Evening star., 1938-04-16
COPELAND WEIGHS
APPEAL FOR CHILD
INSTITUTION FUNDS
Is Expected to Ask Senate
Unit for Appropriation
to Save Institutions.
CIVIC LEADERS VOICE
UNANIMOUS REQUEST
Sudden Abandonment Held Not
Feasible-Welfare Hints Are
Given at Hearing.

Senator Copeland, Democrat, of New
York is expected to recommend to
the Senate District Committee a de-
flciency appropriation for continuance
OF the Children's Receiving Home and
the National Training School for Girls
during the next fiscal year.
The Senator, author of resolution
to investigate child welfare needs in
the District, conducted hearing yes
terday, at which officials and civic
leaders unanimously requested that
the two institutions, whose appropri-
ations were cut off, be continued, at
least until other plans could be worked
out. Senator Copeland indicated he
was sympathetic to this proposal.
He also was urged to recommend
survey of child activities, with view
Of launching later permanent CO.
ordinated program.
These were among suggestions de-
veloped at the hearing:
All delinquent children should be
subjected to thorough physical and
psychiatric examination before being
committed to an institution.
A new Receiving Home with recrea-
tional facilities. should be provided
somewhere near the Juvenile Court.
Would Grade Incorrigibles.
There should be an intermediate
home for colored children graded be-
tween the incorrigible and the mildly
delinquent.
Il have been much concerned about
the children of the District Senator
Copeland said at the hearing. "and I
want to do the most humane things
possible for them"
Those present were emphatic in de-
claring there was no feasible way of
dispensing suddenly with the Chill
dren's Receiving Home and the Ma
tional Training School for Girls. Sen
ate and House conferees on the Dis
trict Appropriation Act decided to
close the girls school July and the
Receiving Home next January.
There was talk for time of trans
ferring both the Receiving Home and
the Women's Detention Home to the
old Police Court Building. but Elwood
Street, director of public welfare,
pointed out it would cost an estimated
$4,000 to make the structure fire.
proof and sanitary. Even then, Mr..
Street said, it would not be entirely
satisfactory. Senator Copeland agreed
1t would be undesirable to place wom-
en- prisoners and children together.
Doubts Feasibility of Transfer.
Mr.. Street did not think it would
be feasible to transfer the colored girls
at the training school, who are in
the overwhelming majority, to the
industrial Home and School for col
ored boys at Blue Plains, even if the
necessary expansion were authorized.
He pointed out this would involve
placing girls classed as incorrigible
with boys regarded only as problem
children.
Disagreeing, DR.. Carrie w. Smith,
former superintendent of the Ma
tional Training School for Girls, said
such an arrangement would work out
as well as it did in the case of the
Industrial Home and School for White
Children (girls and boys on Wiscon-
sin avenue.
DR.. Smith defended the training
school, declaring the rioting there last
year had been greatly exaggerated.
She charged police of the nearby
seventh precinct with an unfair, preju-
diced attitude toward the girls.
She said the failure" of the in
stitution for 40 years had been due
largely to the fact that it had been
a complete dump" forced to take
girls of every sort, feeble-minded.
insane and delinquent. She urged
that children should be given physical
and mental examinations before being
committed to any institution.
Miss Lenroot Gives Suggestions.
Miss Katherine Lenroot, head of
the Children's Bureau of the Labor
Department, saw as the greatest per-
manent need a co-ordinated program
OF child welfare. She suggested tenn
porary employment of an expert by
the Public Welfare Board to make a
survey. She said the Labor Depart
ment could contribute $4,000 toward
this out of funds due the District un-
der the Social Security Act. Later,
she said, permanent co-ordinator
should be named.
Those who took part in the hearing
included Mrs. Louis Gutenberg, presi-
dent of the Voteless d. c. League of
Women Voters; Mrs. Gorden Wagonet,
Assistant Corporation Counsel T. Gil
lespie Walsh and others.