Evening star., 1953-01-12
Ban on Transfer
of Brownsville
Patients Urged
Rosewood Parents
Appeal to Governor
To Avert Move
By Richard RODGERS

BY Richard Rodgers
Parents of patients at the all.
white Rosewood Training School
appealed to Gov. McKeldin last
night to stop the mass transfer
of colored children from the
Brownsville State Hospital to
Rosewood.
Meeting in the school near
Baltimore, most of the Rosewood
Parents Association members
said they were not concerned
with the racial issue.
They said they opposed the
move only because Rosewood
isn't able to care properly for
the patients it now has, and that
moving in new ones will make
matters worse.
The transfer of $50 colored
children is scheduled to begin
a week from today. The shift
was ordered after a number Of
investigating groups recommend.
ed relief for the badly over
crowded Brownsville asylum near
Annapolis.
Protest Held Fruitless.
The parents agreed at yester-
days meeting that Brownsville
needs relief. But they said the
280 children won't be much bet
ter off at Rosewood.
Many of those who agreed to
send protest kilograms to Gov.
McKeldin said they were re-
signed to the transfer going
through. They hope, though,
it can be delayed until they can
have an interview with the Gov
ernor.
They denounced him yester-
day for what they said was his
refusal to back up his campaign
pledges of assistance for the
States mental institutions. They
said he has refused to talk to
them.
The parents hope to stir full
scale inquiry into conditions at
Rosewood. Brownsville and the
entire field of health in Mary
land.
Hit Lack of Attendants.
Rosewood's shortage of attend.
ants is disgraceful, they charged.
When the colored children ar
rive the place will have about
1,700 patients. There are only
219 attendants now and Rose.
wood has no assurance it will
get more.
DR.. George c. Medairy, Rose
woods superintendent, said how.
ever, he expects the $50 patients
from Brownsville will include
about 40 capable Of helping tend
to younger children.
Brownsville will still have
about 1900 patients after the
280 leave.
Under the new non-segregated
program, Rosewood will care for
feeble minded victims of all
races and ages. and Brownsville
and similar institutions will be
asylums for the insane.
Mrs. Rupert L. Dunn, 8022
Maple avenue. Takoma Park,
president of the Rosewood par
ents. declared the State needs a
general overhauling of its mental
institutions.
Low pay makes it difficult to
hire attendants and those the
State can get are lured into bet
ter jobs elsewhere. she asserted.
Hit Long Waiting Periods.
Other speakers describing Rose
woods long waiting list. told Of
three. four and five year waits
they had before their children
could be admitted. They said
the Brownsville transfer will
force even longer delay.
Rosewood is not a purely char.
liable concern, they emphasize.
Families pay according to their
ability and furnish much of the
clothing for their children.
Clothing can become consid-
cradle expense. Some of the
feeble minded Rosewood wards
destroy not only their own gar
ments but rip apart the clothes
of other children. The parents
contend that hiring a big enough
staff of attendants could pre-
vent much of the destruction.
More attendants are also
needed desperately. they said, to
make sure the younger children
get enough to eat. AS things are
now. said the parents, the little
ones have to fight for their food
because older patients steal it.
Superintendent Supported.
Mrs. Dunn and several others
said they wanted to make it
plain they weren't attacking
DR.. Medairy. He inherited the
budget and other shortcomings
when he became superintendent
recently and is working might
and day" to improve Rosewood,
they acknowledged.
The parents also praised Rose
woods staff generally. They said
most attendants are performing
tremendous tasks under giant
handicaps.
H. A. Schiebel, of Baltimore,
said the transfer would not only
complicate Rosewood's existing
problems but the admission Of
colored patients knocks down the
racial bars Baltimore has used
for generations and would OUT
rage Baltimoreans.
But Arthur D. Heron, Of Oxon
Hill, said he had a rebuttal to
make, "and I'm a Southerner."
"The colored children are hui
man beings and they need to be
taken care Of. I say take care
of them"
Lunch to Ruise Funds
For Needy Children