Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-18
DETENTION HOUSE
FOOD CAUSES TILT
IN SENATE HEARING
Senator Bingham Asks Rea-
son for Grapes in October
and Tender Chickens.
RETENTION OF QUARTERS
is URGED DURING QUIZ
Mrs. Van Wrinkle Would Have
Two Departments Placed
Under Single Rule.

A request that the Senate restore to
the District bill the appropriation for
rent to enable the Woman's Bureau and
House of Detention to remain in their
present quarters, instead of having to
move into a DiStrict-owned building in
the municipal center area, and re-
newal of the tilt that occurred before
the House committee over the cost and
variety of meals at the detention house
marked the appearance of Lieut.. Nina
c. Van Wrinkle before the Senate sub
committee on District appropriations.
The Senate hearings, just made public,
show that Chairman Bingham asked
further questions about tender chickens
for roasting" and the ordering OF grapes
in October.
Mrs Van Wrinkle vigorously defended
the operation of the detention house
economical handling of the foodstufts
and as to the necessity for leaving the
institution in its present quarters.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle told the Senators
that one of the heaviest charges against
the item of $5,453.77 for food and
groceries in the fiscal year 1928
discussed by Representative Simmons
while preparing the bnI, was the cost
of keeping boys and girls at the House
of Detention for several months OF that
fiscal year, although Congress had
ordered them transferred to separate
receiving home to be set up by the
Board of Public Welfare on July l, 1928.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle said the welfare de-
partment was not ready to take the
children on July /, and that the boys
were left at the detention house four
months and the girls for five months.
She said the food and grocery item for
that wear was compared with the cost
of maintaining the children IN the re-
ceiving home as against the cost OF
maintaining the women In the deten-
ton home.
Mrs. Van Wrinkles Statement.
'eWhen the children were finally turn
ed over to the receiving home" read
the statement filed with the Senate
subcommittee, sit was on our initiative
because we realized that unfair COM
parsons could be made If we were TO
continue spending our money on the
wards of the receiving home"
In further defense of her organlza-
ton, Mrs Van Wrinkles statement said:
1.-THE Womans Bureau is depart
ment within the Police Department, and
it should function on appropriations
especially set aside for its purposes. All
Office supplies, salaries of policewomen,
rent, telephone, furniture, ETC., should
be charged to the Police Department.
but heretofore only salaries have been
charged to the police appropriations.
With but few exceptions everything
else has been charged TO the cost OF
administering the detention home. These
charges are likewise made against the
per capita cost of maintaining the IN
mates to whom this cost bears no rela-
ton because at this writing these two
police units are distinctly separate. Since
there are thos who deliberately and per-
Sistently cause confusion In the taxpay-
ers' mind and misunderstanding in
Congress, the detention home and the
Women's Bureau should function as one
unit and be known hereafter as the
Woman's Bureau; that that part OF the
appropriation used for the maintenance
of inmates shall hereafter be itemized
clearly as such and that no other items
of expenditure for rent for the Woman'S
Bureau, etc, which bear no relation 10
detention home subsistence, be per-
mitted to obscure these facts"
Before Mrs. Van Wrinkle appeared be-
fore the subcommittee Senator Bing-
ham questioned Mai. Pratt about the
diet at the House of Detention.
Senator Bingham-Apart from any
possible misinterpreting of figures, what
have you to say in regard to this tesC1-
mony that came out in regard to the
VI Ikl1llSS JI1db "CAC =
large amount of fruits and vegetables
and fish and oysters, and tender chick
ems for roasting, and so on?
Mai Pratt explained to the House
committee at that time that that was all
stuff that was necessary in order to keep
the balanced diet that we were trying to
give these prisoners.
Average Three Days.
Senator Bingham asked for the aver
age length of time persons stayed at the
detention house, and was told nearly
three days, with exceptions that lasted
for longer periods. The Senator said
two or three days he did not see the
necessity for the wide variation In
diet"
Mai Pratt suggested the subcommit-
tee ask Mrs. Van Wrinkle about that.
He said she told him the diet was set
out by the Agriculture Department.
When the chairman read a requisition
showing various quantities OF fruits,
meats and Seafood, Maj. Pratt explain
ed it was based on a requiSition Mrs.
Van Wrinkle is compelled, under the
purchasing system, to make out for
month It did not mean, the major
said, that those articles were ordered at
any one time or any one day.
Senator Bingham-Do you not think
it is unusual in the month OF october,
in the House of Detention, to have
watermelon and grapes and grapefruit
and pears?
Maj. Pratt do not have them on
my own table.
When Mrs. Van Wrinkle went before
the subcommittee she told them that in
october the grapes were four pounds
for a quarter, adding that as matter
of fact there is nothing cheaper as
dessert than to give somebody little
bunch of grapes. 1t requires no sugar
or cream or anything. There is nothing
cheaper than a small bunch of grapes"
With regard to location of the de-
tention house, the subcommittee was
told none of the properties the District
has bought thus far in the municipal
center area is suitable to accommodate
the institution.