Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-31
Study Ordered
Into Powers Of
Welfare Board
Mcmillan Acts as
Mason Urges Revival
Of Restriction Bill

A general review of the relation
ship between the powers of the
Commissioners and the Board of
Public Welfare has been ordered by
Chairman Mcmillan OF the House
District Committee.
In view Of the jurisdictional ques-
lions that arose over which set of
plans should be adopted for the new
Receiving Home for Children, Chair
man Mcmillan announced late yes
terday he was asking his health and
welfare subcommittee to probe into
the Welfare Board powers.
Chairman McMillan's action came
simultaneously with an announce
ment from the District Building
that Commissioner Guy Mason will
ask the other city heads to support
early congressional action on the
Welfare Board reorganization bill.
The bill, pigeonholed two years
ago, was sponsored by the Commits
sioners to strip the Welfare Board
of its administrative powers, trans
fer them to the city heads and con-
vert the Welfare Board into an adj
visory agency.
Recalling the Commissioners ap-
proval of Receiving Home construc-
ton plans, to which they were
bitterly opposed because they felt
the spirit of the law" left decision
with the Welfare Board, Mr.. Mason
said:
Its an intolerable situation and
I am going to try to interest the
other Commissioners in Immediately
reviving the bill"
At Loggerheads in 1912.
The plan to make the welfare
department a regular department
under the Commissioners aroused
the interest of Commissioner John
Russell Young and Mr.. Mason first
in 1912 when Robert e. Bondy re-
signed as director of welfare. The
Commissioners wanted to appoint
Paul Edwards, WPA administrator,
to the post and the board submitted
the name of Ray Huff, then general
superintendent of penal institutions.
Under the law, the board recon-
mends and the Commissioners hire
and fire.
For several weeks the controversy
continued, the board under Fred
erick w. McReynolds refusing to
submit the name of Mr.. Edwards
and the Commissioners refusing to
appoint Mr.. Huff.
Finally, Mr.. Mason conferred with
Mr.. McReynolds and both groups
agreed on Conrad Van Hyning, then
assistant director of welfare, as a
compromise candidate.
Trouble for Commissioners.
In addition the city heads were
resentful of the continuous "hot
water" in which the board appeared
to be operating in previous years,
resulting In relief scandals. con-
gressional investigations into the
Home for the Aged and Infirm at
Blue Plains, charges of maladmin-
lstration at the National Training
School for Girls and poor conditions
at the Industrial Home School On
Wisconsin avenue. Blame in most
cases worked back to the Com
missioners for disappearing re-
quests for appropriations.
Originally, the bill was sponsored
by Representative Hunter of Ohio,
but it met heavy opposition from
the community. Directors felt 1t
resulted more from pique over the
HUFF Edwards incident than from
mature study and that it would
reduce citizen participation in the
government of an unrepresented
community. The measure reached
the floor of the House where an
objection sent it back to committee
1t has slumbered there ever since.