Evening star., 1945-05-16

(story on Page AID
Star Staff Photo.
House Group 10 Seek
Additional Funds for -.
Welfare Homes
Requests for additional funds for
immediate and future improvement
in the Districts much-discussed
homes for wayward children were
to be made today or tomorrow to
the House Appropriations District
Subcommittee by the House District
Health Subcommittee
This appeal was planned by the
health subcommittee at the end of
a hearing yesterday, at which Col.
Joseph D. Arthur, jr., assistant en-
gineer to the Commissioners, and
Ray L. Huff, director of the Board
of Public Welfare, testified.
The requests to the Appropria-
tions Committee would call for:
Cd Raising the limitation on con-
struction costs for the new classifi-
cation center (Receiving Home for
Children from the present s285 900
to SALT 900.
(2) Provision of funds for addi-
tional personnel for the homes.
80 An appropriation to make i'm
provements on District-owned build
ings at Muirkirk, Md, if it is de-
cided to move the girls now at the
Industrial Home School. 2453 Wis.
consin avenue NV, into then
temporarily. One estimate was fol
$4,000 for this work.
Col. Arthur Objects.
The additional money for the
classification center, suggested at q
morning session of the committee
yesterday by Mr.. Huff, was recon-
mended by the committee in spite
of objections by Col Arthur that
the construction money not be ap-
propriated "for at least another six
months"
Col. Arthur said that the SALT, ,0OO
figure was what was desired by the
Board Of Public Welfare, but that
the Commissioners felt it could be
cut down to s285 900, and had called
a meeting for sometime today to
discuss this.
AS an additional reason for delay
in the appropriation he told the
committee that the Commissioners
did not favor the plan advanced by
the Board of Public Welfare to in
clude in the new receiving home
facilities for psychiatric guidance
Instead, he testified, the Commits
sioners believed all the children in
the welfare homes who needed
psychiatric help should be sent to
the recently-established mental hy-
giene clinic in the Health Depart
men1,
Protest Suggestion.
Mr.. Huff and other members of
the Board of Public Welfare at the
meeting vigorously protested this
suggestion.
IF We pare down the costs of
the building, we will be wasting the
taxpayers money on another in
adequate answer to the problem, ~
Mr.. Huff declared. "As long as we
are going to have a new home, we
might as well spend the money
necessary to make it a good one.
"And as for having the children
use the hygiene clinic, that is only
for screening purposes, whereas we
have in mind definite program of
psychiatric guidance-not just an
examination"
Col. Arthur also said the delay
should be made because the best
building materials still were not
available. Representative Smith,
Democrat, of Virginia then remind
ed him that were the appropria-
ton passed, it would be part of the
1916 budget, and need not be spent
for six months anyhow.
Had Never Seen Requests.
In answer to questions from mem
bers of Congress, Col. Arthur de-
clared he had never seen any re-
quests from the Board of Public
Welfare for construction of the
new Receiving Home, or for re-
quests for additional personnel to
provide a program of vocational
guidance. Mr.. Huff declared addi-
tional requests had been submitted
last March.
Mr.. Smith interrupted to say, 1--WE
are not trying to place the blame
on any one or any group. We're
tired of all this talking, and talk
ing. Let's get down to brass tacks
now and get something done.
The land and buildings at Muir
kirk were bought some years ago
with the plan of moving the Ma
tional Training School for White
Girls there. This plan later was
abandoned and it was suggested
that the land be sold. Recently II
has been used by the Army, under
rental from the District govern
ment. The Army has announced
it will abandon the property on
June /, and the move Of the Indus
trial Home School girls there is a
recent plan.
Present Moving Plans.
It had been planned previously to
move both boys and girls now at the
Industrial Home School to the build
ipgs at $500 Loughborough road
NV, now occupied by the National
Training School for Colored Girls.
Under present plans, the National
Training School is to be moved to
Jolly Acres, Md, by late summer