Evening star., 1948-02-29
NewStudYSIdted
In Dispute Over
Training School
House Group Hears
Citizens Protest on
Girls Institution

GIrls Institution
Representative Miller, Republican
of Nebraska, plans new investiga-
tion this week in the controversy
over the National Training School
for Girls in LouGhborough road wv.
AS chairman of the House District
subcommittee on health, DR.. Miller
said he will make several inquiries
as an outgrowth of hearing yester-
day on disputed bill requested by
the Board of Public Welfare.
The board wants to expand the
work of the institution which now Is
restricted TO rehabilitation of colored
girls. Only seven inmates sentenced
by juvenile court now are housed
there.
Welfare Board spokesmen and the
District Commissioners recommend
use of the institution to care for
children who now are wards of the
sboard, but whose offenses are not
serious enough to admit them to the
school under present regulations,
now only colored girls sentenced by
juvenile court can be sent to the
school.
Strong opposition to the proposal
was registered by residents of the
neighborhood. They expressed fears
for the safety of their families and
want the school moved. Two fami-
lies already have moved out of the
neighborhood of the school, one wit
ness testified.
To Probe Hand Ownership.
DIR. Miller said last night he is
going to look into ownership of the
10 acres of ground on which the
school Is located. He has asked
Corporation Counsel Vernon E. West,
who spoke for the Commissioners at
the hearing yesterday, to find out
who actually owns the land. Mr..
West testified that he was not sure.
but he said the records APPARENTLY
showed the land title Is in the name
of the Federal Government.
DR.. Miller, physician, said he
has visited the site and believes the
buildings are "firetraps.'
District government plans are to
move the school eventually to a
District-owned site known as Jolly
Acres, near Laurel, Md, Raymond
F. Clapp, acting director of the
Welfare Board, testified. He said
funds are not available for con-
struction.
DR.. Miller said he thought theye
Is bare possibility some funds
might be realized from sale of the
present site and used for construc-
ton of new training school at
Jolly Acres. He said he plans to
visit jolly Acres early this week.
To Study Court Procedure.
There. are several old buildings
which formerly were used. by the
so-called Junior Republic These
buildings now are in bad state OF
repair
District officials inspected them
sometime ago and agreed 1t would
be too expensive to repair them
with funds then available.
Another inquiry will be made by
DR.. Miller into the procedures OF
Juvenile Court which :, sentences
girls to the school. He wants to
know why this court, which for
merly sentenced many more girls to
the institution, sent only seven
there in 1947.
Three years ago, according to Mrs
Rose C. Smith, school superin'
tendent, there were SIS girls there
In 1916 there were II.
She said the rehabilitation pro.
gram has resulted in increased pa.
role. There now are 81 former in.
mates out on parole, she said.
Board Has Many Wards.
Mrs. Robin Miller, superintendent
of the Child Welfare Division o1
the Welfare Board, said there are
many girls who are wards of the
beard, who need the rehabilitation
offered by training school. They
have not been convicted OF offenses
serious enough to send them to the
school and are being put in foster
homes and in a private institution
In nearby Maryland, she said.
=, Among witnesses from the neigh
borhood who objected to the school
were Mrs. Gerald L. Keene, 5274
Loughborough road NV, and
Comdr. Lewis A. Rupp, 1856 Lough-
borough road NV,
:, Mrs. Keene filed with the COM
mittee formal petition declaring
the institution was proving "det-
riment" to the property in the CON-
munity. She complained of q
burning dump" on the grounds
and urged abandonment of the in
stitution.
Mrs. Linwood F. Jones, 528;
Loughborough road NV, said she
feared for the safety of my two
little girls" She said the schoo
had been the scene of riots, calls
to police and runaways Men loitel
about the community late at night
apparently coming from the vicin.
ity of the school grounds, she
charged.
Mrs. Rosina C. Tucker, vice pres.
ident of the Federation of Civic
Associations, testified that her group
unanimously had indorsed the bill
Another institution on the same
site is the Children's Receiving
Home for both white and coloreo
children, but a new building fol
this home is under construction or
Mount Olivet road and will be
ready for occupancy this summer.
Maryland All Club Group