Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
RELIEF IS SOUGHT
FOR YOUNG WARDS
468 Welfare Board ProtegeS
Face Privation as Funds
Run Low.

Emergency measures to provide for
the Juvenile wards of the board of
public welfare who may be subjected
to priyation to a point of hunger and
hazardous exposure as result of a
ruling by Controller General McCarl
yesterday to the effect that 1928 ap-
preparations cannot be drawn upon
for their support, will be planned to-
morrow by the District Commission
ers.
There are 46S Of these children who
have been placed in the care Of
boarding mothers" and supported at
public expense. Already a. number
Of the boarding mothers" have
served notice that they win be forced
to turn the children back to the well
fare board. confronting the authorities
with the immediate danger of having
a large number of wards brought into
their Office with no place to send
them.
Fund Lost in Congress.
The present situation is one of the
results of the failure Of Congress to
pass the second deficiency appropria-
ton bill which carried an item of
$4,000 for the care of the children
during April, May and June. The
Commissioners appealed to the con
troller general to find some loophole
in the law, whereby an advance could
be made on the 1923 appropriations
sufficient to meet this and other obh-
cations of the District for the re
mainder of the year. Mr.. McCarl
ruled that advances could be made for
the beneficiaries of the employees com.
pensation fund, the retired school
teachers, firemen and policemen, but
not for the care of the children.
The Commissioners viewed the situ-
alton seriously, while the Board of
Public Welfare, discussed possible
steps TO be taken, even considering the
possibility of housing the children ir
tents. This idea was discarded, how.
ever. as too dangerous to their health.
May Seek Private Loans.
Commissioner Sidney #. Taliaferro.
who has direct supervision over the
Board of Public Welfare, intimated
that 1t may become necessary to find
a group of public spirited persons of
wealth who viii loan the boarding
mothers" sums totaling $4,000, until
the deficiency bill can be passed by
the next Congress. An alternative sug-
gested by James E. Stuart of the
board contemplates the issuance of
certificates of service to the board
ing mothers" SO that they might get
credit for food at various stores that
would honor them.
The 46S children directly affected
by the McCarl decision are among the
1859 juvenile wards of the board. The
others are quartered in institutions
which are already crowded. All of
these children have been committed
TO the care of the board by the Juve-
nile Court Some are orphans. Others
were taken away from parents be-
cause Of neglect or cruel treatment.
About 80 per cent Of them, however,
are the innocent victims of broken
homes.
Decision Is Cited.
The controller generals decision
which denied the Commissioners the
authority to draw an advance on the
1928 appropriation for the care of
these children was contained in one
paragraph, phrased as follows:
while the act of March 16, 1925,
imposes certain duties on the
board with respect to these children
and made certain appropriations avail
able for its activities for the fiscal
year 1927, there appears nothing in
the law that could be construed as
requiring the board to incur obliga-
tions during the said fiscal year in ex.
cess of it's available funds for the said
year. The appropriations made for
the expenses of the board are strictly
fiscal year appropriations. The 1928
appropriation win not in any event
become available for payments due
for services rendered during the fiscal
year 1927"
MIR. Carl added, however, that he
appreciated the distressing situation
| presented and wish there existed an
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