Evening star., 1936-02-16
CLUB TO REVIEW
YEARS Of SERVICE
Monday Evening Group to
Mark 40th Anniversary
Tomorrow.

Forty years of activity In behalf OF
social reforms for the District will be
celebrated by the Monday Evening
Club tomorrow night at the Y. w. G. A.,
Seventeenth and K streets.
Instead of conf1ning the 40th an
niversary dinner to matters of local
concern, however, club members will
hear a topic of national significance
discussed by DR.. Karl Pribram OF the
Brookings Institution, former economic
adviser to the International Labor
Office at Geneva, and Richard w.
Hogue, Independent Legislation Bu-
reau of Washington. Their subject
is Economic and Constitutional Linz
itations to Social Programs"
When formed in 1895 as an organi-
Eation designed to bring together ofh-
cials of public and private charities,
the club had 35 members. Its men,
bership today includes virtually every
Washingtonian prominent in activities
for the improvement Of health, hous-
ing and social reform here. Through
the medium of the club, members are
afforded an open forum for discussion
Of social welfare and legislation ideas
Once Called "Tammany."
Gallinger Municipal Hospital, the
District Training School and the Alley
Dwelling Authority represent the real
ization of some of the Monday Eve
ming Clubs principal efforts in social
betterment.
So prominent in District affairs
have been club members that it was
once accused of being the Tammany
Hall of Washington because of the
appointment to public Office of those
who had held or were holding Office IL
the club. Three Commissioners
Frederick L. Siddons, Oliver P. New.
man and Louis c. Brownlow-hac
been members. It Is the clubs idea
however, to subordinate personal aim!
to plead the cause of those who cannot
The club reached a membership O
1856 in 1910 and at that time had OF
Its Executive Committee Rev. Johr
Van Schaick, jr., later chairman O
the Board of Education and nov
editor of the Christian Leader; DR.
Merrill E. Gates, former president O
Amherst College; Henry B. F. Mac
farland and G. A. Lyon of The Eve
ming Star.
One of the most important service.
OF the club in its early days was the
distribution of $4,000 pamphlets t.
the parents of school children, ad
vising them concerning diet and phys.
1cal welfare.
Wilson Endorsed Program.
In 1913 the group adopted a so.
cial service program of 81 points
which received the Endorsement o.
President Wilson. Miss Margaret
Wilson Joined the club and took ar
active part in carrying out its OBJ.
jectives, which included school nurses
branch libraries. the use of schoo
buildings as social and civic centers
a revised child labor law (enacted ir
1929. and establishment of the Wom.
ans Bureau Of the Police Depart.
ment.
The opening Of Galinger Hospita
in January, 1928. clirnaxed one o.
the most vigorous of Monday Evenins
Club drives. Another victory wa!
celebrated with the opening in 1872:
of the District Training School, with
an initial appropriation of 100000
Among items in the "31 points
OF 1913 that have not been realized
and for which the club is still striving
are: A modern municipal lodging
house, Juvenile Court building, sep
arate provision for the treatment oi
inebriates and drug victims, a small
loan law and improved procedure fol
the commitment of the insane
The club also seeks coordination
of public recreational facilities, further
development of the District Training
School for the Predetermined, single
probation bureau for all adult offend.
ers, increased appropriations for the
Parole Board, an eight-hour day fol
woman workers and a research depart.
ment in the Board of Public Wei.
fare.