Evening star., 1953-04-29
Vast New Outlay
For Welfare Urged
By Citizens Group
[continued From First Page.

should not be left to the hazards
of Congressional action on the
District budgets"
The fulfllment of the pro-
gram is too important for such
reatment," the report added. AL
though borrowing does not avoid
the necessity of eventual pay
ment, it can spread the payment
over the life of the facilities and.
more important, it permits the
adoption of a building schedule
which can be faithfully kept"
In recommending that the
Commissioners seek Congress
sional approval of the construc-
ton program and accompanying
timetable, the committee sug-
gested that the Commissioners
should submit the whole pro-
gram and schedule to Congress
as part of the justification for
the current budget request.
The difficulties of operating
without knowing whether or not
an institution is to be moved
we're cited in connection with
the Junior Village, where home
less small boys and girls are
temporarily housed.
The committee suggested ma
jor fire protection improvements
IN one old building at the Jun
ior Village, which has 48 girls
housed on the third floor At
the same time, however. the
committee acknowledged that it
was difficult to decide whether
or not to spend money for large
alterations for fire safety since
the Junior Village is supposed
to move to Blue Plains when the
Industrial Home School for Col
ored Children, now at Blue Plains,
moves to the Children's Center.
That move depends on Congress
sional approval of current appro-
priation requests.
Other Needs Listed.
Among the needs listed by the
committee but not included IN
the Commissioners public works
program were:
A new Municipal Lodging
House to provide temporary shell
ter for homeless adults. The
present one was called a "dis-
grace to the CITY," and also in
adequate. not entirely safe and
obviously the property of a pc
nurious government"
Four additional dormitories
and a nursery for the District
Training School beyond the six
additional units and school
building included in the Com
miSsioners' program. The Com
missioners' plan would bring the
capacity for feeble minded to
1900 while the committee'S pro-
posal would increase it to 1900.
The committee cited the annual
waiting list of SO or more Ger
titled for commitment for whom
no space is available, at least
another so annually waiting to
be certified and an actual COM
munity need for an institution
twice as large as the present one.
A maximum security facility
for the Children's Center to
house feeble minded delinquents
who should be separated from
the other mental detectives as
well as to take care of seriously
delinquent children committed
to the two Industrial Home
Schools to be located at the CEN
ter.
A classification center at the
Children's Center to study all
children committed and to choose
the program that will offer the
best chances OF rehabilitation.
Construction Needs.
AS for the construction needs
included IN the COmm1SSio toner's
building program. the committee
in addition to recommending
immediate appropriations for a
new Industrial Home School for
Colored Children-urged funds
in the 1855 budget for at least
four infirmaries and a school
building at the District Training
School and new wing and an
additional floor on the present
wing at the Receiving Home for
Children.
At the. Receiving Home. the
committee found some children
occasionally obliged to sleep on
the floor although sleeping rooms
designed for three now house
six. The committee pointedly
commented that children await.