Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-31
House Orders
Inquiry Into
Blue Plains
Mrs. Roosevelt
Invited to Give
Information

District Committee today directed
the Subcommittee on Public Health
to make an immediate investigation
of conditions at the Home for the
Aged and Infirm at Blue Plains.
At the same time, he announced
he would invite Mrs Franklin D.
Roosevelt, who recently visited the
institution and criticized conditions,
to give the subcommittee any infor-
nation she cares to with respect to
her observations at the home.
Representative D'Alessandro, Dem
ocrat, Of Maryland, who yesterday
introduced a resolution calling for a
sweeping investigation by the Dis
trict Committee on conditions at the
institution, will be placed in charge
of the inquiry.
Mrs Roosevelt today made an
other surprise inspection trip when
she visited the District Receiving
Home for Children and the Indus
trial Home School.
When the group visited the Re-
ceiving Home workmen were found
repairing a torn screen. It was dam
aged, the group was informed, when
three girls attempted to escape last
night.
Although Representative Bates,
Democrat, of Kentucky is chairman
of the Public Health Subcommit-
tee, he told Representative RAN
dolph he would rather have Mr..
D'Alessandro take charge of the
Blue Plains investigation since the
Maryland Congressman apparently
is intensely interested in the insti-
tuition. Mr.. D'Alessandro is a mem
Der of the Public Health Subcom-
mittee.
Mrs. Roosevelt's appearance be-
fore the subcommittee would estab-
lish precedent since wife of a
President has never before testified
before a congressional committee.
Mrs Roosevelt has attended Dies
Committee hearings, but merely as
a spectator
Representative D'Alessandro's res
olution asking the House to direct
the District Committee or proper"
subcommittee to make an investiga-
ton at the Blue Plains home is
pending before the Rules Commit
tee.
Representative Randolph said it
would not be necessary for the Rules
Committee or the House to act on
the D'Alessandro resolution because
he believed such an inquiry should
be made without delay and for that
reason ordered the Public Health
Subcommittee to make it.
| Mr. Randolph also expressed the
hope that the subcommittee as the
first step in the investigation would
visit the home and learn at first
hand conditions existing there.
In addition to Mr.. Bates and Mr.
D Alessandro the public health SUBJ
committee is composed of Repre-
sentatives Schultz. Democrat, OF
Indiana, and Shafer of Michigan
and Vreeland of New Jersey, both
Republicans.
The children at the Receiving
Home, she was informed, are housed
in the home sometimes for weeks
awaiting hearing in the Juvenile
Court. Both white and colored chill
/ dren are held at the home.
District welfare officials tor some
years have urged appropriation OF
funds for the construction of new
ana adequate building to house Dis
trict wards who are now cared fol-
in the rented quarters on BIG Poto-
mac avenue Sc. used by the Re-
ceiving Home.
At the Industrial Home School fol
White Children, 2453 Wisconsin
avenue NV, she said condi-
tons were pretty good
No Segregation Facilities.
Mrs. Roosevelt, who was accom-
panied on the Receiving Home and
Industrial Home trip today by Mrs
David Gray, relative, and one rep
resentative of the press, was par
| ticularly critical of the lack Of ia
cilities for segregation, according to
types and ages, of the District
wards sent to the Receiving Home
She noted that urderaged persons
who are accused of offenses against
the law are housed along with chill
dren who are at the home only be-
cause of family or other circum-
stances.
1t was also noted particularly
by Mrs. Roosevelt that there was nc
immediate medical examination
possible for all children sent to the
home. there being physician fol
! girls who visited the place only
twice week and physician for ex-
animation of boys at more frequent
intervals.
The following direct quotation re-
(See MRS. ROOSEVELT, Pg. Al