Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-04
House and Senate
Groups Will Probe
Child Institutions

Committees Of both the Senate
and House next week will investi-
gate conditions in Washington's
dilapidated, understaffed and poor
Explained child care institutions,
seeking immediate present as well
as future remedial steps.
Chairman Bilbo of the Senate
District Committee late yesterday
called the full membership of the
group to meet Monday at 10 am.
to go into the problem. I'VE want
to see what help this committee
can give" he said.
His action came shortly after
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee had announced
his Health Subcommittee, headed
by Representative Mcmillan, Demo-
crat. Of South Carolina, had sched-
uled an open hearing for Tuesday
at 1890 am.
Medieval" Conditions.
Both hearings were planned at
the instance of officials of the Fed
GRAFTON Of Women's Clubs which re-
Gently reported 1t had found "medi-
evar' conditions in some OF the
child care institutions.
The federation's reports, submit.
ted to the congressional committees
by Mrs. Leslie B. Wright, chairman
of the groups legislative depart
ment, dealt especially with the In
dustrial Home School for White
Children and the Receiving Home
for Children. Mrs. Wright said,
however. her group believes condi-
tons at the National Training
School for Boys also are bad.
Meanwhile, James o. Day, coun-
sci to the Senate District Commit
tee, said he would submit to the
committee an outline drawn by We'll
fare Director Ray L. HUFF of the
plan Of the Board of Public We'll
fare for the development of an
enlarged Children's Center near
Laurel, Md. This would house 2,50C
wards of the District In separate
Institutions there for the National
Training School for Colored Girls
and the Industrial Home School
white, as well as the District
Training School for Predetermined
already located there. The present
capacity Of the home for feeble
minded now is 600 and under the
new plan would be raised to 1000
Some additions now are under way
Budget Action Pending,
The only pending legislation deal
ing with the programs Of the child
care agencies is the 1916 District
budget, on which hearings will be
started Monday by the District SUBJ
committee of the House Appropri-
atoms Committee.
Capt. Rhoda Milliken, head of the
Woman's Bureau Of the Police De-
partment, said yesterday that some
of the children now in District In
stitutions might not be there-ano
some others might not be sent there
If Washington women would dc
their best to help working mother.
take care of their children.
Addressing a Child Care anc
Training Conference held by Co.
lumbia Chapter 1858 of the Women
OF the Moose at its headquarters
1900 Twentieth street NV, Capt
Milliken said, Many women through
necessity are working now for the
first time. As workers they art
capable, or as mothers they ar,
capable, but the double job prove.
too much, and as q result, theil
children do not get proper care"
She said children have been sen,
to District institutions for children
because, without a well-adjustec
home life, they fell into bad habits
Our District institutions, which
you have heard much about in tn,
last few days, are not exactly wha'
we would like them to be-" Capt
Milliken said. But we ind thai
we have to put some children II
them without being too sure we art
doing q satisfactory thing"