Evening star., 1950-02-13
House Attitude
On WeIfarePIan
.EncouragesD.C.
Subcommittee Is Told
Of Lone-Ronge Project
To Build Institutions
By Harold B. Rogers

Inc long-range Dulldlng pro-
gram to improve the Districts
welfare institutions has received
careful attention from the
House Appropriations Subcommit-
tee handling the 1851 supply bill.
This was disclosed as tran
scripts of recent executive hear
ings were made public. District
officials said today they were "en-
couraged" over the reception
given by committee members to
explanations of the program.
John w. Tramburg. retiring
public welfare director who testi-
fled on the projects, expressed
hope that some progress can be
made under whatever funds Con-
gress finally agrees to grant in the
bill.
Outstanding in the plan as ex-
planned to the committee is the
proposal to place city wards from
additional institutions at the Chill
dren's Center, near laurel, Md.
One Institution There.
The District Training School
for Predetermined already is
located there. The Industrial
Home School now on Wisconsin
avenue near Calvert street NV;
the National Training School for
Colored Girls now on Loughbor-
ough road, and the boys now
cared for in the National Training
School for Boys on Bladensburg
road NE, a Federal institution,
will be transferred there even
tually. under the plan.
The sum of s5O0,00o asked for
Children's Center, A. G. Hutson,
director of construction, told the
committee. is needed to begin
work on utilities, including a new
heating plant, a new sewage plant,
and new water distribution sys-
tenn. The total cost is estimated
at $4.240,000.
To complete plans and specifi-
cations for the new Industrial
Home School at Children's Center,
the committee was asked for $685.
600. Structures, to cost eventually
about $1.600,000, Mr.. Hutson said.
will include school and admin
istration building, central mess
hall, six cottages for boys and
three cottages for girls. The school
must move from its present loca-
ton on Wisconsin avenue, part of
which is owned by the Navy. 1t
is scheduled eventually as the site
for the new Washington Hospi-
tai Center.
The construction program at
the Home for Aged and Infirm at
Blue Plains would be carried for
ward under a request for $780,
600 to start construction of the
infirmary building to accommo-
date 344 patients. Plans for the
inf1rmary will be ready July l and
construction will require about
two years, Mr.. Hutson testified.
Fire Hazards Eliminated.
Most of the fire hazards in the
old home buildings have been
eliminated, Mr.. Hutson said.
When the new infirmary is fin
ished, Mr.. Tramburg said it is
planned to transfer from st.
Elizabeths Hospital District pa
tients who are mot violent but
are aged and senile." He esti-
mated they number between $50
and 200.
For the Industrial Home School
for Colored at Blue Plains, $751;
900 was asked for central kitch-
en- to replace feeding facilities
now located in cottages. This
would enable a reduction from IL
present cooks to flve in the CEN
tral kitchen. the committee was
told.
Total public assistance cases
next fiscal year were estimated at
1000, compared with 6,376 for
this year, while the estimate for
1851 appropriations is $4,121 ,406,
including Federal aid, as COM
na rod uitI, "a MO oed tbie yaor