Evening star., 1934-04-21
GROUPS OPPOSED
ON Law
Commissioners Neutral c
Changes Proposed by Pre-
tective Association.

Disagreement between the Juvenfle
Protective Association and the Execu-
tive Committee Of the District Bar
Association over the need Of a new
adoption law for the District Is out
lined by the Commissioners In q re-
port submitted today to Chairman
King of the Senate District Commit
tee on the proposed legislation.
The city heads noted arguments
advanced by both proponents and op-
ponents Of the BILL but did not recon-
| mend either favorable or adverse
action by Congress. They took the
position question Of policy only was
involved and they did not feel called
upon to decide the issue.
Evidence was laid before the Com
missioners by proponents Of the mea-
sure to show that abuses Of the present
adoption system are possible, but
w. w. MILAN, who drafted a report
on the matter for the Bar Associa-
| ton group, argued the proposed new
procedure would be cumbersome,
! costly to petitioners and that the
present brief law affords all necessary
safeguards.
| The Dill was drafted and sponsored
| by the Juvenile Protective Associa-
ton after consultation with other So
cial service groups.
Four Important Points.
Corporation Counsel E. Barrett
Prettyman, in outlining the subject
for the Commissioners, said the bill
, contained four points Immediately
warranting consideration. One Is a
requirement that an investigation be
made in all cases by the Board of
| Public Welfare. A second provision
would prevent a mother from giving
consent to adoption of a child under
the age of six months. A third would
require that child must live one
year with the proposed adaptive
parents before the decree would be
final. The fourth point is that the
| consent of parents of a child could
be waived in cases where they had
been deprived permanently of custody
Of child by order of court.
MILAN contended the court now
had authority to deny any applica-
not proved to its satisfaction. He
said the Board of Welfare (of which
he is chairman) would make an in
vestigation sought by the court.
Sees Ample Authority.
He contended the bill calls for a
complicated and cumbersome method
Of accomplishing very simple thing"
and added there is no danger Of
abuses "if the judges do their duty
| and exercise their authority under
the present law as they always have
done in the past and undoubtedly
will continue to do
He argued the bill provides a
routine that must be followed in every
case, though in many cases wholly
unnecessary. He feared the petit
toner would not be safe under the
proposed new procedure without
| counsel and increased expense and
said the effect might be to discourage
! worthy persons from seeking to adopt
children.
On the other hand, proponents in
! formed the Commissioners of one case
as an argument for the new system.
They reported a woman obtained
final papers for adoption of a small
| child within 10 days. Yet, it was
argued at the time of the application,
social agency had information that
the foster mother had been divorced
on grounds Of adultery, that a charge
! of an insurance fraud was pending
! against her and that she had OBJ
| tanned custody of the child by kid
uaping it.