Senator MCMILLAN. If this man can take charge of 150 children, whose parents can not, and put them into institutions, it seems to me that for one man he is doing good work.

Representative PITNEY. Whether he is doing it lawfully or not?
Senator MCMILLAN. Yes.

Mr. WILSON. We were the only such agency until the Board of Children's Guardians act was passed.

Representative PITNEY. The objection on the part of parents and others to the operation of the law constituting the Board of Children's Guardians is that it puts an indignity upon the parents and puts the child permanently beyond their control; but the law that gives the Humane Society jurisdiction of those children has practically the same provision. They must be committed through the police court.

Senator MCMILLAN. It is like the subject of charity. No doubt the Associated Charities people in their investigations find lots of persons who have been well off in their day and generation, and have lost their money. We will say that a man has lost his situation. He can not get anything to do. The family are in great distress. They will not go to the poor masters; they will not go to an institution; but quietly they will receive help. Now, so it is with the people who have children, just as Mr. Wilson has stated. They are proud; they do not want to have it known through the courts that they are in that condition, but they are willing that the child shall be cared for temporarily. I have known many cases of that kind, where children were cared for for six months or a year, and then the parents took them back.

Representative PITNEY. It may be right in some cases, and wrong in others; but the question is as to the authority of law to employ a police officer at public expense to do that work. They cite this law, and it does not cover it.

Senator MCMILLAN. It covers part of it.

Mr. WILSON. I have asked several of the judges of the police court and they say they have no power to commit to charitable institutions. There is no law for it.

Representative NORTHWAY. You have been putting them in such institutions.

Mr. WILSON. I have been placing them there.
Representative NORTHWAY. They are still there.

Mr. WILSON. A good many of them are.

Representative NORTHWAY. Have they taken any of them out? Mr. WILSON. Some of them remain only a few months until they are taken out.

Representative NORTHWAY. Who takes them out?

Mr. WILSON. The parents usually, or the guardians. The parent will get employment.

Representative NORTHWAY. If a child is taken from its parent because of cruelty, is the parent permitted to go and get the child again?

Mr. WILSON. No; the children to whom I refer are placed in the institutions because of destitution.

Representative PITNEY. Do you place children in institutions outside of the District of Columbia?

Mr. WILSON. I have taken a few children to Baltimore.

Representative PITNEY. How many?

Mr. WILSON. I have taken children to St. Mary's Industrial Institute in Baltimore. I can not say how many.

Representative NORTHWAY. Under what law?

Representative PITNEY. Does the report show how many have been so placed?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; but I do no know the year. I have not taken any for the last year or two years.

Senator MCMILLAN. The report which I ask you to make will show exactly what has been done with those children.

Representative PITNEY. That is what I ask for also.

Mr. WILSON. Suppose I furnish the monthly reports from the date of my detail up to the present time; would not that do just as well as the consolidated report?

Senator MCMILLAN. That will do.

Representative PITNEY. You had better put in the summary.

Mr. WILSON. Our annual reports will show that.

Representative PITNEY. I suppose we can make the calculation.
Mr. PRATT. We can prepare such a table as you wish.

Representative PITNEY. If you please. [To Mr. Wilson.] You make reports to the Humane Society?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; monthly and annually.

Representative PITNEY. Who constitute the Humane Society?

Mr. WILSON. Mr. Pratt is and has been president for quite a number of years. I do not know all the members. There are quite a number of them.

Mr. PRATT. I will say that the late Judge MacArthur was instrumental in having this act passed. There was, at the time, no law in the District to protect children, and this was the first society that was empowered to act for children, and Mr. Wilson acted until the Board of Children's Guardians was appointed.

Mr. WILSON. All cases of cruelty and neglect under the law.

Representative PITNEY. But those cases you turn over to the Board of Children's Guardians?

Mr. WILSON. Yes; since that Board has been established. It enables us to reach children whom we could not reach before. For instance, children kept in vicious or immoral association or surroundings, or children known by their language or life to be vicious.

Representative NORTHWAY. Do you take children and dispose of them without consulting the officers of the Humane Society?

Mr. WILSON. The parents come and make application to me. Representative NORTHWAY. And you dispose of the children without consulting the society at all?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir. It would take too long to call a meeting of the Board in each case.

Mr. PRATT. I will state that we have never had a complaint from any one as to Mr. Wilson's acts. He certainly helps a great many poor people.

Mr. WILSON. I try to use considerable judgment in those cases. Mr. PRATT. We have every confidence in Mr. Wilson's judgment and ability to place the children where it is best.

Senator MCMILLAN. You have a board?

Mr. PRATT. Yes, sir.

Senator MCMILLAN. Do you meet once a month?

Mr. PRATT. Yes, sir. The first Monday in every month Mr. Wilson makes a detailed report of each child, where he has placed it, what is the child's name, etc. You have the blank there.

Senator MCMILLAN. Is this board to which you refer composed wholly of gentlemen, or is it a mixed body?

Mr. PRATT. There are a great many ladies on it.

Total

Senator MCMILLAN. You raise your money by subscription?
Mr. PRATT. Yes, sir.

Senator MCMILLAN. And by memberships?

Mr. PRATT. Yes, sir. We get no assistance whatever from the Government. We receive bequests. We received a little bequest of $5,000 from a clerk in the Treasury Department, who was a bachelor. He had no family, and had been a member of our board for years. We also received a bequest of land valued at $3,000.

Senator MCMILLAN. I think that is all, Mr. Wilson.

STATEMENT OF MR. WILSON.

