Evening star., 1953-10-29
Group Studies
Of
Youth Agencies
Fuct-Finders Given
Tasks for Report
To Senate Unit
By Miriam Ottenberu

""iN" SNtSuOCIS
The adequacy of youth-serv-
ing facilities here and the eff
cheney of their stats is being in
vestigated by the local fact
finding group advising the Sem
ate Juvenile Delinquency sub
committee, Roger Robb, the
groups chairman. indicated to-
day.
Mr.. Robb said he had assigned
each of the seven members Of
the advisory group a different
field of investigation.
Duties of Members.
These members, he explained,
will make their individual in
quirieS. suggest witnesses for the
forthcoming Senate hearings on
the District and propose changes
in budgets. laws and adminis-
trative procedures.
Members of the committee,
which was enlarged to include
Edward j. Flynn, managing di-
rector of the Washington Grim
inal Justice Association, met last
night to get their assignments.
They will meet again Monday.
Mr.. Robb said their assign
ments included truancy and the
schools. mental health, housing.
dope addiction. police handling
of juveniles, the Juvenile Court
law and court procedures, among
other subjects.
Mr.. Robb said he expected to
get considerable help from the
Juvenile delinquency committee
of the Council on Law Enforce
ment, headed by Newell D. Ell
liSon, and the Commissioners
Youth Council, headed by Mrs.
Henry Grattan Doyle. Commits
Sioner Samuel Spencer had a
conference with Mr.. Robb. Mr..
Ellison and Mrs. Doyle Tuesday
where the three chairmen de-.
scribed the work of their groups
and agreed to help each other.
Report in December.
Mr.. Ellison's group, Mr.. Robb
said, apparently is moving along
and will be in a position to re-
port the results of its investiga-
ton of juvenile crime and COR
rection in time for the Senate
hearings on the District in mid
December.
Mr.. Robb said his group is
seriously considering a recon-
mendation to make the Commits
sioners' Youth Council a perma-
nent body with a permanent
paid staff.
The Youth Council now has a
promise of loaned staff from two
sources-the special juvenile de-
linquency project sponsored by
the United States Children's Bu-
reau and the District Welfare
Department. Some strings are
tied to the offer from the well
fare, however.
The national project will lend
H. Aubrey Elliott, it's highly re-
garded consultant on State and
local action. The head of the
project, DR.. Bertram Beck, told
the council yesterday that. al
though Mr.. Elliott's job covers
the entire country. the project
recognized the Importance ma
tionally of doing a good job in
the Nations Capital"
Mr.. Elliott is now working with
the Senate Juvenile Delinquency
subcommittee in organizing its
national hearings, but is expected
to 60 to work full-time on the
Youth Council by mid November.
He previously was advisor on
community services at 4th Army
headquarters, director of the
Community Chest and Council
at Austin, Tex. and consultant
and visiting lecturer at the Uni
verSity of Texas.
Terms of Shea's Offer.
Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea has offered to lend one Of
his top aides to the council, to
go to work Immediately provided
that the Commissioners agree to
write g replacement into the next
District budget. This has not
yet been cleared at the District
Building.
I MIR. Shea explained that the
! Welfare Department has some
Children's Bureau funds which
are supposed to be spent on spe-
cial projects, but. because of the
difficulty of getting enough jobs
included in District funds for
welfare. the Welfare Department
has been using this money to
pay salaries for its regular per-
sonnel. Mr. Shea said part OF
this money could be used to pay
the salary of the person loaned
to the Youth Council, but he
wanted assurance that the posi-
tion he thus loses would be in
cluded in the next District
budget.