Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-14
INCREASES SUGGESTED
ADDITIONAL SANITARY AND
FOOD INSPECTORS DESIRED.
Increase in Appropriation for Travel
ing Expenses of Veterinary Sur
geons-Bacteriologist Wanted.

uui ing TIE H5cai year IyoS-DI, submitted to
the Commissioners today by Health Ofiicer
woodward. The aggregate outlay required
II oil of the recommendations are allowed,
VIII be S1fi2+0. as compared with an an.
preparation of 500, $50. which the department
Is working under during the current twelve
months. Commissioner Macfarland. In COM
menting on the Increases. said he would
make every effort to induce Congress to al
low the additional inspectors deemed 40
necessary In carrying out the operations
OF the health department
Under the heading Memorandum for tho
Commissioners. DR.. Woodward has sub
jected the various items of his estimates 10
analysis, and ranged them In the order of
their relative Importance.
Recommendations Made.
That part which Will probably be most
earnestly advocated before Congress is in
cluded In the following:
Increase the number OF sanitary and food
inspectors OF the $500 grade from thirteen
to seventeen. and abolish the office of in
Spector of marine products. The recommen-
dalton for this increase Is based upon the
necessity for additional food inspectors to
inspect perishable food products, such as
meat. fish, game. vegetables, fruit etc.
Provide six additional sanitary and food
inspectors at S1o0o each. This proposed In
crease In the force of the health department
provement of the department Is based upon
the need for the establishment OF a house
Toulouse inspection service and additional
smoke inspectors to assist In the enforce
mcnt of the anti-smoke law,
Additional Clerks.
Provide two additional clerks at 5000
each. Additional clerical force is needed In
order that correspondence may at all times
be promptly recorded and indexed, and that
this records of births. deaths and stillbirths
be not only recorded indexed and filed &
promptly and accurately. but be searched
from day to day, with the purpose of dis
covering. IL possible, failures to report
births and taking suitable action IL such
failures are discovered. .
THE various reports of the health depart !
mentS throughout the world which come
into the possession of this Office cannot with
the present force be properly indexed and
filed. No satisfactory record Is kept of the
very considerable amount of property In the
custody of the department. and none can
be kept unless additional help is provided
Veterinary Surgeons.
Increase the number of sanitary ana
food inspectors. who shall be veterinary
surgeons, from four to six, either with or
without an increase In the salary Of the
individual inspectors. These inspectors are
charged with the inspection of live stock
and dairy farms. They inspect the latter
throughout not only the District Of Column
bia, but In those portions Of Maryland and
Virginia from which the milk supply OF
this District Is derived. The distances
which they have to travel are. therefore.
very considerable, and the number of In
spections which one man can make In one
day Is relatively small. The force should.
therefore. it is believed. be increased
1.-The proposed increase In this force, IL
made should be accompanied by an In
crease In the appropriation for travelling
expenses (see item 29) to 5000.
lone assistant poundmaster. The pound
must be kept open from early morning I'M !.
til we'll into the evening, not only to facli- (,
tate the work of the men who are actually
engaged in the work OF impoundlng am
mails running at large. but also for the
convenience Of the public which has bush
ness with this institution. In view or the :
fact that the pound contains property very
often more or less valuable belonging 10
citizens and in view of the money collected
at the institution, the establishment should,
II is believed, be In the immediate Gus
tody OF responsible officer at all times
Milk and Pure Food Laws.
Increase the number of sanitary and
food inspectors to assist in the enforce I
ment of the milk and pure food laws ana
the regulations relating thereto. from three
to FIVE Recent appropriation bills have
provided that every place where milk fe
sold shall be deemed dairy for purpose
of inspection. The number Of new places
thus brought under the observation o.
these inspectors is probably 1000.
lone bacterioogist at $3.50. The serv-
ices of a bacteriologist would very much as
sist. the health department In its invests
cation into the character OF the water
supply from public and private wells In
this District, and the character Of the water
used on the various dairy farms from which
milk is shipped into this Jurisdiction. A
bacteriologist would, moreover. be OF In
calculable benefit In determining the con-
dition of milk offered for sale in the Dis
trict of Columbia, the number of bacteria
in any given sample of milk being probably
the best index to the care which has been
exercised in its production and preserva-
ton. His services, too. might be made
available for physicians to the poor. and
for others needing assistance from bac-
teriologist in the diagnosis and trea tment
of poor patients.
Additional Suggestions.
zone skilled laborer at ST20 The services
of skilled laborer to care for the appa-
ratus In the chemical laboratory would ma
terialIy increase the volume of the work
which the chemist and his assistant could
do. by relieving them from the performance
of merely mechanical duties
Increase the salaries of the four sanitary
and food inspectors, who are required to be
veterinary surgeons. from $1,000 to 81 500.
and increase the salary of the sanitary and
food inspector, who shall be a veterinary
surgeon, from 81, 200 to 81, 500.
These inspectors, being required to have
technical educations to fit them for their
duties, are justly entitled. to salaries in ex-
cess OF those paid to ordinary Inspectors
Annual Improvements.
Besides asking for better pay for Dr.
Fowler. the deputy health officer, and for
several clerks in his department. and for,
greater appropriations for current expenses.
DR.. Woodward calls special attention to his
requests for allowances for permanent i'm
provements These include 5000 for the
construction of roadways to the smallpox
hospital and to the quarantine station; the
purchase of a site for a new pound and
the erection OF a suitable building; 5000
for erection and equipment of a stable for
the smallpox hospital
No specific appropriations are asked for
other improvements. but emphatic mention
is made of the need for sanitarium accom-
nodations for INDECENT tubercuiar patients:
of the necessity for public baths and public s.
comfort stations; of the urgency of an
appropriation to inclose and grade the