The Washington herald., 1911-06-01

The Nathan Straus Pasteurized Milk
Laboratory. established here a year ago
by Nathan Straus. will go out of exist
ence next Wednesday unless Congress
provides for its maintenance by the Pub
lie Health and Marine Hospital Service.
The House District Committee was told
by the managers of the institution yes
terday that there were sufficient funds
on hand to run the laboratory for exactly
one week. Representative Sulzer, Miss
Reba Hurn. manager Of the laboratory;
DIR. Kerr, Of the United States Marine
Hospital Service: DR.. E. c. Schroeder.
veterinarian Of the Bureau of Animal In
dustry: DR.. Melvin. chief of the Bureau
OF Animal Industry; DR.. Anderson; DR..
Lloyd Magruder. DIR. Berliner. and
Charles w. Darr, a director of the Cham
Der of Commerce, appecred before the
committee and filed urgent pleas for q
favorable report on the Gallinger bill
appropriating $1,000 for the maintenance
Of the laboratory during the coming year.
Make Strenuous Appeal.
The hearing began at 1890 o'clock and
listed we'll into the afternoon. the advo-
Gates Of the bill apparently having gone
to the Capitol determined to make a
most strenuous effort to obtain q IA
vorable report from the House commit
tee and thus virtually insure the final
passage of the bill. which is now admit
ted to be the only agency that will keep
the Nathan Straus Laboratory in exist
ence and permit completion Of the
present experiments on 225 babies. and
the rescue of others during the hot
weather
There was not a quorum OF the District
Committee in attendance. The meeting
therefore resolved itself into a hearing
OF the part Of the judiciary subcommit-
tee, to which the Gallinger bill had been
referred. 1t Is believed this committee
will report the measure favorably to the
full committee within a few days and
that favorable action on the bill will be
had from the committee in sufficient
time to rescue the laboratory. This view
of the case, however, Is optimistic in the
extreme, for there were plainly obstacles
in the path Of the measure yesterday.
Chairman Johnson. Of the District Com
miteee. admitted his plain antagonism to
any project whereby the District should
sponge" IN the Federal government.
A series of sharp questionings on his
part evoked momentary clashes with the
advocates of the bill. and in one or two
instances with Socialist Representative
Berger a member of the committee. The
committee chairman. while expressing
sympathy with the movement to save the
lives Of babies in general, did not believe
II a good principle for government funds
to be expended for the purpose of saving
the lives OF a few babies in the District
Berger at this point ex-
pressed his disapproval OF policy which
did not carry with II the saving of any
lives at any cost. and he emphasized this
particular plank in his platform by vigor-
ously but good naturedly. pounding
Chairman Johnson on the back.
Hits Back at Berger.
I'VE disagree in a good many things"
returned Chairman johnson. and then he
added: II am not a Socialist, or 1t might
be different"
Dr. Schroeder. OF the Department Of
favored the operation of the
by the government. on the
ground that its Investigations would be
most valuable to the entire country, ex-
planning tnat it not only dispensed milk
for the maintenance of infants. but that
the results of those treatments were
closely followed and studied. He asserted
that 1t meant a growth OF knowledge and
concerning milk that would
enable the country eventually to grapple
with many of its disease problems. which
arise from impure and tubercular milk.
DIR. Schroeder branded as worthless a
scheme advanced by Chairman Johnson
early in the hearing. whereby each house,
hold should have its individual pasteur-
yer. He insisted that It would be fully
Is practical and as productive Of result
Tor individuals to do their own doctoring
md mix their own medicines.
Miss Hurn, the superintendent Of the
Straus Laboratory, told the committee
that the force of two men and one
in main charge of the institu-
ton, would be discharged next week un-
less the government saw fit to take II
over. The machinery, which belonged to
Mr.. Straus. she said, probably would be
taken to some other city.
Miss Hurn called the attention of the
to the fact that many ex-
)eriments on which the laboratory Is en-
gagged at present would have to be
dropped and much valuable work and
observation would so for naught.