Evening star., 1926-06-02
Give the District What 1t Wants

Give the District What 1t Wants !
After the Senate Yesterday had
voted. on roll call. to retain in the bill
fcr the home care OF dependent chill
Gren in the District of columbia the
provision for administration by II sep
arate hoard, motion to reconsider
he made the subjec OF further vote
and the bill. as finally shaped, Will be
put on its passage. The vote yeStcr
day on the separate board provision
was the closest possible. thirty six to
thirr-seven. Thus there is still
chance that the Senate. in recognition
cf the fact that the District authori
ties and people desire ronsuida ted
administration OF this measure may
vote to frame the measure thus. to ac-
cord with local sentiment and wish.
In the debate yesterday some stress
was laid, by one uf the proponents Of
the separate board. upon the fact that
the President in his message To CON
iela tion on this subject for the District
and said: A carefully considered bill
will he presented. which ought To- have
the most thoughtful considers tiun in
order that the Congress may adopt a
meas which will hereafter lie n
model for all parts of the t'niuu.'
There is nothing to Indicate that
the President in this reference point
ed Ia amy other than the bin which
the District commissioners. Ht the
recnmme ndation of their Public Wei
fsre Commission. iater presented.
There is nothing in il to suggest that
the President indorSed the principle
NJ the separate organization. There
is nothins tn Justify the contention
thai the President regarded the bin
that later came on the scene from
another source as the model to which
the Districts lesisls tipn should be
cenformed.
The Fact that aS "n- speaker at
Yesterdays session declared. many of
the States have adopted dependent
children legislation framed after the
pattern furnished by a national organ
ization dealing with this subject. does
not nstify the forcing "f this pattern
tinon the District. which. after a care
ruI study Of the question. has come L"
the conclusion that il prefers to adj
minister its child Aid work through its
newly created Board OF Publi" Wei
fare rather than through a separate
orga nization.
Yesterday Senator " ho urged the
adoption OF the separate board prn-
cirle said that this measure il not an
imposition on the District OF Colum-
kia, hut comes from the best thought
IN this subject in the United States.
The District people who have studied
this question had the benefit of this
''heat thought" when they We're pre-
pairing through a commission named
nv the Commissioners, the proposed
District measure. They Mere not
cropping hlindly i'm tho dark "f liz
nNrance or inexperienCe un the sub
teet They weighed all the considera-
lions of separate board and cunsUli
dated board. and chose the latter.
They were addressed by representa-
,ivAs Of the best thought" who came
hare from New York for that purpose.
and with full respect for them and
the thought they reflected. tie Disiric!
people chose to indorse and to recon-
mend the measure that In their iudg
ment In hest suited to this community.
most fully meeting i's needs. Inosi
surely effective to reach the desired
objective.
fnsistence upon The separate buerd
proposition by legisia live refectors Uf
The hest thought" on the sub tect un-
mistakahly takes on the character uf
an attempt to impose another will
upon the District OF Columbia than
it's own. Thanks To the equal per
sistence of the Senate District com
nittee members Who have studied the
matter and who know the situation
and who are sympat thetic with the
L,cal aspirations and wishes, there is
vet opportunity for the Senate to pre-
vent this further disregard uf Wash
ington's desire.