Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-01
Order
Service Halted
At22 Nurseries
Centers Must Close
Pending Formation
OfCorporotion

City officials overlooked the illegal
presence Of $50 children at ~ Dis
trict nurseries today, but they will
not do it again, Corporation Counsel
Vernon West announced this after
noon. The centers must close until
= corporation of mothers is organ
lied to run them, Mr.. West said.
After Federal Works Agency
funds were withdrawn from the CEN
tiers last night, the mothers had
hoped to organize swiftly enough to-
day to prevent any break in the
service.
The office of Harry S. Wender, at
torney for the mothers, said he
planned to file plan Of operation"
with the Commissioners late today.
Mr.. West pointed out, however, the
city heads are busy at the Capitol
with appropriation hearings and un-
doubtedly will not be able to con-
slider the plan until next week.
Mr.. West already had gotten the
mothers to agree that the centers
would be closed tomorrow, when
they normally operate. They will
not be opened Monday, nor any day
thereafter until the Commissioners
have approved all the details of the
proposed operation by mothers
through June 80, Mr.. West said.
Problem Of Accidents.
He permitted the ghost" children
TO attend the nurseries under the
supervision of volunteer teachers
today because the mothers had paid
the weeks fee in advance, Mr.. West
said. But city officials cannot 20
on pretending the youngsters are
not there. particularly when any
accidents would result in a maze
OF liability problems, he added.
Meanwhile. Miss Katharine Doo-
nan, administrator, continued to
plan closing out the centers as
though there were no effort being
made by the mothers to take over
operation. Until some plan has
been approved, Miss Doonan sale.
she has no alternative.
Chairman Mcmillan of the House
District Committee has promised
the mothers to try to get centers
included in the regular District
budget July l, but Mrs. Clyde Hunt
parents spokesman, said need
Tor the service is so desperate it
should not be allowed to lapse
until July.
Meanwhile. Mrs. Hunt announced
that the Rev. Francis w. McPeek.
loaned by the Federation of
Churches to organize a city-wide
campaign for funds, would perfect
his plans in a short time. The
mothers have asked the public for
about $4,000 to add to about $50. 900
they expect to get in fees to carry
the centers through June.
Ruling Complexities Hiring.
Mr.. West added that in addition
to the plan of operation and legal
of the mothers. he
Will insist that enough money be
raised to guarantee the District will
not have to foot any of the bills
except light and heat.
R. L. Mudd, assistant District
auditor, said the hiring of teachers
by a group of mothers will be COM
plicated by a ruling given him by
the General Accounting Once that
the bills must be handled either en-
tirely by the District or that the
District should not be involved in
any way.
Congressional legislation empow-
ering the school buildings to be used
for nursery care of children under S
stressed the fact the fees paid by
mothers be handled by the District
and therefore it is impossible for
the auditor to withdraw from the
scene, Mr.. Mudd said.
A conference on the plan of oper-
alton must be held to solve this
situation, he added.
The children were given canned
fruit juice and food which was on
hand today because Miss Doonan
believed she was not authorized to
buy fresh oranges and milk when
the legality of the children's occu-
pancy was in question, she said.