Evening star., 1936-11-08

9 0totf Nv W SOtWHSOt&s
quality of education for their children,
he stressed.
I'VE are trying to make our school
system a model for the country" he
added.
AS Ballou concluded. Chairman Nc
Aneny vouchsafed that the school
superintendent had presented his side
of the picture very we'll"
Police Services Discussed.
Maj. E. w. Brown, superintendent Of
police, told the committee that "spe-
cial Federal services" occupy a con-
siderable amount of the time of the
Metropolitan Police Department. Such
services are expensive, he said.
Because Of the confidential nature
of many Of the special services rem
dered as a result of Washington's
status as the seat Of the National
Government, Brown said he could not
discuss these services in detail in
open hearing. His offer to submit a
statement on this subject was accepted
by the committee.
The police chief said the special
Federal work so far this year has
consumed 1858 full days Of police
work at cost of 7l,968. Last year
1857 days were devoted to such work,
at cost of $67,629. In 1894 there
were 1882 days of special services,
costing $99.867, and in 1898 there
were 36,472 days. costing s337,549.
Brown explained the increase in
1888 was due to work incident to the
Inauguration Of President Roosevelt,
coupled with a hunger march" on
the Capital. He said the special
services included in the estimates in
clude parades Of a purely Federal
character, but not Halloween or other
civic demonstrations.
Washington, he said, stands fourth
among half q dozen cities OF COM
parable size in strength of police
force. 1t is third among these cities
in the number Of police per 1000 OF
population.
The city's 1880 policemen cover
6s.2 square miles with a population
Of $4,000. he stated. There is an
average Of one policeman for every
1878 square miles and an average
Of % policemen for every 1000 per-
sons in the District, he testified.
Welfare Work Detailed.
Elwood Street. director Of public
welfare, pointed out that public well
fare services in the District bear q
| fictitious appearance of being unduly
high in comparison with other Amer
ican cities" He cited a number OF
reasons. mentioning specifically that
the District combined the public well
fare services Of State, county and
city.
Street also emphasized that the
welfare services in the District are
inadequate, and cited as a conspicu-
Gus example the overcrowding OF
penal institutions and the inadequacy
Of relief plants.
| Street said that in 40 Of the 4e
States public welfare functions in
general are performed by countie.
rather than by cities. Even where
there is q city public welfare system
he said, institutions for juvenile de-
linquents, for problem children" etc.
are operated by the county as are
those forms of relief found in mothers
pensions, general relief and old-age
assistance, as we'll as the care of the
aged and infrm and the confinement
Of short-time prisoners in the work
house. In many counties also. hi
declared. the general public hospital,
and the jails are operated by the
county rather than by the city.
Another inaccuracy in computation
of welfare costs comes from difference.
in accounting and budgeting proce.
dure," said Street. In the District
of Columbia appropriation act for1937
under Department of Public Welfare,
the first item is for personal services
sl15,3O0.' This looks as though II
might be administrative costs. It :!
not. The cost of the Office of thu
Department of Public Welfare in tht
District of Columbia is only $23,820
as planned for 1887. OF it one-third
or $7,s4O, might be charged each tt
normal State administration, county
administration and city administra.
tion-if these services were separate.
"The other items in this Sis, 800
are SOS 300 for the personnel of TIT
Child Welfare Division, whose worl
of placing children in foster home.
would normally be a county activity
and SIS, 5,180 for the permit Office. Thi'
sum would, normally, be divided or
q $3.50 basis between county and city
services-or If the hospitals and medi.
cal charities were in the county ad'
ministration, would be completely
part of the county's expenditures.
Street said for the various reason!
| he outlined 1t is quiet clear" thai