The morning news., 1897-04-11
DR.. Drummer TO GO TO HAVANA
HE RESIGNS HIS POSITION As
HEALTH OFFICER.

The ResignntiOn Effective April -.
DR.. Drummer said to Have Received
His Appointment From the Sur
geon General as Assistant TO DF.
Burgess at Havana-Wn1 Attend
the Public Quarantine Meeting of
the Sanitary BOnrd on April 70,
Hosvever-Has Been savnnnah's
Health Omcer for Nine Years.
Or. w f. Brunner has rendered his res
| ignation as health officer to Mayor Mel
drim, to take effect Saturday. April "A.
The resignation was handed to Clerk ".
p. Bailey yesterday morning, who placed
it on the mayors desk.
The resignation was not entirely unex-
pected, as there have been rumors in cir
culation for some time that DR.. Brun-
ner would resign Several things have
occurred which have led TO this belief,
mainly the fact that it was evident the
present sanitary board would not sustain
DR. Brunners policy Of rigid quarantine.
onc also the recent action Of council in
adopting an ordinance requiring the health
officer to attend emergency calls at ne
barracks. against the performance of
which duty DR.. Brunner strenuously OBJ
jected.
There is reason to believe, however,
that these things We're not altogether re-
sponsible for Or. Brunners resignation,
and that the same thing might
have occurred had there been no friction
between the health officer and the sani-
Brunners friends have been aware for
some time that he has had under consider
alton an offer from the surgeon general
OF the position of assistant to the repre-
sentative Of the marine HOSPITAL service at
Havana, Dr. Burgess. This position, it
Will be remembered, was rendered to DR..
Brunner last summer and it was at first
announced that he would accept. The po-
sition was declined. however, for various
reasons. Mayor Myers was unwilling to
have DR.. Brunner resign and urged him to
remain promising at the same time to use
his influence with council to secure an in
crease in the salary of the Office at the end
of the year, the salary attached to the po-
sltion offered DR.. Brunner at Havana be-
ing considerably larger than the amount
allowed the health officer here.
In making up the budget for the present
year the salary of the health officer was
increased from $1,000 TO $3.50 This in
crease was not as great as DR.. Drummer
had expected and this may have had
something to do with his decision to ac-
cept the appointment to Havana. Dr.
Brunner was connected with the marine
hospital service before his election as
health officer of Savannah, and has since
kept in close touch with the service.
Whether the offer of the appointment to
Havana was renewed before or since the
question of requiring the health officer to
attend the prisoners at the barracks arose
in the sanitary board which was followed
by the recent action of council making
that duty compulsory is not known.
Friends of Dr. Brunner have stated, how
ever, that he has had this appointment
for the last three weeks, which would go
to show that the position had been offer
ed him again previous to the friction
which occurred over the matter of attend
ing emergency calls at the barracks.
When seen yesterday by a Morning
News reporter DR.. Drummer declined to
say anything with reference to his resig-
nation further than that he had rendered
il to the mayor to take effect April o.
Mayor Meldrim was also seen, but was
not ready to discuss the matter. Il am
not inclined to consider DIR. Brunners s
action as final" he said, He may not
have received the appointment or there
might be some hitch in confirming it, in
which case he might desire to withdraw
his notice and continue as health officer.
I have very high esteem for DR.. Brun-
ner and should regret to see him leave
the service of the city"
Mayor Meldrim said that he did not
mention DR.. Brunners resignation at the
meeting of the sanitary board yesterday
afternoon, the meeting having been called
for another purpose.
DR. Brunner was elected health officer of
| Savannah April 5, 1888, succeeding the late
DR.. j. r. Mcfarland, who died in Febru-
| ary of the same year, and has served con-
| tinuously in that position since. During
| the nine years that he has held the Of
| flee DR. Drummer has given his entire time
to the city.
While there have been many who have
/ objected to the measures enforced by him
/ and the manner of enforcement, there are
none who can say that he has not been
/ at all times thoroughly watchful of the
! city's health He has been successful in
| securing the enforcement of proper sani-
| tary measures within the city. As is well
! known Dr, Brunner is believer in a thor
! ough system of quarantine, both against
! disease and the suspicion of disease. The
| strict manner inwhich the quarantine has
! been enforced has been the cause of much
| complaint especially from the shipping
! people as a result Of which the sanitary
! board has decided to call public meeting
| on the night of April 20 for the purpose of
! generally investigating the subject of
| quarantine and giving all who have any
! thing 20 say on the subject an opportunity
| to be heard. DR.. Brunner will still be
| health officer when this meeting is held.
| and will doubtless have something to say
| on the subject of quarantine from his side
! of the question.
TOO FREE WITH HIS PISTOL.