Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
SANITARY OFFICERS TASK
HAS CHARGE of THE FREE TRANS
FORMATION SERVICE.
n nOwn Generally as Captain Frank,
Sometimes as doctor and Oc-
casiOnally ms SENATOR


Sanitary Officer Frank, who has charge
of the hospital ambulance and transporta-
ton service of the local police department,
is perhaps more widely known among the
poorer classes than is any other official in
the service of the District. While most of
them know him as Captain Frank, he is
often referred to by the title of Doctor
Frank, and some few of his callers, who
do not understand the meaning of his Of
fetal title, ask for Senator Frank when
they call at headquarters.
The Office he holds was created years
ago, and although the work under this
head is now done by representatives of the
health department, the official title of the
office has never been changed Sanitary
Officer Frank Is beyond doubt one of the
hardest-worked representatives of the Dis
trict government, and because of this fact,
and also because of the responsibilities i'm
posed upon him, an effort will be made at
the next session of Congress, 1t is said. to
provide an increase of his salary.
Owing to his long experience, the ha-
bftual callers are all well known to SAM
tary Officer Frank, and as rule they
know what to expect of him. They know
he is not easily fooled, and they know
too, that If they tell the truth they will
get more consideration than if they at
at intervals ask him for transportation
are inmates of the Hampton Soldiers
Home. These men, for reasons well known
are not permitted to come here on leave
without they have round-trip ticket. But
with some of them 1t is not a hard matter
to lose the return ticket and the losers
almost invariably have to apply for trans
portaton.
An Instance Cited.
I'm here again, Capt. Frank" said one
of the veterans who ambled into the office
not long ago. Cant you fix me up?"
He wanted ticket at the expense of the
District, but his condition was such that
he needed treatment in a hospital
charge bayonets." shouted the caller
He was considerably under the weather.
and probably in his mind was away out in
the Philippines charging the natives. A
short time later he occupied the floor with
his head resting his coat, as he had
done probably many times during his
actual service in the civil war He OBJ
jected to leaving the office without being
given ticket, but his objection was over
ruled, and he went out assisted by Capt"
Frank lieutenant.
In disposing of the small amount of
money provided for transportation of pau
pers the sanitary officer gives preference
to women and children and to the sick
Able-bodied men, as a rule, are told that
walking Is good and are instructed as to
the best road to take to reach their destf-
nation. Some of them become angry, never
hesitating to vent their displeasure and
expressing the belief that the government
owes them at least as much as free rail-
road ticket. 1t is not an unusual thing
TO nave a young man call and confidently
prefer demand for pass to some city in
the far west or in the north or south.
Thus far only one request for a free ticket
across the ocean has been made. 1t fire.
quently happens, though that foreigners
VINO are anxious to return to their native
country come to the city to seek the as
SlStance of the foreign ministers, and the
British ambassador, among others often
responds to their appeals British SUBJ
Jects, 1t is stated, fare better than those
from other countries, and when they are
given transportation the tickets are OBJ
tanned through the sanitary office
The authorities of other cities have g.
habit of sending paupers to Washington,
and it sometimes happens that they are
returned to the city whence they came.
What Actuatea Them.
Officials of some other cities seem to have
an idea that there is an inexhaustible fund
at the capital for such purposes and that
when paupers reach here they will have no
trouble in getting tickets for long dis
tances. Such is not the case, however
for the fund here is much smaller than it
Is in other cities. The demand for trans
portation is usually greater in the years
that Presidents are inaugurated than it is
in other years. The increased run on the
sanitary office is accounted for by the pres
ence of many disappointed office seekers,
who remain until their last cent is gone
when 1t Is case of walk or depend upon
the city for transportation. Some of them
are as sadly disappointed in this matter as
they are in the matter of getting Offices
Tickets OF admission to the hospitals, in
cases where the sick ones are sent at the
expense of the District are issued by the
sanitary officer, who makes a casual exam
ination of each case. Not much trouble Is
experienced In these instances, as a rule,
while cases from the adjoining states fire.
quently cause any amount of trouble as
well expense. The records of the office
show that sick and injured people come
here from the adjoining states, often pass
ing cities where there are hospitals and
where they could readily obtain free treat
ment. Because of this practice Washing
ton has been made the dumping ground for
such people at an expense of many hun
dreds of dollars each year. When the sick
ones recover they are given transportation
to their homes to prevent their remaining
here and becoming a permanent charge
upon the District.
Day and Night Service.
The ambulances are under the direct SUI
pervision of the sanitary officer and they
are on the go day and night. removing the
sick to the several hospitals The officer
also has charge Of the work Of sending peo-
pie to the almshouse. There are a number
of elderly women who belong in the poor
house but who tire of the environments
there and go out to get change. Rules of
the almshouse are violated, and these old
women have to get another permit for ad-
mission after having been on an outing
which consumed the time limit Some Of
ways satisfied that their friend, Captain"
Frank, will do the right thing nv tham