SCHEDULE FOR HEARINGS BEFORE THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHARITIES AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTIONS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FIRST HEARING,

The general subject of the Charities of the District of Columbia.

To be heard: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia; the relief committee of 1896-97; the Associated Charities; the charities committee of the board of trade; the superintendent of charities; the officers of the Civic Center.

TOPICS.

1. The method of distributing the annual appropriation of $13,000 for the relief of the poor.

2. The extent and character of the relief work supported by subscription.

3. The need and method of investigating the applications for relief.

4. The proper organization of the charities of the District of Columbia.

5. Should relief be confined to bona fide citizens of the District of Columbia?

SECOND HEARING.

Subject: Reformatory Institutions.

To be heard: The officers of the Reform School for Boys; the officers of the Reform School for Girls.

TOPICS.

1. The work of the Reform School for Boys and needs of the institution.

2. Management of the school and extent of the supervision exercised by the Department of Justice.

3. Should the control be transferred to the District authorities?

4. The work of the Reform School for Girls.

5. Does the school provide for all necessary cases?

6. Conditions of the most economical management.

7. What becomes of boys and girls discharged from these schools?

THIRD HEARING.

Subject: The Insane; The Deaf and Dumb; The Feeble-minded.

To be heard: Dr. Godding, of St. Elizabeth's; Dr. Gallaudet, of Kendall Green; Mr. Lewis, of the Board of Children's Guardians.

TOPICS.

1. The provisions for the care of the District insane and the method of commitment. 2. The deaf and dumb of the District at Kendall Green.

3. The feeble-minded; in what institutions placed; comparative cost at various institutions; increase or decrease in the number of cases.

4. The need of an institution for inebriates.

FOURTH HEARING.

Subject: Dependent Children.

To be heard: Officers of the Board of Children's Guardians; officers of the Humane Society; judges of District courts.

TOPICS.

1. What children are, properly speaking, dependent; and what are the duties of the District toward such as are dependent?

2. Has the District a duty toward children not officially declared dependent?

3. Methods of taking up dependent children; the limits of guardianship.

4. The proper training for dependent children.

5. The disposal of dependent children; in homes; in boarding places.

6. The need of visitation in the case of children placed out.

FIFTH HEARING.

Subject: Dependent Children; Institutional Training.

To be heard: Officers of the Board of Children's Guardians; officers of the Industrial Home School; officers of the National Association for the Relief of Destitute Colored Women and Children; officers of the Humane Society.

TOPICS.

1. The facilities offered by aided District institutions to care for dependent children. 2. What coordination of existing institutions and agencies is possible and desirable (a) for taking up children, (3) for training children, (c) for placing out and visiting children.

3. Changes in existing institutions necessary to adapt them for the care of all dependent children, properly so called.

4. Industrial training for dependent children.

5. The possibility of securing homes.

SIXTH HEARING.

Subject: Dependent Children; Foundlings.

To be heard: Officers of the Children's Hospital; officers of the Washington Hospital for Foundlings; officers of St. Ann's Infant Asylum; officers of the Board of Children's Guardians.

TOPICS.

1. The work of the foundling institutions in the District of Columbia.

2. Extent to which public aid may properly be granted.

3. Mortality.

4. Placing out and adoption of children.

5. Visitation of children.

6. Private foundling asylums.

SEVENTH HEARING.

Subject: Dependent Children; Charity.

To be heard: Officers of the German Orphan Asylum; officers of the Church Orphanage of St. John's Parish; officers of St. Rose Industrial School; officers of St. Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum; officers of the Newsboy's and Children's Aid Society.

TOPICS.

1. May public funds properly be used to support sectarian or private institutions? 2. Where grants of public money are made, ought not the District to have the right to place dependent children in the institution so aided?

3. What would be the effect of carrying out the declared policy of Congress to make no appropriations of money to sectarian institutions?

4. Does the policy of taking children from and returning them to parents stimulate dependency?

5. What becomes of children discharged from the sectarian and private institutions?

6. What is the length of time children are maintained at public expense, and is the expense per child unduly large?

EIGHTH HEARING.

Subject: Hospitals for Special Classes.

To be heard: Officers of the Emergency Hospital; officers of Columbia Hospital; officers of the Home for Incurables; officers of the Eastern Dispensary.

TOPICS.

1. Hospital work done by the hospitals.

2. Comparative cost of maintenance in Washington and other cities.

3. Income from patients.

4. Do persons come to Washington to secure free treatment at District expense? 5. The training of nurses as a part of hospital work.

6. Connection between hospitals and colleges of medicine.

Subject: General Hospitals.

NINTH HEARING.

To be heard: Officers of the Homeopathic Hospital; officers of Garfield Hospital; officers of Freedman's Hospital; officers of Providence Hospital.

TOPICS.

1. Is there duplication in the work of the District hospitals?

2. Why should not the District share the expense of Garfield Hospital?

3. Should the work of the hospitals be supervised by District authorities?

4. Should the control of Freedmen's Hospital remain with the Secretary of the Interior?

5. Contagious diseases in hospitals.

6. Training schools for nurses.

7. The salaries of the hospital staff.

TENTH HEARING.

Subject: Charitable Work for Young Women.

To be heard: Officers of the Woman's Christian Association; officers of Young Woman's Christian Home; officers of the Association of Works of Mercy; officers of the Hope and Help Mission; officers of the House of the Good Shepherd.

TOPICS.

1. Temporary homes for young women seeking employment.

2. The need of several institutions.

3. The work of the House of the Good Shepherd and similar institutions. 4. How far should this work be maintained by the public?

ELEVENTH HEARING.

Subject: Men Out of Work.

To be heard: Officers of the Municipal Lodging House; officers of the Central Union Mission; officers of the Temporary Home for ex-Union Soldiers and Sailors.

TOPICS.

1. Growth of the work as shown by the growth of the Municipal Lodging House. 2. How far is the municipality to go in furnishing work for the unemployed?

3. Do the lodging houses encourage tramps?

4. Should the work in the District be extended?