Evening star., 1940-03-27

had testified at the hearings that
the present bakery was falling In.
The committee in its report or
welfare institutions also:
l. Asserted that the quarters OF
the Children's Receiving Home are
unsuited for the purpose both as tc
size and arrangement. and recon.
mended that the Commissioner
consider the location of a new home
"as soon as the. financial condition
Of the District will permit"
2 Recommended that the Com
missioners order study of the pos
sible economies that could be ef-
tected at the workhouse and re.
formatory by installing a Diesel OF
steam plant to supply power with a
view to recommending the project
if 1t is found economical.
3. Commended the efficiency. OF
operation of the District Training
School. which cares for the feeble
minded. but suggested improved
methods of segregating the inmates
and better care of the grounds sur
rounding the buildings.
4. Granted a total of $7,473, ,925 fol
the activities and agencies of the
welfare system. which is $123,1OO
more than the 1910 appropriation
and $20,63 less than the Budget
estimates
Mrs. Roosevelt's Suggestions.
Many of the new provisions as
we'll as suggestions for ultimate i'm
provements of the institutions were
recommended by Mrs. Roosevelt
when she testified before the Public
Health Subcommittee which. under
the Craftsmanship of Representative
D'Alesandro, reported after a six
week inquiry into welfare conditions
including visits to almost every in
stitution.
Mrs. Roosevelt stressed the need
for additional personnel at Blue
Plains, criticized the facilities at the
Children's ReceivinsAHome, particu-
larly for lack of segregation of in
mates and deplored the inadequacy
of medical facilities at Blue Plains.
She also sought fixing of the re-
sponsibility for the institutions on
one official.
During Chairman D'Alesandro's
tour Of the institutions many of the
needs. not provided for in the Bud
get estimates, but recognized by the
appropriations body. were brought to
light.
During the hearings of the Appro-
priations Subcommittee, and also in
its report. the publicity that accom-
panied the investigation was fire.
quently referred to. Questions about
welfare institutions and where the
responsibility lay for conditions in
them. were asked by the subcommit-
tee at the very opening of the hear
ings.
'Dirtiest Place Ever
At that time, when Commissioner
Melvin c. Hazen testified that he
knew Blue Plains very well" and
added that 1t needed "remodeline
and some improvements" Chairman
Caldwell commented:
1T seems to me. and I am speak
ing for myself, that Blue Plains Is
in need of some elbow grease
Representative Stefan added
THAT goes for me as we'll"
Later In the bearing Mr.. Stefan
called Blue Plains "the dirtiest place
have ever been in
Several members of the subcom-
mittee commented disparagingly on
the fact that inmates of the home
were not compelled to work, al
though Supt. Haskell said the in
mates weren't very dependable labor
When they 60 out to pick toma-
toes he said. "they destroy more
tomatoes than they pick"
Mr.. Caldwell remarked that when
he visited the institution "the only
activity saw anywhere was that OF
three or four people sitting around
a table playing coon can"
The subcommittee chairman also
suggested that those eligible for old
age assistance should be discharged
from the institution unelss they were
willing to perform some useful duty
around the institution"
Tucker Is Praised.
Wendell P. Tucker, superintendent
Of the Industrial Home School for
Colored Boys, was the only institu-
tion head to win unqualified praise
from the subcommittee.
Your institution" Chairman
Caldwell told him. "is one of the
best in the District of Columbia"
In discussing the grounds sur
rounding the District Training
School. DR.. James Lewald, the
superintendent. pointed out that
there had never been an appropria-
ton for the improvement of the
grounds. Mr.. Caldwell's response to
that was an admonition that I'VE
must learn to do some things with
out money"
Frequent comparisons were made
at the hearings between the upkeer
of prisoners and inmates of other in
stitutions. Mr.. Caldwell pointed out
that the maximum security institu-
tions Of the Bureau Of Prisons cost
81 500 per inmate. the same figure
approximated by DR.. Lewald for the
capital investment per inmate. The
comparison arose again when Mr.
Caldwell asked Miss Andruss why II
cost more to feed the inmates of tht
National Training School for Girl.
than it did the inmates of the Dis.
trict Jail.
A "cute little colored baby" figured
prominently in the discussion Of thu
Childrens Receiving Home. The 2.
year-old child had been left on {
doorstep by her mother. Mrs. Stefar
wanted to know If the Receiving
Home was "the place where they
sent that little colored baby" ant
Representative O'Neal, later in thu
hearings, said that In his home towr
Of Louisville, KY, I'VE never would
think to put that child in a place
like that"
School Group to Meet
LUCKETTS, Va, March ~ (Spe-