Evening star., 1935-06-05
.|NEBR|ATES' FARM
PLAN IS APPROVED
New Public Welfare AsSoCi-
alton Backs Idea Offered
by Hazen.

Establishment OF a farm for ey-
tended care for habitual inebrlates, as
suggested recently by Commissioner
Hazen. has met with the Endorsement
of the newly formed Public welfare
Association Of the District.
This was the first formal expression
OF policy made by the association
after organization was effected last
night al a meeting in the Interior De-
partment Auditorium. DR.. Henry J.
Crosson. president of the Catholic
Charities and chairman Of the Com
mittee on Medical Service of the
Board of Public Welfare. was elected
chairman.
Police. prison. legal and welfare
officials approved the idea of the iarm
as a means of rehabilitating the per-
siStent drunk and arguments that the
plan would effect an actual saving in
Government costs were made.
1O-Year Record Cited.
Capt. NJ. NJ. Barnard. general su-
.oerintendent of penal institutions, pre-
sented figures showing 83,085 persons,
many of the repeaters. had been
committed during the past 10 years
for intoXication. The number of such
commitments is on the increase, he
and others reported.
In 1925, 4.728 were sent to the work
house or other institutions for drunk
enness. In 1880. the figure was 5.792,
and for 1884 the total was l3,l0l.
From June of last year to May 81
of this year the total was 1888.
Analyzing figures for the past two
years. Capt. Barnard showed one per-
son had been committed 80 times in
that period, IL had been sentenced
% times and 100 had been committed
times.
Mai. Ernest w Brown, superin-
tendent of police declared the
drunk" has come to be one Of the
greatest problems. 1t would cost no
more to place the habitual drunk on a
District farm than it does to send him
through the present system OF re-
peated confinement at the work house.
Commissioner Hszen said the pres
ent system was IAN endless chain In
which a man got drunk. was arrested,
convicted, sentenced, served time, was
released-and then went right back
to drink again. The habitual drunk
is a sick man and needs care just
the same as the tuberculosis victim,
for whom the District is building a
new 81 500. 600 hospital, he argued.
Prettyman Speaks.
Coporation Counsel Prettyman said
Police Court dockets were now lammed
with drunkenness cases. Twenty thou
sand informations for this oftense are
handled each year by his assistants,
he said. and not much good really
is accomplished"
He said half a day of time of one
of the judges is taken daily in han
ding the routine drunkenness cases.
Sanford Bates. director of the
United States Prisons Bureau, in
dorsed the idea.
Mrs. Charles A. Goldsmith, presi-
dent of the Jewish Social Service
Agency and chairman of the Emer-
gency Relief Committee of the Board
of Public Welfare. was elected vice
chairman of the Welfare Association.
Judge Fay Bentley of Juvenile Court
was elected treasurer and Elwood
Street. welfare director. was named
secretary The following were named
association directors: Commissioner
Allen. George w, Beasley, DR.. Edgar
A. Bocock, John B. Colpoys, Rev. Rus
sell J. Clinchy. Miss M. Alice Hill,
Frank r. Jelleff. Louis Gutenberg, DR..
John r. Studebaker. Miss Eta Tag
CART and Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley.