Evening star., 1941-05-18

e Industrial Home School, the In
which Mrs. Roosevelt and a House
investigation last year condemned.
Instead of continually patching up
failing facilities at these institutions
or even attempting replacement at
present locations, the sponsors of
the welfare center project expect to
effect economies of construction re-
sulting from the use of common
utilities such as sewer, water, heat,
light and power.
The operating economies would
result from use Of common main
tenance and repair crew, from the
provision of food from a central
farm, and from the common use of
physicians, dentists, specialists and
other administrative personnel.
At the present time, probably no
District department is so decen-
tralized as the Welfare Department.
Its administrative Offices are scat
tered through the downtown district
and its institutions range within the
District from Conduit road on the
west to Blue Plains in southeast,
not to mention the penal establish
ments in Virginia and the District
Training School for feebleminded
in Maryland. 1t involves a major
transportation operation for resign
ing Welfare Director Robert Bondy
to call an administrative conference.
Some much needed unification was
to have been effected with the trans
fer Of the department to the new
Municipal Center, but this has been
postponed because of the temporary
demands of the War Department.
With the concentration of adminis-
trative Offices in the new center,
however, and the concentration of
the proposed four institutions on a
single tract, Mr.. Bondy looks for
increased administrative efficiency
which now is impossible.
Spikes Opposition.
In an effort to spike any opposi-
ton to the plan from some who may
feel it undesirable to house the aged,
the delinquent boys and the delin-
quent girls on the same tract, Mr..
Bondy emphasized that the build
ings would be separate and perhaps
mile apart.
Although there are some who re-
portedly feel the money should be
spent in expanding the child pro-
tective service-readjustment work
now carried on by about 10 profess
sional social workers with delinquent
children who have not yet been
hauled into Juvenile Court-rather
than on bigger and better institu-
tions, Mr.. Bondy said institutions
would still be needed for those COM
mitted by the court. Preventive
work. he said, does not always affect
all of the cases.
Should the proposed plan be dis
approved, number of major i'm
provements will have to be made at
the present locations of these in
stitutions, but officials feel this
would be pouring money down
drain. The Commissioners, in ap-
proving the proposed center, have
cut from the welfare budget several
items sought, such as a new power
plant at Blue Plains.
1t is understood that welfare Of
ficials would attempt to relocate the
institutions at the rate of about one
a year and in order determined by
the urgency of conditions at the in
stltutions. 1t is thought the Home
for the Aged might be the first to
/ be moved.
The plan to relocate grew out of
conditions existing at each of the
institutions. The Home for Aged
and Inflrm was originally con-
structed partly from secondhand
materials and none of the buildings.
according to reports, meets safety
requirements. Two of the three
boilers were moved to the home from
the Capitol about 1914 and only re-
Gently the power house was set on
nre when an overheated boiler
caused flames to break out on the
roof. In addition demands on the
Blue Plains acreage from outside
sources make it virtually impossible
to extend the facilities there. The
proposed extension of Fort Foote
parkway cuts across the grounds
and the Navy Department reportedly
has asked for some of the land. The
sewage disposal plant is likewise
considered none too desirable COM
panion to the institution.
AOito4iny1 f4r
Home School for white has been
going on for years on the ground
that the present Wisconsin avenue
location is too urban. The bright
lights of nearby movies and stores
serve only to make the inmates
more conscious of their confinement
and enforcement of that confine-
ment doubly difficult. The recent
disturbances there resulting in the
resignation of Supt. Earle w. Cassie
were cited by Mr.. Bondy as another
example of the need for relocation.
In addition it is understood the
Navy wants to make use of some
OF the property which belongs to its
research laboratory and several
other Federal departments are said
to be interested in the site.
A Residential Area.
The National Training School for
Girls, on Conduit read, is in the
middle of residential community
and similarly unsatisfactory for an
enforcement point view. Boys drive
their cars out, park them near the
reservation and carry on gossip with
the inmates. The buildings gen.
orally need repair and are old except
for the cottage for white girls, which
Is about two years old. Mrs. Roose-
velt was interested in the institu-
ton.
The Industrial Training School
for colored is on tart of the tract
of the Home for the Aged. Its build
ings are in much better condition,
but officials feel it would not be
economical to run the plant there
if the Home for the Aged is moved.
The same utilities are used by both.
Of the $4,000 sought in the budget