Evening star., 1911-06-06
TWO COURSES OPEN NO RECORD FOUND
Work for Nothing or Close
Contagious Disease Service.
MONEY ABOUT ALL GONE
Senator Hepburn Blocks Effort to
Bring Matter Before the
Senate.

Senator Hepburn this afternoon pre-
vented the laying before the Senate
Of an appeal OF the District Com
missioners for legislation providing
funds for the continuance Of the con-
tasious disease service.
Vice President Sherman. to whom the
letter from the District building was ad-
dressed. presented It to the Senate. but
as tho clerk was reading Q summary Of
tho Commissioners request Senator Hey
burn Interrupted.
'Ts that proposing legislationr" ex-
claimed Mr.. Hepburn. II II does. II
ought to come to some member OF this
body"
THAT seems to be the nature Of IT,"
responded the Vice President. noticing q
draft Of q resolution inclosed in the letter.
land the chair withdraws the communi-
cation"
No one at the District building knows
what will happen to the CONTAGIOUS dis
ease service after next Sunday night.
when the 800 now on hand IL eaten up
by salary payments. Following the publi-
cation Of Representative F1tsgerald's in
terview in The Star Of yesterday, In which
he criticised the District ofdcials for sail
ing too close to the wind with their ten
thousand-dollar personal service appro-
priation. Commissioner Johnston. Health
Omcer Woodward and Dr.. w. c. Fowler
Of the health department had long tall
in Dr. Woodward's ONCE, but no decision
a. to what to do next was reached.
Commissioner Johnston, In charge OF the
health department, would make no state
ment following the conference.
Two Ways Are Open.
In the letter to tho Senate asking tina,
the limitations on the personal service
appropriation be extended the Commits
left open. Ono is to close the contagious
disease service entirely. and the other Is
to let the employees and officials work fol
nothing There are now seven patients
in quarantine, including five sick people
in the Smallpox Hospital. who requirt
nursing and feeding. To close the con
taRfous disease service means that these
five patients will wake up Monday morn
ing of next week to find that the nurse
who generally brings breakfast Is on
the pay roll and probably of the reserva.
ton.
The matter Of free services is covered
In the law, according to q District Of
points out that the law will positivei!
not allow the employees Of the District t
donate or volunteer their services, excep
in case Of sudden emergency. The pres
ent emergency, 1t Is pointed out, Is b!
no means q sudden one.
It is understood that the conference
this morning were merely for the SAX
OF collecting all sorts OF Information
from every viewpoint affecting the con con
tagious disease service. There Is $50
still unspent in the personal service en-.
OF the appropriation. This will run unit
next Sunday night. The presence OF thi
money means that there is no defcienc.
If the auditor for the District OF colum
bia allows moro than that 500 to be spen
there will be deficiency. Judging from
past events, there IL little chance That
deficiency will occur.
I Twelve on Pay Roll.
There are twelve people on the pay roll
Of the contagious disease service. One o,
them is the physician In charge and an
other is q bacteFiologist The other EN-
ployes are an ambulance driver, fouI
nurses ana watchmen. The watchmer
are necessary to keep patients from
breaking quarantine. The nurses are a.
the smallpox hospital and Quarantin
station.
The sentiment at the District building
is that there IL no way to improve the
situation and that the money has beer
spent as economically as possible. The
appropriation for next year, beginning
July 1, is 900, which is half again q:
large as that for the year coming to g
close June 30.