Evening star., 1926-03-19
MADDEN TO AWAIT
VETERANS BUREAU
REPORT ON FENNlNG
Continued from First PageD

OF 1eNaS, feplleu: nal Is WHAT ne
has done. and | hope the committee
will find out something about it,"
I'VE will" said Mr.. Madden.
When an item of $S. .0D0 in the Dis.
trict approximation bin was under con.
sdera tion for expenses attending the
execution Of writs de hnatico inqui.
rendo and commitments Hereunder in
all "a aseS Of irdiSen; insane persons
committed or sought to he commit ed
to st. Eliza beth's Hospital. by order Of
the executive authority OF the District
Of Columbia. under the provision Of
existing law including persona! serv.
ires." Mr.. Blanton moved TO strike QUO
the para graph. He said that the ap.
nroprations committee is authorizing
the expenditure ~ 5000 in connec.
tion wit h the commitments of lunatics
TO ST, E,li2ahe,h's hospital by evecu-
tive order and asked it ronm;:m ME nts
sNa thus made by executive order or
hN commitment, from court.
Green Makes Charges.
He Then called upon Representative
Green. Democrat Of Forida. wto. he
eaid. has bean tryin: Ia get ore Of
the Commissioners of the District.
who happens t" I've guardian for a
Florida soldier in St. Eliza abeth's, to
waive his rights as guardian and
allow the soldier to he transferred to
Florida and that guardianship pro
ceedings take place there
NJ. Green stated that he has been
working on this case "for more than
- months and iha. the District Com
missioner refuses 10 deliver him The
Commissioner is his qua dian and he
is held in St t,lizaheth's Hospital His
h,a !, Tod he la, 81 l.
heart. He had tried for /" months to
get Fenninc I" deliver the boy down
there. where his people could visit
him. hut he would NO, do it,"
Says Court issues Order.
MIR. Blanton continued. III iunatics
soldiers. IS they may he. are com.
mitteG to ST. Eliza beth Hospital under
executive orders OF the Commissioners
and the Commissioners themselves are
guardians. then who appoints those
Commissioners suardia ans?"
Mr.. Madden replied. They could not
he made guardians except by order
of The court
Mr.. Green said that ne requested
information yesterday showing by
what authority he commissioner Fen.
ming, was made guardian
Mr.. Madden replied. He was made
qua rdian hy order Of the court and he
"ould not surrender that guardianship.
except by order NJ the court
Nj. Blsnton then asked if Mr. Mad
den knows how much remuneration
he MIR. Fenningb is receiving monthly
for his ward.
Mr. Madden replied 1T is a question
now Of proceeding under the law. The
gentleman has tried to get the Com
missioner to surrender a responsibility
that is fixed upon him by law
Cites Judge Sellers Statement.
Representative Dyer Republican.
Of Missouri. then interiected that
neither the Commissioner nor the
Board OF Charities can commit any
one TO St. Eliza beth's. That must he
done by court order"
Mr.. Madden resumed that the Com
missioners do not commit. They simply
pay for the INDECENT who are sent
there.
MIR. Blanton then told the House
that the judge of the Juvenile Court
testified before our committee EN-.
Washington has the authority to com.
NIT people To ST. Elizabeth's Hospital
without an order Of the court
Mr.. Dyer challenged that statement
as mot true
Mr. Blanton insisted Judge Sci.
lers Of the Juvenile Court. testified
to that emphatically before our com.
mittee I questioned that statement.
and she said she knew what she was
talking about. We ought not to take
these ra ndom statements from any
body. The gentleman from Florida Is
A member Of the House. for whom I
have the greatest possible respect. but
he will not insist that because he
makes q demand for the surrender of
the guardianship Of the Commissioners
over the person Of an insane patient
at St. ,lizabeth's. that. therefore. that
suarda nship should be surrendered
Mr.. Green replied: Il have been try
ing to do that for - months. Not
longer ego than day before yesterda"
| wrote A letter saying that unless
this man were transferred and unless
had the written consent of the
guardian for the transfer. would in
woke the power Of Congress to get
the transfer"
Says Congress Cant Act.
Mr.. Madden commented that Con
gress has no jurisdiction"
Mr.. Green insist ed. There should
be some power to get this boy down
there
Mr.. Blanton then resumed, saying:
The point l am getting at is that In
this bill we are furnishing $4,000 for
personal services in committing lunn.-
lies to st. Eliza beth's under executive
order Of tho Commissioners and he
read the language in the appropria-
ton bill. He insisted, There should
be no executive order commitment
Mr.. Dyer interposed, There Is
none.
Continuing, Mr.. Blanton said: 1T
should only be done by order OF the
court. and no policeman should have
any authority to make a commitment
and no Commissioner ought to have
the authority to make a commitment.
Tho second observation ] want to make
is that no Commissioners Of this Dis
trIct ought to he appointed guardian
for any hinatic and receive single
dollar for remuneration"
Representative Gibson. Republican,
OF Vermont then asked X Mr.. Blanton
knows for how many people the Com
missioner to whom the gentleman re-
ferrpd ie guardian already"
Mr.. Gibson said that he IL informed
that Commissioner Fenning is guard
ian for a great many in cases stu
ated as the case to which the gentle;
man from Florida referred.
When Mr.. BiantOn asked approx
mately as to what his fees amount
to per wear for these cases. Mr.. Glib
son replied that he does not know
-NI