Evening star., 1947-04-19
D. {. May Close
Main Receiving
Home BUILDING
Removal Of Children
Ordered by Mason
After Criticism
By Henry A. Muslin

{ for Children, described as 9
"f1retrap" by the Capitol Hill
critics.
The move, awaiting only approval
of the full Board of Commission
ers, was ordered yesterday by Com
missioner Guy Mason at the in
sistence of Chairman Koran of the
House District Appropriations Sub
committee.
1t followed closely the recommen-
dations of two investigators for the
Appropriations Subcommittee, who
CHANGED into a riot of considerable
proportions Thursday in a routine
check of the Receiving Home at
5000 Little Falls road.
Assail Operation.
Though they made no reference
to the riot. the investigators
promptly provided Mr.. Horan with
a set of six recommendations for
the institution. AS presently op-
Grated, they declared, the home ais
a disgraceful reflection on the
Board of Public Welfare, the Dis
trict Commissioners, and, in the
final analysis, reflects serious lack
of knowledge by Congress as to the
Use made of appropriated funds"
After comforting with Chairmen
Dirksen of the House District Com
mittee and Taber of the House Ap-
preparations Committee, Mr.. Horan
sent the report to Mr.. Mason with
a blanket Endorsement and the re-
quest that the Commissioner "take
immediate remedial action"
In a statement accompanying the
report Mr.. Horan strongly implied
that he would seek to block appro-
priations to the Welfare Board un-
less the recommendations were car
ried out.
Welfare Board Agrees.
A hastily-summoned Board of
Public Welfare agreed to follow
Mr.. Mason along the line drawn
by Mr.. Horan's Investigators. The
board, which operates the Receiving
Home, produced set of recon-
mendations of its own. With one
exception, these were the same as
those of the investigators, Harold
Booch and James j. Kerr.
Revolving around the evacuation
Of Lincoln Hall, the homes 1890
vintage three-story brick main
building, the move would:
l. Send the city's minor depend
ents to the old and unused obstetri-
cal building at Gallinger Hospital
under the supervision of DR.. Will
liam Stavsky, receiving home
superintendent. About so in num-
ber, of mixed sex and race, these
nondelinquent children account for
approximately half of the home in
mates now quartered in Lincoln
Hall.
(Acting Health Officer Daniel
L. Seckinger, DR.. Alvin Sweeney,
Gallinger superintendent, and
Acting Welfare Director Ray
mond F. Clapp will meet at 8
am. Monday in DR.. Seckinger's
Office to work out details of the
move.)
2. Move delinquent white boys to
the Industrial Home School at 2453
Wisconsin avenue NV.
Retains Newer Building.
3. Transfer delinquent colored
boys to the counterpart Industrial
Home School at Blue Plains.
4. Retain in use small but new
d925) Dunbar Cottage, the receiv-
ing homes other dormitory, for both
white and colored delinquent girls,
under proper segregation.
The impending shifts, involving
about 100 of the institutions ap-
proximately. 125 inmates, would be
carried out by the Welfare Board
and the homes available staff of 81,
including DR.. Stavsky, a physician,
q psychologist, three nurses and 20
attendants.
The board departed from the in
vestigators' text in failing to men,
ton the latter's recommendation
that all Receiving Home personnel,
with the exception of DR.. Stavsky,
the three nurses and three of the
attendants, be given indefinite
leave"
How long the multiple shift would
remain in effect, Commissioner Ma
son was unable to say. The city,
he recalled, has let bids for con-
struction of new Receiving
Home Building designed for land
adjacent to Gallaudet College at
Mount Olivet road and Fairview ave-
nue NE. He added, however, that
the new 100000 building could
scarcely be completed within 10
months.
Other Places Considered.
In the meantime, Mr. Mason said,
he would leave a recommendation
with sthe other Commissioners that
Lincoln Hall be made usable and
safe on a temporary basis. Other
temporary quarters, he said, might
be produced by renovating buildings
once used by Lutheran Church
camp on District-owned land at
jolly Acres near Laurel, Md. He
also foresaw possible use of build
ings on District property at Muir
kirk, Md, originally bought as the
site for the National Training
School for Girls and until recently
leased to the War Department.
Mr.. Mason left the city following
Yesterdays developments for a 10
day vacation at Pinehurst, N. C.
DR.. Stavsky was appointed super
intendent of the Receiving Home
last February. The former Army
major and Harvard University psy-
chology instructor said the out
break witnessed by the Congress
sional Investigators broke out in the
first floor recreation room Of
Lincoln Hall.
In company with Joseph Margo-
lin, the home psychiatrist, Messrs.
Booch and Kerr entered the hall
about Q pm. to find themselves in
the midst of record-throwing,
window smashing melee, the super
intendent !. related. He said Mr..
Horans representatives watched In
some dismay" as about 20 of the
homes older white and colored
girls knocked out seven window
panes, a1urled sundry items of
furniture about and generally put