Evening star., 1945-11-18
Welfare Board Gag
Charged; Abolition Of
Agency Is Suggested
By JULIA EDWARDS.


BY JULIA EDWARDS.
Reports that a gag rule applying
TO employees and members of the
Board Of Public Welfare is defeat
Ing the only purpose for which the
board was established were accom-
panied by sharp criticism and even
suggestions that the board, as now
constituted, be abolished.
Edgar Morris, chairman of the
Board of Public Welfare, said the
Commissioners were responsible for
a policy whereby the board refuses
to give out any recommendations
1t makes to the Commissioners,
either before or after that body has
acted.
Commissioner Guy Mason prompt
ly denied that the Commissioners
exercise any control over what the
board or what its employees tell the
public or Congress. Members of
the board and its employees can give
out anything they want, he said.
Morris Reiterates Policy.
Mr.. Morris replied that the policy
stands but refused to discuss its
merits.
II am not going to put the board
on spot" he said, until I get
chance to discuss it with the men,
bers."
Mrs. Catherine Norton, director
of family and child welfare services,
said that it has been generally un-
derstood that gag rule issued by
the Commissioners May l, 1912, ap-
plies to the paid employees of the
board but not to its members.
That order prohibits department
heads from discussing, officially or
unofhcially, any recommendation
vetoed by the Commissioners.
Critics charged that the board is
"under the thumb" of the Commits
sioners because they appoint its
members.
The value of voluntary board
Is that it can freely express it's
opinions and publicly fight for what
the citizens want. I don't see any
other reason for having one" said
Mrs. Dorothy Dalles Bourne of the
Voteless District League of Women
Voters.
Advocates Welfare Department.
The league advocated replacing
the administrative board by de-
partment of welfare with a COM
pletely independent advisory board.
DR.. Henry j. Crossin, president
of the Board of Catholic Charities,
who served on the Welfare Board
for Is years, said he favored an ad-
nfinistrative board but stressed that
the only way to make it representa-
tive of the citizens is to take the
power of appointment from the
Commissioners.
Mrs. Leslie Wright, chairman of
the legislative committee of the
District Federation of Women's
Clubs, complained that the policy
of secrecy permits the Commission
ers and the board ito pass the buck"
whenever the conditions of welfare
institutions are criticized.
The board says that 1t has asked
for the Improvements. The Com
missioners say they have no record
of it. Since the recommendation
are not released when made, 1t is
impossible to tell who is to blame"
she remarked.
The public has a right to know
what their officials are planning
before they present it as an accom-
pllShed fact, she insisted.
Should Stop Secrecy.
They say they want public sup
port. But when you ask them what
they want, they say they. can't tell
you. They should stop such secrecy
or come out and admit they don't
want help"
The latest application of the
policy occurred on proposals for re-
classifying personnel at District in
stitutions. Pearsons who advo-
Gated the reclassif1cation said they
were shocked" at the small scope
of the recommendations as approved
by the Commissioners.
Commissioner Mason refused to
say what changes had been made in
the requests submitted by the board
on the ground that it was up to the
Board of Welfare. Thursday, Ray
mond Clapp, assistant director of
welfare, said he was not at liberty
to divulge them. He was supported
by Chairman Morris. Friday, Ray
L. Huff, director of welfare, said he
thought they could be given out and
would say definitely on Saturday.
Saturday he sent message to the
press that they could not be found.
He could not be reached by tele-
phone.
Recommendations of the board on
new rules governing private child
placement agencies now are before
the Commissioners. Both Mr. Mason
and the board refused to discuss