Evening star., 1934-10-16
CITY JAIL TERMED
|NSAN|TARY, UNFIT
/. BY WELFARE HEAD
Lorton Reformatory Also Is
Attacked by Street !:
Before Club.
NEXT RELIEF STEPS
REVEALED BY WILLET
Monday Evening Club Favors
Proficient Successor to
DR.. W. C. Fowler.

~ - " 4S4s
Describing the District Jail as "in-
sanitary and unit to house prison.
ers." Welfare Director Elwood Street
told the Monday Evening Club last
night it "ought to be kicked into the
river"
1T Is cruel to keep people there"
he said, adding that sometimes it is
necessary to keep prisoners in the in
stitution for months and years.
Street also leveled q barrage at the
District Reformatory, at Lorton, Va.
He said it was an "indignity" to have
brick wall around part Of the in
stitution and called it mo practical
way" to handle prisoners who should
not be committed to "an open-air
reformatory."
More Volunteers Urged.
The welfare director and Com
munity Chest Director Herbert L.
Willet, jr., revealed to the club the
next steps which have been proposed
in both public and private welfare
programs for the city. Street recon-
mended extension of volunteer social
service and said more training was
| needed for the social work staff Of
the emergency relief division. He
suggested also extension of the self
help movement and improvement Of
the jail, the reformatory and Gal.
| linger Hospital, where, he said. an
addltional ward building should be
built.
Willet, praising the close co-ordina-
ton between public and private vel
fare work, told the club the private
agencies Of the Chest planned to
pick up where public .relief ended
and do nothing which could and
should be done by public authorities.
The club, presided over by Miss
Katherine Lenroot, president, adopted
resolution in line with that Of the
Medical Society Of the District of
Columbia, asking appointment Of 'ths
most proficient public health admins.
traitor available" as O successor to
Dr.. William G. Fowler, who retires In
November as District health officer.
The club urged that the appointment
be made regardless of political or
geographical considerations"
Library Board Favored.
Opposing any proposal to abolish
the board Of trustees of the Public
Library. and supplant it with an ad-
visory body, q resolution by Mrs. Lyman
Swormstedt. was referred to the Ex-
ecutive Board Of the club.
The resolution urged that "any new
legislation to be enacted affecting the
government Of the District of Colum.
bia should continue undiminished the
powers now given to the Board Of
Library Trustees, under whose ad-
ministration the Public Library Is
being progressively developed as an
effective supplement of the public
educational system of the District Of
Columbia"
In q resolution on the death Of
George s. Wilson, former president
Of the organization. the club paid
| tribute ito one who truly gave his
best for the good Of others"
The program Of the evening, OPEN
ing discussion for the year under the
general subject of Social Planning in
Washington" was under direction Of
Walter s. Ufford. Mr.. Ufford an
nounced formation of a group to
study economic security" which met
prior to the club session to discuss
social insurance" Other groups,
which the club plans to form for
special study, and their chairmen, in
clude: Housing Problems, John Ihl-
der; Public Health and Medical Care,
chairman to be announced; Com
munity Organization for Prevention
and Treatment Of Delinquency, Miss
Louise MCGUIRE, chairman.
Street In his discussion declared
zone Of the greatest weaknesses of
all our institutions Is lack of ade-
quate social service"
Advisory Groups Urged.
Suggesting more volunteer service,
especially In the emergency relief di-
vision, Street said he hoped for the
development Of volunteer committees
which viii advise on the work of the
emergency relief division In the vari-
Gus districts Of the city.
The self-help movement, he pre-
dicted, eventually might take many
OF the relief rolls and should "help
greatly the morale of the unem-
ployed."
Discussing the Community Chest,
Director Willett explained an in
tensive effort was being put forth
to do more with less money available,
but plans were being made to raise
as much as possible this Fall.
More emphasis win be placed, he
said. on the personal equation In
Chest work, the human need and
relief. More than l05, 900 persons are
estimated to receive help from the
Chest, he said.
During discussion after the meet
ing Udord asked why the mothers
aid item IN the budget had been
reduced. To this Street replied that
all Of the funds last year had not
been expended. Both Uiford and Mrs.
Jesse @. Adkins, chairman Of Q
club committee on this project, sug.
gested more hberality In the policy.
Miss Gertrude Bowling, director Of
the Instructive Visiting Nurse Asso-
citation, proposed that aphysicians to
the poor" should be higher paid BY
the District. Street agreed with this,
but said requests for increased ap-
preparation had been denied.
Two new members were admitted:
Ross Garrett. co-ordinator Of Health
and Hospital Council, and Mrs. Iss-
belle Carter.
Ray II. Everett was secretary Of the
meeting.
Hyattsville Plans Glee Club.
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