Evening star., 1898-09-15
Health Officer Submits Estimates for
an Appropriation.
AGGREGATE sum PLACED At Sl6O,54O
Detailed Statement of the Needs
of the Department.
ADV ANCE IN SALARIE E S

endlng June 81, 1JUb. Ihe current us
trict appropriation bill provided the sum
of $103.020 for the Office, and DR.. Wood
wards estimates for the next fiscal year,
If allowed, will increase that amount to
$50 $40. Among the increase in the force
asked for by DR.. Woodward is a chief in
spector and deputy health officer, an en-
gineer for the smallpox hospital. a sanitary
and food inspector to assist the chemist
and Cne who shall be also veterinary sur
gecn. He also asks for So, 600 for the en-
forcement of the act to prevent the spread
of contagious diseases, 5000 for maintain
ing disinfecting service, S., 900 for the pur-
chase of q site for pound and stable,
$1,000 for their erection and equipment
5000 for the gratuitous vaccination of in
digent persons and 5000 of the establish
ment and maintenance of meteorological
laboratory. Various increases in the sal
aries allowed the officials of the health
Office also asked for by DIR. Woodward.
The report is as follows:
In compliance with your request of June
. 1895, l have the honor to submit here
with the accompanying detailed estimate
OF the amount that will be required for the
conduct of the health department for the
fiscal year to end June 30 1900, and an
explanation thereof. The estimates for sal
aries are based entirely upon the amount
various positions. The personality of the
present or prospective incumbents of such
positions has not entered into the determin-
alton of the amounts specified.
The salary of the health officer was
fixed at 5000 per annum in 1878, when the
population of the District of Columbia was
16I.3o1. Since then the population has in
creased to, approximately, 5000. This in
crease in the population, accompanied as it
has been been by a general diffusion of
knowledge O tf,-rS Ia
sulting demands of the community for the
more vigorous administration of measures
tending toward the preservation and i'm
prOVement of public health, have caused
sponsibilities of the health department An
increase in the amount of work devolving
upon Individual inspectors and clerks has
been, to reasonable degree, prevented by
increasing the number of such officers, but
1t has not been possible to relieve the
health officer in any such manner.
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1895 as fixed by the Commission
ers. included estimate of $4,000 for the
salary of the health officer; those for the
year following included 5000 for the same
purpose. The present estimates suggest
that the salary of this position be fixed at
4oUO, which amount corresponds to that
paid TO the attorney for the District. With
cut entering into discussion as to the rela-
tive amounts of work and responsibility in
cident to these two positions, the fact that
the professional qualifications required of
the health officer are as great as those re-
CURED of the attorney, and are even more
difficult of attainment. appears to be a
sufficient reason why the salary of the
medical officer of the District government
should be at least equal to that of its legal
adviser.
Chief Inspector Needed.
With the growth of the health depart
ment it has been necessary to separate,
more or less, the inspection service from
the clerical work of the office. 1t is de-
sired, therefore, that the officer in charge
of the inspection service be designated in
accordance with his duties, as chief in
spector, and be given a salary oommensur-
ate with the importance of his position
The services of such an officer would result
in an improvement IN the work of the in
spectors generally, as he would be able 20
devote more time to the supervision Of such
work than is possible for any one now con-
nected with the Office to devote to it. 1t is
desired that he be designated as deputy
health officer, so that there may be a re-
sponsible head to the health department
during the absence from duty of both the
health officer and chief clerk.
By designating one of the sanitary and
food inspectors as chief inspector the reg
ular force may be reduced from fourteen to
thirteen. If, however such designation be
not made. the number of such inspectors
should be maintained as at present
1t is believed that the professional re-
quirements of the inspector of live stock
and dairy farms should be recognized by an
increase in his compensation over that paid
to the ordinary sanitary and food in
spectOrs. Aside from this, however his
work neCessitates the use of a horse and
carriage, which are at present furnished
and maintained at his own expense involy-
ing an expenditure on his part of not less
than $500 per annum.
Some of the reasons set forth for the in
crease of the salary of the health officer are
dDDl1c9bip with refDrgncA n no
posed increase of the salary of the chief
clerk, who acts as health officer during the
absence from duty of that official, and who
is responsible for the very considerable
amount of property in the possession of the
health department, and for disbursements
made upon its order
The clerical work of the health depart
ment includes not only the routine cor
respondence and the recording of work
done by the inspectors, but also a very ex-
tensive and elaborate system of regtstra-
tion of vital statistics. For the perform
ance of such work the present clerical force
is inadequate, that it has been necessary
to detail an inspector to clerical duty in
order to keep up with current work. The
present clerical force is, moreover, INSULT
cient to permit the health department to be
kept open after the usual official hours,
and on legal holidays except for O. short
time An increase in the clerical force is,
therefore, desired.
Engineer for Smallpox Hospital.
a cost of $4,000, is at present in charge of
a janitOr who has no knowledge of steam
engineering. The hospital is, however, heat
ed by steam, and the disinfecting apparatus
connected with it is operated by a high
pressure boiler. This janitor is paid from
the emergency fund. Tie auditor has how
ever, declined to permit an engineer to be
employed and paid in the same way. 1t is
necessary therefore, that provision be made
for the salary of an engineer at the small
poX hospital. 1t would seriously embarrass
the health department, and increase the
risk of the spread OF a contagious disease,
such as smallpox cr yellow fever, If, after
the discovery of such disease, it Is neces-
sary to delay the removal of patients to the
hospital until the services of an immune
steam engineer can be secured and the fires
started. The services of an engineer EN-
ployed in this position would, under the
wording of this estimate. be available for
use at the municipal disinfecting station, so
that the actual increase in the expendi-
lures would, under ordinary circums tances
not be more than $500 or Si00 per annum.
At present the government pays the san
itary and food inspector, designated as
chemist, at the rate of 81 800 per annum
and requires him to do all of the routine
work in the chemical laboratory. Much of
this work could be done by trained assist