Chapter 807. To establish a board of charities for the District of Columbia
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CHAP. 807.— An Act To establish a board of charities for the District of Columbia. June 6, 1900. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, District of Columbia.Board of charities established. That there shall be established in the District of Columbia a board of charities, to consist of five members, residents of the said District, who shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, each for a term of three years, but in such manner that the terms of not more than two of them shall expire in any one or the same year.
The members of the said board shall serve without compensation. During his term of office no member shall serve as trustee or other administrative officer of any institution subject to the visitation Officers, etc.of the said board. The board shall elect a president and vice-president from among its own members, and shall appoint a secretary, who shall receive a salary of three thousand dollars per annum; and a messenger, who shall receive a salary of eight hundred and forty dollars per annum; and may appoint such other officers, inspectors, and clerks as it may deem proper, and fix the number, duties, and compensation of such other officers, inspectors, and clerks, subject to *Proviso.*Superintendent of charities, District of Columbia abolished, etc.appropriations of Congress: *Provided*, That the office of superintendent of charities of the District of Columbia is hereby abolished from and after the thirtieth day of June, nineteen hundred: and the amounts appropriated in the Act making appropriations for the expenses of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and one, for salaries of superintendent of charities and of messenger in the office of said superintendent and for traveling expenses are hereby made available for the payment of secretary of the board of charities, messenger for said board, and necessary traveling Duties of board.expenses authorized by said board.
The said board of charities shall visit, inspect, and maintain a general supervision over all institutions. societies, or associations of a charitable, eleemosynary, correctional, or reformatory character which are supported in whole or in part by appropriations of Congress, made for the care or treatment of residents of the District of Columbia; and no payment shall be made to any such charitable, eleemosynary, correctional, or reformatory institution for any resident of the District of Columbia who is not received and maintained therein pursuant to the rules established by such board of charities, except in the case of persons committed by the courts, or abandoned infants needing immediate Rooms.care.
The said board of charities shall be provided with suitable rooms in the building occupied by other departments of the government Meetings.of the District of Columbia. Regular meetings of the said board shall be held at least once each month, and more often if required. Regulations.The said board shall make such rules and orders for the regulation of Information, etc., to be furnished board.its proceedings as may be deemed necessary. The officers in charge of all institutions subject to the supervision of the board of charities shall furnish said board, on request, such information and statistics as may be desired; and to secure accuracy, uniformity, and completeness of such statistics the board may prescribe such forms of report and registration as may be deemed to be essential: and all plans for new institutions shall, before the adoption of the same, be submitted to said Investigation of public institutions by board.board for suggestion and criticism.
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia may at any time order an investigation by the board, or a committee of its members, of the management of any penal, charitable. or reformatory institution in the District of Columbia; and said board, or any authorized committee of its members, when making such investigation, shall have power to send for persons and papers and to administer oaths and affirmations; and the report of such investigation, Expenses.with the testimony, shall be made to the Commissioners.
All accounts and expenditures of said board shall be certified as may be required by the Commissioners, and paid as other accounts against the District 665of Columbia. The said board shall make an annual report to Congress, Report.through the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, giving a full and complete account of all matters placed under the supervision of the board, all expenses in detail, and all officers and agents employed, with a report of the Secretary, showing the actual condition of all institutions and agencies under the supervision of the board, the character and economy of administration thereof, and the amount and sources of their public and private income.
The said report shall also include recommendations for the economical and efficient administration of the charities and reformatories of the District of Columbia. The said Estimates of future appropriations.board shall prepare and include with its annual report such estimates of future appropriations as will, in the judgment of a majority of its members, best promote the effective, harmonious, and economical management of the affairs under its supervision; and such estimates submitted shall be included in the regular annual Book of Estimates.
No Officers, etc., not to be interested in contracts.member or employee of said board shall be either directly or indirectly interested in any contract for building, repairing, or furnishing any institution which by this Act the board is authorized to investigate and supervise. All Acts and parts of Acts in conflict with the provisions Repeal.of this Act are hereby repealed. Approved, June 6, 1900.