Evening star., 1944-02-05
D. {. Leaders Suggest
Steps 10 Combat
Child Delinquency
Expansion Of PIoy, Health
And Welfare Units Urged
At D'AIesundro Heorino
BY DON 8. WARREN,

~ y fAISSOUOTO 0eOIInQ
BY DON 8. WARREN.
Expansion Of the Districts recre-
alton. health, welfare, school and
library facilities and services is
offered by leading municipal ON
cials as among the best answers
to the juvenile delinquency prob
lem.
Some steps in this direction al.
ready have been taken in budget
requests for the next fiscal year
and others are planned Or sug-
gested, according to testimony
given last night before the Dale
sandro Public Health subcommittee
OF the House District Committee,
which Is probing into the causes
and cures for Washington's way
ward youth.
Creation Of a juvenile bureau in
the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment to put all officers dealing
with juvenile problems under one
supervisor is being considered, the
committee was told by Commits
sioner John Russell Young, who
also suggested as something to
think about" system of neigh
borhood juvenile magistrates who
would consider minor cases inyoly-
ing children.
Raps Welfare Board.
When Representative D'Alesan-
dro, Democrat, of Maryland, who
heads the investigating subcommit-
tee, repeatedly criticized members of
Board of Public Welfare for being
too inactive, Mr.. Young reminded
the body the Commissioners have
sponsored a bill to reorganize the
Districts welfare board.
Welfare Director Raw Huff and
other witnesses emphasized the
need for expansion of facilities to
care for the mentally defective.
Reporting the Training School for
Feeble Minded at Laurel, Md, now
Is at capacity and has a certified
list OF $50 waiting admission, Mr..
Hun startled the group with a
declaration there are 300 patients
who have escaped and not returned
ms figure, he explained, is cum
ulative.
Psychiatric Clinic Urged.
Robert L, Haycock, superintendent
OF schools, and Ray Everett declared
funds should be provided for estab-
llshment of psychiatric clinic in
the Health Department, which have
been denied by the Commissioners.
and for continuing the Juvenile
Court psychiatric unit-as measures
which have direct relation to the
handllng OF delinquency problems.
Mr.. Haycock said these services
were needed to care for the youth
who are "a little off center" Along
this line he urged also there be an
expansion of the public schools "ad
Justment classes" He proposed also
that there be more teachers assigned
as counselors and that library IA
cllltles be extended so as to en-
courage more reading.
The school superintendent sug-
gested that the Advisory Committee
set up last year by the Board of
to deal with DELINQUENCY
problems be employed as CO.
ordinating unit in dealing with
youth problems.
Statement ChaIlenred
Mr.. Everett said WASHINGTON
police are doing a good Job" in
repressing commercialized prostitu-
ton, but when Chairman D'Alesan-
dro challenged his statement that
Washington is "one of the cleanest
cities" he emphasized he was not
talking about the noncommercial
type. He said that most social dis
ease infection comes from the casual
pickup girls"
He advised the teaching Of at
least little of impersonal, scientific
information about social disease, as
well as tuberculosis and other dis
eases, to Washington pupils as a
part of their health and physical
education programs. More than
three-f1fths of the syphilis and
seven-tenths Of the gonorrhea
patients in the rapid treatment
centers over the country, he said,
are found among those between
the ages of Is and "a.
Chairman D'Alesandro sharply
asked Engineer Commissioner
Charles w. Kutz how long it had
been since he visited a District
welfare institution. Col. Kutz said
he had seen "the edges" of Gal
linger Hospital a half dozen times
last year while inspecting construc-
tion work. He added that he hadn't
seen some other welfare institu-
tions since he made tours of in
spection of construction work.
Most witnesses opposed a curfew
law, but there was some support
from parents for a rule to ban
children from admittance from
movies and other commercial
amusement places at night unless
accompanied by parents or guard
fans.