Evening star., 1926-06-11
Effective Child Care Legislation.

EWeCG1Ve CNllu OsdIe LcSlSlalloH.
A compromise has been effected by
the conferees on the children'S aid
shape that is entirely satisfactory to
the people Of the District. 1t provides
for the administration of the bounty
10 dependent children by the Board of
Public Welfare, newly created by re-
cent act of Congress, in replacement
of the Board of Charities. the Board
of Children's Guardians and the board
Of trustees of the Girls Reform
School. The compromise consists in a
provision that all applications for aid
under the new law shall be made to
the board through a standing sub
committee Of the board. To this there
can be no objection on the part of the
District. which protested the proposal
for q separate board.
1t is to be expected that in the or
ganization of the Board of Public We'll
fare committees will be formed, to
have specific charge of various
branches of the work that is to be in
trusted to this body. Without doubt
even though the children's aid law did
not specify that application should be
made through L subcommittee, such a
subcommittee would be created, to IA
cilitate the administration.
The contention Of the District for
the adoption of the Capper bill, that
which was submitted by the Commits
Sioners upon the recommendation of
The Public Welfare Commission, after
a. long and painstaking examination
OF the subject, was that there was no
warrant whatever for the creation Of
g. separate board, especially as the
consolidation of public welfare organi-
cations is in process as q means of
simplifying all charity procedure III
the District. 1t was furthermore
urged that aid given to dependent
children should not be distinguished
from that given to other persons.
There has been an earnest desire
that the District should secure an
effective law for the proper home care.
so far as possible, Of children left
dependent by the death Of par
ents, their natural supporters. The
present method Of caring for such
children has not proved satisfactory.
Therefore the new law was sought,
with a liberal appropriation for it's
administration. Unfortunately. an eff
frNv~t Ia
IN the adoption of Federal measure
OF this character to make this District
law conform TO an adopted standard
of procedure in order that it might
serve as the basis for subsequent
national legislation. Extraordinary
means We're employed to compel the
adoption Of this plan. The wishes Of
the District people were ignored and
legislators We're aligned through siren
uous personal pleas without complete
understanding of the issues involved.
Fortunately, in the Senate, the Dis
tricts desire for legislation suited to
its needs and to the present develop
ment of the public welfare work at
the Capital was needed. To Senator
Capper and his colleagues Of the Dis
trict committee are due the thanks of
The people of Washington for their
service in preventing the imposition
of an unwelcome law upon the Dis
'rict, and for their wisdom in accept
ing as compromise a wholly salts
factory measure. Effective child care
is assured, and those who have been
SO seriously concerned on the subject,
though the funds for the administra-
tion of the law are to come wholly
from the pockets of the District peo-
pie, should be content with this final
outcome.