Evening star., 1921-01-17
D. C. DEPARTMENT
OF WELFARE URGED
BY VICE PRESIDENT
Continued from First Page.)

lieve: will testify that If the public
,. can oe educated up to the point Of
realizing that insanity is not q crime
but a disease, and the family viii
!mmed1ately submit the sufferer TO
treatment just as soon as the mental
aperration appears. 75 per cent of the
mental disorders can be cured.
OIpnans, homes for all save the
mentally defective are a curse and
not exclusively animals. They should
not be herded together. The place
!or normal child is in a normal
nome. and there are homes that fit
anu lnat want every normal child in
america. These orphan homes also
wn',a aoiu OUT e,, ;-,I premiums for those who
would shirk responsibility to shove
cnlIdren on upon the state when thew
would not do so if they knew the
chlid was to become permanently at
tached to some family.
Sought Information.
Some years ago I tried to get def
mite information about these matters
in the hope that the purely adminis-
trative features Of the law in the
District might be put together in a
code, representative of the best fea-
lures Of the laws now in force here
and the laws Of the states Of Mas
stand at the head Of modern thought.
make this statement advisedly. be-
cause. when the International Con-
gress of Corrections and Charities
met in America, in 1910. the delegates
from Europe returned home and ad-
vised the adoption largely of the laws
OF Indiana as administrative features
of their own countries. To do this
work meant either an appropriation
at the hands of Congress. for which
never could see my way clear to
ask. or the employment Of some ex-
pert or experts at my own expense,
which I could not afford.
Last summer / was detailing this
condition Of affairs to Mrs. Thomas
F. Walsh, whose benefactions to 4ll
good purposes entitle her to the 1ove
and admiration Of kind-hearted and
charitably disposed people. She at
once said that IL could tell her who
was competent to do this work, she
would have it done at her expense
and that I might submit it to the
Congress.
II referred her to the authorities of
Indiana and Massachusetts. The state
board Of health and the state board
of charities of these two states have
been consulted. In addition to that
all the institutions Of Washington. I
am informed. have been consulted and
I am presenting to you the code as
prepared by Robert w. Kelso of Mas
sachusetts. 1t has run the gantlet of
Mr.. Amos w. Butler Of the Indiana
state board Of charities and DR.. Will
Of health. I denominate it simply the
skeleton. It calls for no appropria-
ton Of money whatever. It is purely
administrative in its character.
Il am informed credibly that. 50
far as present charities and correc-
tions are concerned. the administra-
ton of the law under this code would
be no more expensive than under the
present manner. And the particular
feature of it is that it looks toward
the lessening of the needs of the
people 1t is not like the laws Of
the Medes and the Persians. The ap-
preparations are practically made
for the years 1921 and 1922. It could
not go into force and effect. SO far
cerned. until Congress so desires.
Utility Of CodiAcation.
II lay no claim to any detailed
things ought to be done but I do pre-
tend to know why they should be
done II this code can be enacted into
law it will be some compensation for
the holding Of an Office that has no
power connected with it and it will
give various institutions opportunity
to present any changes they may
deem needful before the Congress
shall vitalize it with appropriations
I'm these days when some who have
been public officials are capitalizing
their governmental information out
of which to draw a private income
1 deem it appropriate to say that the
only compensation which i have OF
will receive is the thought that have
tried to be of some little use to the
unfortunates OF the District Of Colum-
bia-"
wilton J. Lambert explained in fur
ther detail to the committee the OPP
Grafton OF the proposed welfare de-
partment He. too. declared that the
laws relating to charities in the Dis
trict are disconnected and disjointed
Members of the committee ex-
pressed their sympathy with the pro-
posed plan. Senator Dillingham; was
instructed to introduce the bill and
plans were made for having 1t con-
sidered by the committee at an early
date.
SOCIAL AGENCIES GROUP
TO BE ORGANIZED HERE
Final organization Of the proposed
Washington Council Of Social Agen.
,;a, ;S IN no oh a.