Evening star., 1945-05-02
Coffee Promises
Real Hearing on
Welfare Needs
Budget Testimony
Storts Monday
Before House Group

LeaQlng members OF the House
subcommittee which will start tax.
Ing testimony Monday on the Dis.
trict's 1916 budget voiced hope today
that ways can be found for speeding
the replacement or reconditionine
Of Washingtons inadequate, over
crowded and dilapidated welfare
institutions.
Representatives Coffee, Democrat
OF Washington and Stefan, Repub.
lican, of Nebraska, the chairman
and the ranking minority member
Of the subcommittee which will
write the District supply bill for next
year, both gave assurances of g
sympathetic hearing.
The hearing originally was sched.
uled for tomorrow, but today it wa.
postponed until Monday.
Chairman Coffee, noting that less
than two months remains before
the end of this fiscal year, urged
that any new proposals offered be
definite in form" and backed uni
formly by responsible municipal
officials.
Distressed Over Problem.
1--WE are familiar with the needs
OF these institutions" he said. I'VE
have examined into their condition
and we have seen them. We are
very much distressed over the prob
lens. There is an aggravated need
for correction.
THE necessities Of the war, of
course, were the major cause of
delayed action" he continued. But
in spite of these conditions which
deferred or handicapped construc-
ton and reconditioning programs,
Congress advanced the programs
for these welfare agencies, in both
the 1945 appropriation act and in
the supplemental items approved
late last year.
I'VE are willing to do all that is
appropriate and within our power"
he added. IF District officials have
additional proposals to offer we will
hear them, but they should know
exactly what they want and submit
united recommendations"
Points to Recent Grants.
Mr. Coffee called attention to the
supplemental appropriations Con-
gress granted last December for pur-
chase of land, or plans or repairs to
welfare institutions in programs
having a total anticipated cost of
about So, 100000
These items and additional funds
sought in the 1916 estimates, he said,
would be taken as basis for study
at the impending hearings. District
officials have indicated some requests
for construction funds for new well
fare agency buildings and for addi-
tional staff personnel will be dis
cussed at the budget sessions.
Principally involved are the In
dustrial Home School for White
Children, the Receiving Home and
Classification Center for Children.
the National Training School for
Girls and Industrial Home School
for Colored Children.
Questions to Be Studied.
Commenting on the series of
stories in The Star outlining the
plight of the inmates and the staffs
of these institutions, Mr.. Coffee in
dicated his subcommittee would go
into the number of questions which
have been raised.
Among these are whether draft
ing of projects should be left to the
Municipal Architects Office or spe-
cial architectural aid be employed
to speed the work; the proposed ap-
preparation of an additional s60,O 900
to buy a site needed near Laurel,
Md, for the future home of the
White Industrial Home School, and
necessary funds for immediate re-
pairs of existing welfare structures.
Offhand, he said he felt the
scheduling OF work to be performed
by the District Repair Shop was an
administrative matter that should
be handled by the Commissioners.
II wages of the per diem employees
of the Repair Shop and the salaries
of members of the staffs of welfare
agencies are too low, in comparison
with those of private employment,
Mr.. Coffee said, tions
for changes should be submitted by
the Commissioners. He suggested
they be made to the legislative
committees of Congress, rather
than to the appropriations group.