Evening star., 1945-04-29

bath. There. too. was one toilet, on,
basin, and one shower for the col.
ored boys, and another for tn,
whites.
Aside from one girl who was iron
ing the institutional dress they al
wear, three who were helping in tn,
kitchen and two boys who wer,
picking up waste paper in the base
ment, none of the children was doing
anything. The staff is SO limitee
no one can be spared to take then
out for recreation, except at specified
periods.
In the basement is a bleak, bare
damp room-"the boys recreation
room" There was nothing to play
on, but sometimes mats were brought
down for tumbling, Mr.. Caffrey said
There also was a small room usec
as the doctors examining room
the doctor comes for two hours &
day to examine all the children who
have come in that day, as we'll a.
tend to the sick.
Children All Quiet.
The children all were sullen, quiet
They ran to tell me things like
what they had for breakfast wher
there was no one around.
This was the place where hun.
dreds of District children go-where
they are supposedly acclimated inte
institutional life, or where they art
ministered to before returning tt
their homes. 1t is an ugly, unhappy
place. l wondered if any normal
happy girl could remain so after
several weeks there.
Mr.. Caffrey realized the short.
comings-he pointed out to me many
OF the sore spots. With an made.
quate staff and an inadequate plant
there is not much he can do.
The next place visited was the
National Training School for Girls
This is where an average of so col
ored girls live-girls who have COM
miued minor offenses, and are sen.
fenced to stay here for a few months
to few years. 1t is housed in three
buildings on the same land as the
Receiving Home. Two of the build
ings are in the same general con-
dition as the Receiving Home, the
other is more modern, and cleaner
There is a great deal more space
however, and the staff seems to be
able to keep the girls busy.
The old buildings were dark-the
windows are so high and small ii
would be necessary to turn on light
to read at any time of day. We went
in through the hall and into the
dining room-none of the homes
have adequate living rooms, al
though Mrs. Rose Smith, superin-
tendent of the National Training
School, is fixing one up there.
All the furniture was old and
broken. The kitchen was large and
roomy, and a trained cook was pre-
pairing meal planned by the home
economics teacher. Some of the
girls were helping her. They smiled
and talked with as about what they
were cooking-they were practicing
what they had learned in class.
Steps Broken.
The steps to the building were old
and boards were broken in some
places. Some of the girls were drill
ing out in the yard. There were
no facilities for games in the yard
just bare, walled-in place.
Upstairs, the halls were rows o1
single and double rooms. While
they were tiny, and not pretty, the
girls had fixed them up some, put.
ting up curtains, and bedspreads
and knickknacks. There was only
one bath for each hall-with 8
shower, basin and toilet.
Here there is room and staff TO,
recreation and vocational guidance
The girls have classes in sewing
cooking and other skills. One of the
teachers, with the help of some oi
the girls, is planning to fix up 8
library, and the home economic.
teacher is repairing some of the
dirtiest chairs.
The District repair shop is work.
ing on one part of the oldest build.
ing now, putting it into livable con.
dition-but nothing is being don't
about the rest.
Third-and in the worst condi.
tion-was the Industrial HON.
School at 2453 Wisconsin avenu,
NV. This place has been declared
eft only for demolition O.
it have been condemned. I expected
it to be better than what I hac
heard. 1t was worse.
The oldest building there is 12(
years old, the newest As. They are
all dark, dirty and infested with
rats and reaches. Although the out
side appearance looks rather peace
full, the inside is as dismal as 9
dungeon.
Daniel Ahearne, the superintend-
ent, showed me through. When ]
missed rathole, broken plaster OF
broken steps, he pointed them out
AS he said, it is in such bad con.
dttion that even living there severa
years doesn't accustom you to it.
The dining rooms in the mair
building-one for the boys, one fol
the staff-were filled with old tables
surrounded by chairs soibroken ant
rickety they had been thrown ou
by the Home for the Aged and In
firm and salvaged by the Industria
Home School.
I talked with four boys who wer'
cleaning up in the kitchen-the.
are the cooks now, as there is n,
professional person to fill the job
They told me they have to spen,
time every morning washing of tn
tables. The reaches are so bad the,
find them dead on the tables an,
floors every day. They do not us
tablecloths except on special occa
sions.
! The boys who are doing the cook