Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-05
THE BARRIERS BILL
Measure Disapprovad BY the District
Health Offer.
LACKS MERIT IN ITS PRESENT FORM
Defective in Provisions Made 70 S
Enforcement.
TENT OF THE REPORT

TENT OF THE REPORT
Dr.-Wm. e. WeolwaFd.-th Disiric-
health officer to whom the Commissioners
referred The draft of an act to regulate the
practice of barbering in the District. mas
submitted report to the Commissioners
in which he states that the proposed meas
urc is not. in his opinion. of sufficient merit.
in the shape in which it was presented to
them. to be forwarded to Congress with
tiseir favorable Endorsement. The proposed
law submitted to the Commissioners
several weeks ago by a delegation of bar
beers representing the Master BARRIERS As
s. Ciation of the District. and the journey
men BARRIERS. with the request that it be
forwarded for introduction into Congress
The measure was published in The Star
in full at the time.
The health officers report is as follows:
Referring to the draft of proposed law
t. regulate the practice of barbering in this
District, which has been referred to the
IL atth department . for expression OF
CViuion upon such provisions affect pull
lie health. | have the honor TO submit the
following report:
Reasons for the Era etnIent.
The chief if not the only reason for the
To prevent the spread of contagious diseases
through the medium of barber shops and
practically the sole question to he consid-
cred is whether it will if enacted. accom-
piI<h that purpose In the best possible man.
Urr and with as little Interference with the
Practice of the bs.rber's trade as j. consist
mt with public safety The danger to the
public in connection with barbering is due
almost entirely to the possibility of trans
rlttins contagious diseases: the aSgraVa-
tion of skin diseases. not contagious, may
u inc result OF shaving. and possibly Of
hair cutting or shampOoing. but this is OF
minor Importance The ability of a barber
to cut hair Ut to shave to the satisfaction
o. his customer has no practical bearing On
the matter of health. The matter of clean
Illness. without reference to contagion. the
Individual can regulate by patroniZing a
clean barber shop.
An examination of the proposed law
shows in the first place that, with certain
unimPortant exceptions no person is to be
allowed to shave. or to trim the beard. or
Z" cut the hair. of any other person for
hlre or reward unless he has been duly
authorized to do by board of exami-
n"rs- 1t is to be the duty of this board to
determine. among other things. whether the
applicant for license is free from
taginus or infectious disease, and whether
h. is possessed of sufficient knowledge con-
crrniugs the common diseases of the face
ana SKIN to avoid the aggravatiOn and
spreading thereof in the practice of his
trade These requirements of a would be
barber are emipently proper. but the means
provided to determine his fitness in these
respects are not. in the Judgment of the
health department. sufficient for We find
that these matters are to be determined by
five persons who themselves are merely
BARRIERS. and whose ability to diagnose any
given ease of contagious or infectious dis
ease. or to pass properly upon the knowI-
edge possessed by the applicant relative
To the common diseases of the face and
skin, etc, would certainly be, for some
time At least. open to the gravest doubt.
Many Objections.
The proposed board of examiners is to
be authorized TO make rules. subject to the
approval Of the health officer. governing the
sanitary requirements of barber shops.
1t j. provided further that members of
the board Of examiners may enter and in
sp"Ct barber shops for the purpose of
crrtainine the sanitary condition thereof.
The objections to such provisions are mani
fold. For instance. il may be questioned
whether board. made up in the manner
specified in the proposed law, would be
competent to make such rules
Again. theI Is no reason whatsoever.
even if such board be competent why it
should be invested with such Legislative
power The proposed regulations have to
do solely with sanitary matters and there
would seem therefore. to be no good rea-
why they should not be made by the
Commissioners as other sanitary regula-
tons made.
INDEED. it may be questioned whether
the Commissioners have not already power
10 make such rules under the provisions
Of the joint resolution to regulate licenses
70 proprietnrs of theaters. etc. approved
February %, 1892 In any case the attempt
10 confer such proposed authority upon a
new board instead of upon the Commission
trS. can only add to the confusion which
already exists as 10 the law on sanitary
SUBJECTS In event of the failure of the
proprietor Of barber shop to comply with
such rules as may have been made his IL
cense may h. revoked. but by whom such
revocation Is TO be effected the law does not
say.
The board Of examiners is to be author
izrd TO order such improvements i'll the
Cleanliness and sanitary condition of any
baFbtr snop as Will insure the public safety
ara III event OF Noncompliance Herewith
Ia order the shop closed Here as in the
preceding section, the Judgment of the
brard a. 10 what might be necessary from
a sanitary standpoint would certainly not
De above question, in view of the COMPOST
ton OF the board As. however there ap-
pears To be no penalty provided for nom
compliance with an order of the boa rd clos
ing barber shop this provision Of the pro-
posed law could not be enforced and would
only cause friction between the parties con-
C"I2cd-
Provision Incalled For.
The provision of the proposed Law which
requires the establishment in one of the
hospitals of the District of Columbia of a
department especially adapted 10 the study
OF the hair scalp and beard. their diseases
aud the antiseptics necessary for the pre-
N"ntion of contagion and contamination
appears TO be uncalled for. Persons suffer-
ing from the diseases mentioned do not or
diEariiy require hospital treatment. Even.