Evening star., 1952-04-16
Senator Hill Predicts
Child Center Funds on
Hearing Unified Plea

A unified plea from more than a
score of community leaders today
brought a prediction from the
chairman of Senate Appropria-
tions subcommittee that funds to
plan new institution at the Chill
!dren's Center in Laurel. Md, will
be included in the District budget.
The subcommittee chairman,
Senator Hill, Democrat, of Ala
bama, made the prediction, after
listening to parade of witnesses
at the District budget hearing.
The civic leaders sought $86, 900
to plan a new National Training
School for Girls.
after all these expressions of
opinion" said Senator Hill, II
think the appropriation bill passed
by the Senate will have the
$4,000 in it,"
Senator Hill was obviously tax
ing that view before the public
hearing closed yesterday. To the
crowded committee room, he said
Il don't think any one need worry
about that $4,000. Just say you're
for it."
One witness lost no time in
taking him up on it.
I'm glad to know we're going
to get the $86,OO0," commented
Mrs. Rosina Tucker, interna-
tional secretary treasury of the
Ladies Auxiliary, Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters, as she
started her testimony.
Want $3.50, 900 Restored.
Civic, religious and welfare
leaders presented a united front.
They sought the $4,000. They
urged restoration of $3.50 900 cut
from the welfare budget. And
many of them made an urgent
appeal for $1,400,00O to increase
the relief grants to 100 per cent
of November, 1851, minimum liv-
ing costs.
Here are some typical comments
from the witnesses on welfare
needs:
These are not requests to give
the needy a plush way of life,"
said Russell Schneider, chairman
of the UCS Committee on Public
Welfare Services.
I'm the problem Of holding a
family together, we feel there
must be adequate food" said A.
L. Jagoe, Junior Chamber of Com
merce. According to the mini
mum diet for a healthy life as
computed by the Department of
Agriculture, these children just
aren't getting enough to eat"
I'VE are failing to provide even
minimum standards of decent care
for over II 900 innocent children, y"
said Mrs. David L. Bazelon, board
member of the Jewish Social Serv-
ice Agency. "They are public
charges through no fault of their
own and are our responsibility"
Seen as Crime Prevention.
1--WE say this committee has the
choice of spending our money for
crime prevention through an ade-
quate public welfare program or
for filling District jails with GRIM
inals," said Miss Josephine Pic
colo, a telephone worker. repre-
senting the Washington Industrial
Union Council, CIO.
I'VE hold that there should be,
in the District of Columbia, q
social and economic floor under
which we will not knowingly al
low any human being to fall"
said Ira L. Gibbons, board mem
ber of family and child services.
Mrs. Grethe L. Tobias, repre-
senting the Washington chapters
of four professional social work
groups. called the children's insti-
tutions "our city's worst slums. I"
She warned that, unless building
program Is started now the news
paper pictures of the institutions
so years from now will be sadder
than those in The Star Of
March %.
Others who testified in behalf
of public welfare included:
Mrs. Ernest w. Howard, Dis
trict Federation of Women'S
Clubs; Percy Weinberg, American
Legion Welfare Department; Mrs.
Rose Mae Catchings, Washington
Federation of Churches Social
Welfare Department; Alexander
B. Hawes, UCS Public Welfare In
stitutions Committee; Mrs. Char
lotte Price. Washington chapter Of
Americans for Democratic Action:
Mrs. Frank Fields, B'nai Birth
Women, Argo; Gertrude Evans,
Progressive Party; Mrs. Jack j.
Gottsegen. Washington section Of
the National Colincil of Jewish