of seventy-six
The report is signed by John JOY Ed
son, president; DR.. George NJ Kober,
Emile Berliner. George l. Hamilton,
oh