Senator MCMILLAN,

WASHINGTON HUMANE SOCIETY, CRUELTY TO CHILDREN,

Chairman Committee on Charities, District of Columbia.

April 10, 1897.

SIR: I respectfully submit the following report of the number and disposition of cases investigated for the year ending December 31, 1896:

Number of cases investigated..

Number of persons prosecuted

Number of persons fined

S. WILSON, Agent.

268

9

3

4

239

Number of persons execution of sentence suspended and personal bonds taken..
Number of cases dismissed

Amicably adjusted

268

BOARD OF CHILDREN'S GUARDIANS AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY.

Mr. LEWIS. I think a question was asked of Mr. Mann in regard to the number of applications. Information was asked in regard to the number of applications on behalf of children to be taken in charge by the Board of Children's Guardians. Mr. Mann says such a statement will be furnished. It is exhibited in full on page 21 of the annual report.

Representative PITNEY. The last annual report?

Mr. LEWIS. Yes, sir. The number of applications was 371, of which 71 received approval upon tentative examination. The rest were all refused.

Representative PITNEY. There is one other question. Look at the schedule of the hearings:

2. What coordination of existing institutions and agencies is possible and desirable (a) for taking up children, (b) for training children, (c) for placing out and visiting children.

Are you prepared to answer the question in regard to the relation between the Humane Society and the Board of Children's Guardians? Mr. LEWIS. Yes, sir; I think so.

(a) For taking up children." In my judgment there should exist in every well-regulated city one official agency to which should be referred all reports and complaints of the condition of children alleged to be in any such situation as to make them proper subjects for public protec tion and support. This agency should make a tentative investigation of the case, so as to ascertain whether it probably falls within the intent of the law governing the public support of children. If in the judg ment of the agent it is properly such a case or might be such a case, it should be his duty to present the case before the court designated for that purpose for an authoritative examination. The court should summon before it the child and parents, if either are living, and should make a thorough investigation, under oath, of the facts relating to the neces sity of the child, and the judgment should rest with the court as to whether the circumstances were such as made it absolutely necessary for the protection and safety of the child that it should be placed under public support and public guardianship. In my judgment the necessity for public support carries with it the right of public guardianship. Senator MCMILLAN. Is not that done now?

Mr. LEWIS. Possibly in cases brought before the court, but the difficulty is that more than half are not brought before the court.

Senator MCMILLAN. Would you have an agency outside of the Board of Children's Guardians to do that business?

Representative PITNEY. He says he would have one agency, but that all cases should be brought before the court. How would you deal with the prejudice, if it may be called a prejudice, on the part of parents against going into court. The feeling has been referred to by Mr. Wilson, of the Humane Society.

Mr. LEWIS. I have never known a case where children were allowed to suffer by reason of that feeling. People come to the office of the Board of Children's Guardians continually to inquire about the process for the commitment of children, and they are told what is necessary in order that the children may be placed in institutions. When they are informed that the road into the institutions through the Board of Children's Guardians is by a court, it is impossible to make any explanation to them which is satisfactory. They object to that absolutely. They say "I

would work my fingers to the bone before I would allow my children to go into court." We reply, "That is precisely what you should do. We can not do anything for you in any other way." In my judgment there ought to be no other way.

The schemes resorted to by people who wish to push off their children on the public during the years of their helplessness are amazing, and I do not believe it is possible to ascertain definitely and reliably the facts npon which a judgment of that kind should be based, except under the conditions of a judicial inquiry. At least that is the only safe way to do it.

Representative PITNEY. Would it obviate that prejudice to any extent if instead of having a police court constituted as a tribunal you had a tribunal established which would be free from the prejudice that exists against police courts?

Mr. LEWIS. That should be done.

Representative NORTHWAY. A court not connected with criminals? Mr. LEWIS. That should be done. In New York there is a provision of law by which it is obligatory upon courts to hear all cases involving the welfare of children brought in by the Gerry Society. It is unlawful to place any child under 16 years of age in any police station or van, to be conveyed to court or from court, in which criminals are conveyed. That should be done here.

Representative PITNEY. I wish you would refer us to those laws. Mr. LEWIS. It has been a matter of painful regret that we have had to go into police court with these cases. There are a spirit and air about the police courts to which children ought not to be subjected.

Representative PITNEY. I wish you would refer us at your convenience to the laws in other States, if you know of any, creating special tribunals for this purpose.

Mr. WILSON. I do not see why the cases of children put into institutions temporarily on account of destitution should not come as properly to us as other cases of destitution. Indeed, a good many do. Our agents are all the time placing them temporarily in homes. In my judgment they should be put in private homes, and not be supported by taxation.

Representative PITNEY. You mean the Associated Charities when you say "us?"

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; and our agents are doing that every day, especially during sickness.

Representative PITNEY. You are speaking of providing for children who would not become permanent public dependents?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; as to whom there would be no necessity for public guardianship, but simply temporary relief.

Representative PITNEY. A child whose parents are temporarily unable to provide for it?

Mr. WILSON. Yes. sir. That is a common form of charitable relief. Representative PITNEY. You know the problems which have been before us in regard to child-caring work, as they have been developed by the hearing. Suppose you give us in writing your views upon the topics covered by the fifth hearing, and especially topic No. 2. Senator MCMILLAN. That seems to cover it.

Representative PITNEY. Topics Nos. 1, 2, and 3, under the fifth

hearing.

Mr. WILSON. I will include that in the general statement I was requested to hand in.

Mr. MANN. I desire to supplement my remarks.