Evening star., 1934-04-18
Public Welfare Changes.

passed the Senate Saturday under
unanimous consent and without dis
cussion calls for the transfer of
powers of the Board of Public We'll
fare to the Commissioners" But the
bill raises the question whether the
appropriate title should not be: ITO
abolish the Board of Public Welfare"
For, while the bill leaves the board
in existence, it strips the board of all
authority and powers except those
which the Commissioners may choose
to assign. The only specific duty
given the board is the rather indefl-
mite one of studying from time to
time" social and environmental con-
ditions in the District and reporting
thereon to the Commissioners. 1t IS
not at all certain, of course, whether
many able citizens would be found
to accept service on board so strip
ped of authority and, naturally, Of
prestige.
The real question in this bill is
whether the board should be abol-
ished. In this connection it is to
be remembered that the Board of
Public Welfare is comparative new
conner among municipal agencies. 1t
was created in 1926, although it sue
ceeded to various powers formerly
possessed by the Board of Childrens'
Guardians, Board Of Charities and
the Board of Trustees of the Ma
tional Training School for Girls
and desrived practically all of its
powers from these predecessors. But
the beard as it exists now, and with
all its wide and sometimes exclusive
power over charities, correctional and
eleemoSynary institutions, came into
being IS the result of lengthy study
by commission on public welfare
legislation, Of which the late Justice
Siddons was chairman, which had the
expert services of two representatives
of the Russell Sage Foundation. 1t
was regarded, at the time of its crea-
ton, as a distinct improvement in
the system of supervising the agencies
intrusted to its care. To wipe it out,
in effect, now. and to transfer its
many duties to the Commissioners
without the benefit OF more study
than has been given to the proposed
change, Is of doubtful wisdom.
The nine members of the Board of
Public Welfare serve without pay and
are chosen for six years by the Com
missioners. But as the terms of three
members expire every other year, it
is a continuing body. The members
are removable only for cause by the
Commissioners and each member
must have been a resident of the
District "for at least three years"
previous to appointment.
The civilian Commissioners are ap-
pointed for three years and usually
go out with a change of national ad-
ministrations. Under the present bill
"all employees of the Board of Public
Welfare, including the director of
public welfare" shall become employees
Of the Commissioners "for such time
as their services may be deemed nee
essary." Such employees, the bill pro-
vides, may be discharged and new
employees may be appointed without
recommendation or nomination of the
board"
This, of course, is apt to make
political spoils of such important Off
ces as the director of public welfare
and of all the other positions under
the board. 1t may be said that po-
iitical considerations would not influ-
ence the present Board of Commits
sioners. But how long will the pres
ent Board of Commissioners remain?
The powers now vested with the
Board of Public Welfare may be safe
with the present Board of Com
missioners. What about succeeding
boards?
The administration of prisons, of
charities, of hospitals, of mothers
pensions, of the vastly complicated
machinery of public relief should be
absolutely and permanently divorced
from politics and political considera-
tions. The salaried employees of the
Board of Public Welfare should be
chosen on the basis of merit alone
This is particularly true of the Di-
rector Of Public Welfare, who should
not only be a skilled administrator,
but professionally trained for in
creasingly heavy responsibilities.
To those who remember the vast
amount of discussion. including
lengthy public hearings in House and
Senate, which preceded establishment
of the Board of Public Welfare it is
obvious that the present bill should be
delayed pending further considera-
tion. 1t might prove to be a regret
table mistake to rush it through to
enactment in its present form.