Evening star., 1944-04-28
D: {. Representation
Seen Solution Of
Welfare Problems

District representation In Con-
gress was listed as an absolute re-
quirement If the welfare problems
facing Washington are to be ham
died effectively, the annual meeting
of the Council of Social Agencies of
the District and vicinity was ad-
vised yesterday by the councils ex-
ecuttve secretary, Mrs. w. A. Rob-
erts, in the United States Chamber
OF Commerce Building.
Outlining the District welfare
problems, Mrs. Roberts declared the
manpower shortage and insufficient
funds were largely to blame for
whatever shortcomings there were
In the District welfare organizations.
Discussing Gallinger Hospital, Mrs.
Roberts pointed out that conditions
there could have been remedied had
there been adequate funds. Mrs.
Roberts laid the blame for the Gal
inger Hospital situation on the Dis
trict Commissioners, the Budget
Bureau and Congress, and said the
problems had been pointed out to
the council as far back as 1899,
when an urgent request for more
funds was made.
Commenting on the recent Senate
committee investigation, Mrs. Rob-
erts declared that "the findings of
that committee seem to have been
based largely on the testimony of
former employees who, for some rea-
son, were dissatisfied. The testi-
mony of the only expert who was
invited to testify before the Senate
committee was completely ignored.
This testimony was favorable"
Mrs. Roberts praised DR.. Ruhland
for his work as District health off,
Ger and said he deserved the support
Of the community.
Turning to the Board of Public
Welfare, Mrs. Roberts said the
trouble" in that agency was largely
due to too many administration
changes.
There have been three directors
in the last four years." Mrs. Roberts
said, which does not make for eff
ficient administration. And the
differences between the Commits
sioners and the board must be ex-
ceedingly hard on the morale of the
STAN of the agency"
In summing up what she called
the overall picture" Mrs. Roberts
pointed out the need for District
representation in Congress.
These are just few of the prob
lens that Washington public
agencies have had to contend with"
Mrs. Roberts said, "but in the aggre-
gate they seem to point emphatically
to the need for District representa-
tion in Congress in order that there
will be at least one representative
whose first and only interest would
be to see that the citizens are fairly
and adequately served. Surely the
300 900 citizens of Washington, many
Of whom are now fighting for the
principles Of democracy, are entitled
to this representation"
Board members unanimously
elected at yesterdays meeting in.
clude the following: Reelected for
three years. Judge Fay L. Bentley.
Joseph D. Kaufman, Dean HiIl
Stanley; elected for the three-year
term, Mrs. Pearl B. Klein, Mrs.
Charles H. Houston, jr., and the
Very Rev. Msgr. Lawrence j. She
nan: for the two-year term, Boris
Shiskin: for members at large, C. z.
Batschelet, Miss Josephine Brown.
Miss Elizabeth Cllristman. DR.. Ern-
est s. Grifnth, Mrs. Ernest G. War
rem, Mrs. Prentiss Wilson. Mrs.
Frank Linzel, Mrs. Henry p. Chan
dler, Mrs. Cazenove Lee, Miss Mary
Anderson, Charles H. Houston. jr.:
Boris Shiskin, Mrs. Eugene Duffeld
and Mrs. Pearl B. Klein.
The Washington Home for In
curables was elected to membership
IN the council. After the business
meeting, DR.. William Haber. as
sistant executive director in charge
OF program development of the war
Manpower Commission, discussed
Social and Economic Prospects in
Postwar Period"