The Washington herald., 1922-07-09
designations Would Be
Public Service, She
Declares.
CHARGES NEGLECT
Asserts Failure of Custodians
To Care for Children Is
Gross Injustice.


discussion OF policies. Mrs. Edmund
Brennan, chairman. of the Congress
of Mothers investigating commit
tee yesterday addressed a letter to
william'W. MILAN, president of the
Board of Guardians, urging resig-
nation of the entire body.
The text of the letter follows in
| part:
In your letter to the District
Commissioners you have absolutely
ignored the most vital poiLt at Is
sue, the treatment of children by
the Board of ChIldren's Guardians.
We do not find the explanation the
Congress of Mothers and other in
terested organizations have asked
for and which we believe is due the
citizens of the District OF Columbia
I'VE pleaded with you to stop
| your agents in their work of de-
stroyiLg the Industrial Home
School until an investigation could
be completed and satisfactory ar
rangements completed Our only
same program by your agents In
a more rapid way.
Responsibility Not Lessened.
we recall the raet of your say
ing that you had depended entirely
upon your paid agents. but this does
rot lessen your responsibility.
Our committee seriously doubts
whether any body of citizens has the
right to accept the responsibilities
you hold without personally seeing
that the human beings placed in its
control shall not be subjected to
such conditions as have been found.
Occupying as II does a peculiar
position in which II is responsible
to no one. the Board of Children's
Guardians has taken advantage of
this situation to f1aunt its authority
In the face Of public opinion and
of those sincerely inerested in help
NnE to eliminate deplorable con-
dltions surrounding the boards
wards.
No member of your board has
made any personal investigation in
the complaints against placement
homes Neither have you denied
nor affirmed any accusation-your
only defense seems to be the quar-
krel existing between your board and
Fhe trustees Of the Industrial Home
School
AMenn and Narrow Minded.''
'It seems a mean and narrow
minded piece of business that chill
dren and their mothers have been
made to suffer to satisfy the anger
|of men-members of a board sworn
Ito protect them. We do not believe
this petty grievance enough TO war
kaIt the promiscuous placing OF
rlarge numbers Of children in homes
which have not been properly In
vestigated-"
"s Many of the homes used
by your board are moderately well
|adapted to child care. Moreover.
lin fairness to your board, we be-
Iieve that you are working with an
insuficieIt staff. However, IL Is
difficult to understand how the
Board of Children's Guardians could
be IN total ignorance of the con-
Iditions uncovered in such short
dime by independent investigators
In would seem to indicate lack
of personal interest by members OF
the board. And certainly there car
he no excuse for the efforts Of the
Board Of Guardians to cover up
such conditions. by hinderinE work
of inve vestigators. after they were
discovered.
MANY of the things found by in
kyestiEations we believe to be dis
gracefuI. We feel that your board
has failed to provide the proper
care and training for large num-
bers of children in its care. we
jhave evidence that in numerous
instances your board has placed
from eight to thirteen children in
one house II must be evident.
even to the Board of Children's
DGuardians. that a woman taking
this number Of children to board
lmust be more interested in the
in tho children.
"FnIIed In Its Duty
Further evidence that your
board has failed in its duty. we
believe. exists in the statements OF
children that the people with whom
thev have been placed have ridi-
cuIed their parents and circum-
stances surrounding their birth. 1t
is undeniable that in other cases
children have been subjected to
mental torture by being sworn at
and by having unprintable Ian
guaEe used to them. Five tubercu-
lar children have been found in the
care of a tuhercular woman. Eleven
babies were found in another
home. Twenty-four boys were dis
covered in a third place with three
adults. all of whom lived in a
ifaci1ities. In another instance a
weak minded girl was married
while in custody of the Board OF
Children's Guardians. and in still
another a young woman gave birth
to twins at Columbia Hospital
Repeatedly parents are refused per-
mission TO see their children and
in many cases they are even de-
MED the addresses of homes to
which the children have been sent.
Evidence of cruelty and cases
OF children being subjected to
drudgery are numerous.
SwouId BE Public Service
In view of these conditions our
committee feels that the Board Of
Children's Guardians should resign.
We believe that 1t would be a pub
lie service for the board to step
down and make possible the ap-
pointment of another board. In
suggesting this action We have in
mind the happiness and welfare of
the 1900 children now in charge
OF your board. II seems to our
committee a gross injustice that so
many individualy should be i'm
properly cared for because Of the
failure OF nine custodians TO give
personal attention to their well
fare"
(Signed) Mrs. EDMUND BRENNAN.
Chairman of Congress of Mothers
and Parent-Teacher Association
g..