Evening star., 1911-06-05
RAP FOR OFFICIALS
Criticised for Exhausting Con-
tagious Disease Fund.
VIEWS OF Mr.. FITZGERALD
Appropriations Committee Head SAYS
Law Was Ignored.
OPPOSED TO DONATING MORE
Asks What Commissioners Would
Have Done II Congress Were
Not in Session.
VIEWS OF Mr.. FITZGERALD D
OPPOSED TO DONATING MORE


Representative Fitzgerald of New
York, chairman Of the House appropria-
tions committee, today criticised officials
Of the District government for exhaustins
that portion of the appropriation for th'
prevention OF contagious diseases which
is available for the payment of personal
services. and then asking Congress for
deficiency appropriation of 5000 under
this head. He declared in plain terms
that If the $4,000 of the contagious
disease appropriation of $24,5OO from
which personal services may be paid Is
exhausted 1T is due to the fact that the
law has been ignored.
When the District appropriation bill
for the current year was under considera
ton in the House limit OF 5000 wa:
placed on the amount that might bt
spent for personal services out Of the
contagious disease fund of $24 800. Ir
the Senate this limit was raised to $4,000
Henry l.. West, one Of the Commission
ers at that time. approved Of the actor
of Congress in fixing this limit.
In a letter from the District Com
missioners sent to Speaker Clark sew
eral days ago they urge that joint
resolution to provide funds for the
maintenance Of the contagious dis
ease service during the remainder OF
the current fiscal year be enacted at
the earliest possible date.
I'm making the appropriation for the
maintenance of the contagious disease
service during the current calendar year.
the Commissioners say in their letter
1.-The act provided s24.5CO. but it limited
the amount that, might be expended fol
salaries or compensation for personal
service to sum not exceeding $lO.OUo
So as to keep within this limit. an earn
est effort has been made to restrict the
amount expended for personal service
even to the extent of assigning inspectors
from the sanitary inspection board tC
duty in the contagious disease service.
Such transfers have been made, and
work relating to the contagious disease
service has been assigned to the sani-
tary inspection board to such an ex-
tent as to materially reduce the ef-
ficiency Of the sanitary inspection
board But these efforts have proven
unavailing. and there now remains for
the payment for salaries or compensa-
ton for personal service in the con-
tagious disease service. only ssS5.30.
Two Courses Open.
'As matters now stand, this amount is
sufficient to continue the contagious dis
ease service only until about June ). and
should there be any substantial increase
in the prevalence of communicable dis
eases, particularly in the prevalence of
smallpox. available funds would not be
sufficient to continue the service even
until then.
hausted there will be but two courses
open: First, to discontinue the conta-
gious diseases service. Second. to ask the
employees In the service to continue on
duty, expecting that Congress will in
some future deficiency bill provide for
AS the employees in the contagious
disease service are without other
means of support and are not provided
with sufficient available capital to al
low them to continue on duty without
compensation. the latter course would
work serious hardship The former
course-the abandoning Of the con-
tagious disease service is out of the
question.
"Of the appropriation for the conta-
gious disease service during the current
year there remains unexpended SO. 1851
but in view of the Limitation upon the
use of this appropriation for personal
services. only $985.3O is available to1
such Sev1ces. There Is no likelihood
that any considerable part Of SAID
balance, not available for personal SER
vice will be needed for any other pur-
pose"
Chairman Fitzgerald thinks the Com.
missioners have the wrong idea entirely
concerning the action Of Congress, and
that they should see to it that the con-
tagious disease force was SO reduced as
to make the $4,000 last throughout the
year. Mr.. Fitzgerald said:
my attention has been called to
several statements as to the condition
OF the appropriation for the contagious
disease service Of the health depart
ment of the District. A statement in
one of today's papers declares that the
present dilemma of the health office
Is due to a misunderstanding on the
part Of Congress in appropriating for
this service.
Due to Ignoring Law.
ION the contrary. the present situation
is due to the deliberate ignoring of the
law by the District officials and an at.
tempt on their part to substitute their
judgment as to the amount of expendi
lures for the specific purpose to the de-
cIared intent of Congress as enacted ir
law.
Congress deliberately limited the sun
which might be expended for persona
services out of the appropriation for th'
contagious disease service. 1t was dom
after a thorough investigation. and will
the approval OF one of the Commissioners
although contrary to the wish of thu
health officer. 1t was done to preven
abuse in the use of the appropriation.
THE District bill when it passed
the House had q Limitation OF $4,000
on the expenditure for personal serv-
ices from this fund. After hearing
in the Senate the Limitation was
changed to $4,000.
commissioner West in the course
Of the investigation by the Senate COM
mittee. said:
Mr.. Chairman, II you will allow me to
say so. think there ought to be a limita-
ton. / have very positive views on this
point. OF the $24 900 or $4,000 spent un-
der this item last year. $4,000 went for
salaries.
"I think 1t was $4,000 or $4,000.
have the figures or did have them accu.
rately, and I want to say that every once
in q while there comes along new ap.
pointment in the health ONCE OF some
doctor or somebody else, on the ground
that his services are absolutely required
although. as was testified before the
House committee, there was one special
epidemic Of contagious disease in Wash.
ington for many months. Yesterday a
clerk was put on under this salary.
II think there ought be a Limitation on
the amount of money that can be spent