Evening star., 1948-03-07
Welfare Board
Urged 10 Sell
132-Acre Tract
Miller Charges
Poor Handling Of
Aeency's Property
BY Harold B. Rogers

Oy IlufOio D. No9SfS
Property of the District Board
of Public Welfare has been poorly
handled" Representative Miller, Re-
publican, of Nebraska, charged last
night.
One big parcel of land, 1872 acres,
known as Muirkirk, near Beltsville,
should be sold, he declared, because
it has been abandoned. and brick
building there has been allowed to
deteriorate.
Another parcel, Jolly Acres, con-
tanning 106 acres, near Laurel, Is
not being used for welfare purposes,
and buildings there are being torn
down, DR.. Miller said.
My review of what happened at
Jolly Acres, DR.. Miller said, lis
rather shocking, when you look at all
the records on it," He plans to call
on the District Commissioners this
week, in writing, to stop tearing
down some buildings on the site.
DR.. Miller, a physician. said he
came to these conclusions from in
vestigations as chairman of the
House District subcommittee on
health. eduction. and recreation.
Visits Institutions.
After personally visiting six of the
Welfare Boards institutions, and
two land areas not used now by
the board, DR.. Miller said he be-
lieved that as matter of economy
and good business We ought to
consolidate institutions and put the
whole program on a more business
like basis"
Possibility of shifting inmates
and wards of some of the institu-
tions was discussed by DR.. Miller
yesterday with two officials: Fred
S. Kogod, vice chairman OF the
Welfare Board, and Raymond F.
Clapp, acting director of the Dis
trict Welfare Department.
They agreed with him, DR.. Miller
said, that Muirkirk should be sold.
Also indorsing sale Of the property
was Representative Youngblood Re-
publican, of Michigan, member OF
ticipated in the conference.
Committee Studying Bill.
DR.. Miller's investigation of the
far-flung facilities of the Welfare
Board grew out of a bill now pend
ing before his committee, to enlarge
the scope of the National Training
School for Girls (colored) on 19-
acre site on Loughborough road
NV. This bill stirred up strong op-
position from the neighborhooo,
whose residents objected to the in
stitution. They protested it was a
"detriment" to property values In
the community.
DR.. Miller predicted last night
that his subcommittee would ap-
prove. the measure, but, he added,
he will look into the long-rangeI
possibilities for abandoning the
Loughborough site, eventually.
Earlier hopes that the Loughbor-
ough site might be sold to bring
funds into the District for benefit
of Welfare Board projects elsewhere
were virtually abandoned yesterday,
when it was found the District En-
gineer for the Army Corps of En-
gineers needs the site to expand
the city water supply system. Title
to the site is in the name of the
United States, and not the District,
DR.. Miller learned.
School May Be Abandoned.
One of the possibilities for later
abandonment of the Loughborough
road site, DR.. Miller said, lies in
the fact that the Justice Depart
ment is planning to abandon the
National Training School for Boys,
a Federal institution on Bladens-
burg road, Maryland. This institu-
ton. If given up, might be used
temporarily to house some District
Welfare Board wards, DR.. Miller
said. He plans to see James V. Ben
nett. director of Federal prisons,
who is in charge of the school, early
this week to discuss the possibilities.
Mr.. Bennett told The Star last
night that it is hoped that the in
Stitution will be moved from Wash
irgton, but no funds are available
for a new place.
If the Bladensburg institution
were abandoned, DR.. Miller said, it
might lead to abandonment of two
Welfare Board institutions on
Loughborough road-the National
Training School for Girls and the
Receiving Home for Children.
Colored girls at the National
Training School for Girls might be
moved to the Industrial Home
School for Children at Blue Plains,
if the Blue Plains wards could be
moved to the Bladensburg Insti-
tuition. Delinquent children at the
Children's Receiving Home will be
moved to a new home now being
constructed for them on Mt. Olivet
road NE, to be ready next summer
Nondelinquent could go to the
Bladensburg road institution.
Shifts Seen as StOp-gap.
Into the Bladensburg school also
might be moved white boys and girls
from the Industrial training School
at 2453 Wisconsin avenue NV.
Or. Miller looked on the possibility
of all these shifts to the Bladens-
burg institution as stopgap, until
a more permanent solution could
be found for the Welfare Boards
institutions. He has not yet worked
out the answer to the whole prob
lem he said. Eventually it is hoped
to use the jolly Acres site for con-
struction, but prices for construc-
ton no war too high. he said.
DR.. Miller is author of bill,
which has passed the House, and
is pending in the Senate District
Committee, to transfer much of the
power of the present autonomous
Welfare Board to the District Com
missioners. The Senate committee
plans to give this bill attention,
and possibly early hearings, DR..