Evening star., 1940-02-16
Asks Questions About
District Institutions
!. Writer Urges Study
Of Budget Provisions
For Welfare
TO the Editor Of rhs Star:


For WeIfurs
TO the Editor Of Ths Star:
The Home for the Aged ana Iufirm
ut Blue Plains ana the Receiving Home
are both being given considerable at
tention and their faults are being aired.
Mrs. Roosevelt started 1t and II TROUBLES
evaporate on being properly aired" It
looks as though the troubles Of these two
institutions are nearly over.
But while the discussion is going on
It might be well to make sure that ali
the troubles are brought out into the
open. Mr.. Bondy, director Of Public
Welfare. outlined to the subcommittee
Of the House District Committee what
appeared to be very comprehensive
plan for the correction Of the faults and
for the future development Of the Home
for the Aged. But that is only one Of
IS institutions operated by the District
OF Columbia. The entire list includes:
Workhouse, Reformatory. Jail, National
Training School for Girls, District Train
ing School. Industrial Home School, In
dustrial Home School for Colored, Home
for Aged and Infirm, Municipal Lodging
House, Receiving Home, Temporary
Home for Former Soldiers and Sailors,
Gallinger Hospital and Glenn Dale
Sanatorium.
During the year ending June, 1885, the
average population in these institutions
was over 6,700 with expenditures Of
about 100000. That comes near being
big business. Here Is what some of the
money went for: Food, $446,902; fuel,
light and power. t282, ,19O; laundry, $685.
448; repairs, 65,986: farm and stable,
$685. ,104; personal service, $1,715,O00.
In addition to the 100000 which
the District spends to operate these Is
institutions there is also spent about
$3,000,000 to pay for the care Of sick,
mentally diseased and delinquents in
other institutions. Some of that money
goes to st. Elizabeth's, some to the Ma
tional Training School for Boys operated
by the Federal Government. That makes
a total of 100000 that the District
spends for institutional care of those
who for one reason or another have
lost out, violated some law of society
or health or as they are sometimes
classified, the detectives, dependents
and delinquents.
The total budget Of the District, with
out trust funds, is about SO, ,OOO, 600 so
that the bill for institutional care alone
is about II per cent of the total Dis
trict budget. And if you care to add to
this institutional bill of health and
welfare the cost of unconstitutional
work there is total of about SIC, 900 900,
as relief. child welfare and other welfare
work costs about $2.400 900, and enforce
ment Of the sanitary code, nursing and
other health work costs about 5000 900.
So the fact is that about Is per cent of
the District budget is for health and
welfare.
What Is to be done about it? At least
some questions might be asked, such as:
How does that compare with other
comparable cities? Are all the inmates
OF these institutions proper charges Of
the District? Is there any alternative to
institutional care or would another type
of institution care for them cheaper?
That can be partially answered by say
ing that one or more convalescent homes
would reduce the bills for hospital care.
Are the superintendents of these l3
establishments that spend $4,000, 600 able
to get the information, the help and
the supplies, materials and equipment
that will enable them to operate the
laundries, steam boilers, farms, kitchens
and make the necessary repairs as
economically as possible? In other words
are these institutions operated properly?
Do they develop the proper cost data,
records. reports and control data 30 that
those who are responsible can know how
the operation is going from month to
month? Can the business MANAGEMENT
be improved? Could there be more CO.
operation between the institutions?
Could the farm at the Workhouse supply
Gallinger Hospital with vegetables the
year around by storing onions, cabbage
and potatoes that will keep during the
winter? Could the women at one
of the correctional institutions make
dresses for the women at Blue Plains?
Is it necessary to operate 13 laundries,
13 bakeries, ETC.?
Those few questions should be enough
for everybody who likes to plan and
organize to have very interesting time
going home on the bus or sitting before
the fire. And 1t is possible that a
demonstration can be made that "a
penny saved Is penny appropriated"
It might even help some old woman at
Blue Plains. r. M
Comments on Care Of