Evening star., 1945-12-02
Civic Groups Divided
Three Ways on Plan
For Receiving Home

A three-way division among COM
munity groups over plans for a new
Receiving Home for Children de-
veloped yesterday. when the Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs attacked q
citizens committee for holding up
construction.
Mrs. Ernest William Howard, sec
retary of the District Federation's
department of legislation, declared
that plans approved by the Board Of
Public Welfare Should not be sabo-
tagged" The Federation has faith
that Ray L. Huff, director of well
fare, will work out the segregation
of delinquents from nondelnquents,
she said.
The citizens committee, headed
by Mrs. Eugene Meyer and Mrs.
Walter Ufford. protested to the
Commissioners against plans for
housing delinquents and nondelin-
quents in a single building. It will
ask the board on December II to
construct the home only for delin-
quents.
SOAhSh oSSsAAuo IA 3SAA0uACs
The Council of Social Agencies
stood in the middle In a dispute be-
tween the Federation and the citi-
zens over foster home versus insti-
tutional care for normal children.
The council joined the citizens,
however, in urging that $285 900 ap-
propriated by Congress be used only
for a detention home. Both offered
to inaugurate a community fight
to get more funds for nondelin-
quents.
It is impossible to separate delin-
quents from nondelinquents when
both have to use the same dining
room, playground. halls and play
rooms, said Mrs. Howard Norton,
secretary of the family and child
welfare division of the council. Any
attempt at it would mean too rigid
restriction of the children.
Meanwhile, Edgar Morris, chair
man of the Board Of Public We'll
fare, admitted that the board did
not consult with any experts on
the design of children's institutions
before approving the plan for a new
receiving home submitted by Ray
L. Huff, welfare director.
Believes Plans Adequate.
The plans might have been diff
ferent," he said, if the board had
obtained the SALT 900 it wanted for
the project, but the board believes
the plans it approved are adequate
mo one asked us for a hearing u
he said. "It seems strange to me
that opponents should ask for q
hearing at this late date"
The opponents said they held nu-
merous conferences with Mr.. HUFF
and never were told that their rec
concentrations were not incorporated
in his plans until the board and
the Commissioners had approved
them.
They blamed this on the policy OF
the board whereby it refuses to
make public the plans it submits tc
the Commissioners for approval
Two weeks ago Mr.. Morris said he
would discuss the policy with men,
bers Of the board at meeting held
Friday. Yesterday he said the sub.
ject did not come up because other
matters took precedence
Should Weigh Consideration.
"The board never even considered
the recommendations for separate
detention home made by the United
States Children's Bureau, the Child
Welfare League of America and In
the Kepecs' report of 1889" said Mrs
Uford. This is an administrative
board, not an advisory group. It was
its duty to consider the recon-
mendations of independent leaders.
Mr.. Huff insisted he gave civic
groups ample opportunity to express
their views before he submitted the
plans to the board. He refused to
comment on whether he had taken
any outside advice or presented to
the board recommendations differing
from his own.
Mrs. Norton attributed the "un-
satisfactory" plans to the failure OF
Congress to appropriate enough
money for a separate emergency
shelter.
Some Feared Large Fund.
Mrs. Ufford pointed out some civic
leaders did not back the larger ap-
preparation for fear the board would
use it to construct an even bigger
institution. Her group sees no neec
for an emergency shelter at all and
opposes the boards plan for place
ment center with psychiatric serv-
ices at the receiving home.
Basing it's stand on the Kepecs' re.
port, the citizens committee advo'
Gates more personnel to investigate
foster homes, funds to establish
small subsidized homes for emer
gencies and use of child psychiatrit
clinic under the Bureau of Menta
Hygiene in the Health Department
Mrs. Howard dismissed the move.