Evening star., 1940-02-10
s. Rooseve|ts Testimony Before District Subcommittee

I modern program there, and I think
the children there have a better
chance. 1t does give them a better
chance I did not come away from
that institution as heavy hearted
as I did from the Receiving Home.
I am afraid that is about all I
can tell you of my latest visit.
Mr.. D'Alesandro-Mrs Roosevelt,
don't you think that general sur
vey should be made of the public
welfare institutions of the District
of Columbia by unbiased investi-
gators?
Mrs. Roosevelt think the first
thing to do is to see if we cannot do
something about these institutions
and then get these people who can
do something to make survey
Mr.. Randolph-Mrs. Roosevelt, I
wonder if you would care to tell us,
because you travel extensively
whether you believe the conditions
in this type of home in the District
of Columbia are more aggravated
than they are in other cities COM
parable in size throughout the
United States.
Mrs. Roosevelt-Well I believe
conditions are more aggravated.
Mr.. Randolph-Yes.
Sees Responsibility Divided
In District Government
Mrs. Roosevelt-Of course that de-
pends greatly upon the places that
you 60 to. There are some places
that are more advanced than
others, Mr.. Randolph. I have seen
places that 1 thought worse, but I
have seen others that thought were
infinitely better. s
Mr.. Kennedy-Mrs Roosevelt, ]
am speaking in the interests of re-
/ organization of the entire District
government and you are familiar
with our efforts in that behalf
Isn't it true that the management
of the District government is re-
sponsible for these conditions?
Mrs. Roosevelt-Well, am not, Of
course. familiar enough. l do not
consider myself sufficiently familiar
with the District government to fee
that I could hold any one respon.
sible, but do think you have u
recognize that there is division o.
responsibility in the District gov
ernment which is not the same il
any other place in the country, ane
perhaps there is very little reason
for finding out who is to blame, bu
the point is to try to find out wha
you can do about it.
Mr.. Kennedy-That is the point
was going to bring out. that there
is a division of authority. and al
present if a complaint is made tt
some particular phase of the Dis.
trict government it is hard to place
the responsibility.
Interested in improvement,
Not in How 1t Is Done.
Mrs. Roosevelt-It will always bt
hard, I think. OF course. you dt
have a Setup here that is entirely
different from what we have any
where else. I do not know how vol
are going to change that or wha
you can do. I am not expert enough
on this subject to have any opinion
am only interested in seeing that
however you do it, you do something
which improves it.
Mr.. Kennedy-By this setup yol
mean that We have here in the Dis.
trict a combination of State ant
municipal?
Mrs. Roosevelt-City and Federal
You have not the State here. 81
that you do not have State contri.
buttons that you would have in mos
cities in some of the districts, bu
you do have division between thu
District government and the Fedora
Government which is different from
what it would be in any other place
Mr.. Kennedy-Would you thinl
if we had a different set-up for the
local government, such as this pro.
posed by the Griffenhagen people
and I am speaking of the whole
plan, that that will help matters?
Mrs. Roosevelt really woulc
not be qualified 70 give an opinion
That is for you gentlemen to decide
I would not be qualified to pass or
that
Getting Appropriations
Seen Real DifIiculty.
Mr.. Kennedy-That proposal was
to have an executive in the city
who would be responsible for the
management of all the functions OF
the District government, hospitals
and all other functions.
Mrs. Roosevelt-Would you mino
repeating that. please?
Mr.. Kennedy-The proposal was
to have an executive manager whc
would be RESPONSIBLE for the man.
agement of all of the functions Of
the District government. the hos.
pitals and all other functions.
Mrs. Roosevelt-You have Com
missioners now who are responsible
Mr.. Kennedy-Yes, but the Com
missioner divide up the work anc
each Commissioner takes upon him
self the management of certain
branches of the government
Mrs. Roosevelt-Does not your real
difficulty come down to where you
get the money for these things and
that is quite aside from the actual
management or the actual way it is
set up, so that it seems to me that
that is perhaps part that should
receive consideration.
Mr.. Kennedy-Do you mean as to
appropriations?
| Mrs. Roosevelt-Yes, even If you