Evening star., 1952-04-19
PriinceGeorges
Studies Welfare
Findings Of Jury
23-Member Panel
Recommends New
One-Agency Setup

Grand jury recommends ationSI
for reorganization and conSolida-
tion Of public welfare activities
today are under study by Prince
Georges County authorities.
T. Earle Bourne, foreman of
the 23-member panel, said sug-
gestions in a report handed in atI
Upper Marlboro yesterday con-
template abolition of the embat-
tied agency.
The report to Judge Charles C.I
Marbury said:
"a full day was spent in inter-
views concerning the current sus-
pension of the director of the
Welfare Board. The conclusionl
was reached that the grand jury
recommends complete integrationI
Of all public welfare within the
county into one agency headed byI
q director, assisted by an advisory
board to be appointed by the
county commissioners, not under
the direction of the State Depart
ment Of Public Welfare"
Suspended With Pay.
The director referred to in the
report, Miss E. Susan Hendricks.
was suspended with pay March IT
and asked to resign because of
alleged inefdciency. She refused
to quit. Members of the Welfare
Board would not detail the accu-
sations. They explained that they
are trying to protect Miss Hend-
rickS.
Mr.. Bourne said the jury's re-
marks mean that the existing
seven member Welfare Board
should, in their opinion, be abol-
iShed and that an integrated
county welfare agency should be
administered by a director re-
Sponsible only to the State Wei
fare Department. The Advisory
Board would function as a con-
sulting group, free from any tie
in with State welfare authorities.
1--WE believe" Mr.. Bourne said,
"that the director should run the
show and that the Welfare Board
as it exists today should be done
away with"
Mr.. Bourne said he believed
that objective could be attained
If the county commissioners would
ask Welfare Board members to
resign.
Seen as Victory for Director.
Some county officials consid-
cred the grand jury's observations
as victory for Miss Hendricks. |
They pointed out that if the well
fare board is disbanded the fight
ing director may not be called
upon to defend herself before the
State employment commissioner.
John w. Sharper, chairman of
the Welfare Board, has said for
NAL charges of incompetency
would be filed against Miss Hen
bricks if she refuses to give upl
her post on or before a courtesy"
hearing set for April %.
The grand jury probed the
trouble-f1lled agency's affairs
under the broad powers the law
gives Maryland grand Jurors to
inquire into the conduct Of any
governmental department. Off
eialS said the investigation con-
cerned only administrative mat
ters.
Also pointed out In the report
was "the fact that the Board of
License Commissioners, charged
with the issuance and supervision
of 352 licensed alcoholic estab-
lShments, has only one inspector,
no private Office or clerical help
assigned exclusively to their work. -
Liquor Board Expansion Urged.
The jurors recommended that
the liquor board be. given office
space. additional inspectors and
q secretary. They also suggested
that the boards inspectors be
given limited police power.
INDECENT patients at the Prince
Georges Hospital should be sent
to the county almshouse, the jury
said, after citing that the insti-
tuition has only IA inmates al-
though accommodations are avail
able for q.
Cost per inmates" the jury
declared. ."is too high to warrant
expenditure Of $26,677.76 annually
for an average of IA to 16 in
mates"
Citizens bent on spring cleanups
complained to the jurors that
trash cans and garbage thrown
from cars litter county roads.
The jury proposed that it be
removed by prisoners from the
Upper Marlboro jail. The prison.
ers had a complaint of their own.