Evening star., 1952-03-26
Officials 10 Push
Plans for Laurel
Child Center
$86, 600 Fund Sought
/ For Proposed Girls
Troining School

Involved in these steps is the
$4,000 fund to plan the pro-
posed new National Training
School for Girls at Laurel. We'll
fare and community leaders have
called removal of the training
school to Laurel the next impor-
tant development In shifting the
city's child wards to new buildings
in the country.
Budget Officer Walter Fowler
was instructed by the Commits
sioners to look into the need for
the plan money and report back
promptly. This came after Mr..
Fowler told the Commissioners he
had not included the welfare de-
partment's request for plan money
in the 1853 budget request be-
cause it rated 46th on their priority
list of needs.
Mr.. Fowler said he would ask
Welfare Director Gerard M. Shea
for an explanation.
Explains Outlay Request.
Mr.. Shea was ready to give 1t.
He told The Star the request for
plan money for the training school
was the No. ! item on the priority
list, SO far as capital improve
ments were concerned. The only
higher request for capital outlay
was to continue construction Of
the Home for Aged and Infirm at
Blue Plains-a project already ap-
proved by Congress and underway.
Mr.. Fowler told The Star there
is no question but that the Com
misSionerS would decide to ask
Congress for a supplemental ap-
preparation for the $4,000 plan
money. He said the supplemental
request viii reach Congress when
the regular District budget is in
the Senate and can be acted on
at the same time.
The budget officer said funds
are available because the House
Appropriations Committee has
Topped more than IS million of
the Districts regular budget re-
quest.
AS for the Welfare Depart
ment's priority list. Mr.. Shea said
the plan money figured 42nd. not
46th on the list. Ahead Of it. he
said, were the mandatory salary
increases ordered by Congress, the
costs Of operating institutions, re-
pair money for the aged buildings
and replacements OF worn out
equipment.
Also requested before the plan
money were funds to increase the
staff of the National Training
School for Girls at it's old loca-
tion. The school will be forced to
go from a total population of 35
girls to 80 girls in July because of
the closing of a country institu-
tion that had cared for the other
girls.
"The first IL items are manda-
tory-supplies, equipment and
materials we have to keep operat-
ing what we've got now" Mr.. Shea
declared.
UCS Offers Support.
In another development, an Of
fer of support Of the Board of
Public Welfare in its efforts to
move ahead with plans for the
Children's Center came today
from United Community Services
representatives. In a letter to
Edgar Morris, chairman of the
Board of Public Welfare. Mrs
Wayne Coy. chairman Of the UCS
family and child welfare section
proposed that UCS representatives
appear at the welfare boards
meeting on Friday.
United Community Services. y
she wrote, Shares the concern OF
yourself and other members OF
the Board of Public Welfare that
your request for funds be granted
to advance the program Of re-
building child welfare institutions
Representatives Of United Com
|munity Services would like. to join
with you and the Board Of Public
Welfare in the taking of neces-
|sary steps to secure adequate ap-
preparations to carry out this
program"
Mrs. Coy proposed that she
Russell Schneider, chairman ot
the UCS Public welfare Commit
tee, and Alexander B. Hawes
chairman of the UCS Public Wei
flare Institutions Committee. meet
with the board to discuss the
needs of the children's institutions
presented in The Stars article last
Sunday.
1--WE stand ready to cooperate
with you and the board In every
possible manner" she wrote, 'ir
order to provide adequately fol
the needs Of our neglected chill.
ldren."