New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-08
Sanitary Superintendent Being
ShOrn of Power and ASSo-
CiateS Predict His
Resignation.
THREE YEARS OF CONFLICT
Climax Comes When Supervi-
sion of Child Hygiene and
Infectious Diseases Is
Transferred to Others
in Department.

Associates of DR.. Walter Bensel
Sanitary Superintendent of the Depart
ment of Health, who has been shorn
Of most of his power by Health Com
missioner Lederle. were discussing yes
terday the possibility of Dr. Bensels
resignation. Others however, did not
look for such step. The mailed fist
of the commissioner has been falling
on the sanitary superintendent from
time to time during the last three years.
but not with such thud as it fell
recently, following an allusion to the
department and it's head.
The department has been stirred to
its depths. In the previous admins
tration, when DR.. Darlington was COM
missioner, DR.. Bensel was looked upon
as the real power. He was the official
mouthpiece of the department, and DR..
Darlington declared after his tenure Of
tied by Mayor Mcclellan and that DR..
Bensel had been favored by the citys
chief executive.
The climax in the present case came
when an order was issued taking from
the supervision of DR.. Bensel the d.
vision of child hygiene. headed by DR..
s. Josephine Baker. and the division Of
infectious diseases, headed by DR.. John
s. Billings.
Chatting Under Leash.
There has been no outward indica-
ton on the part of Commissioner
Ledere that he was having troubles
with his sanitary superintendent, de-
spite the fact that when DR.. Darling
ton. his predecessor, left office he had
vouchsafed the information that Mayor
Gayror wanted the incoming commits
sioner to get rid of Bensel. There has
been indication. however. that the sani-
tary superintendent was chatting under
the leash
AS it stands at the present time, DR..
Bensel has charge Of the sanitary work
Of the department only, and while
nominally superintendent. with a salary
of $1,000 he is in reality a chief in
spector.
When seen yesterday Commissioner
Lederle refused absolutely to discuss
the case in any way.
Il do not care to speak Of any de-
partmental matters" was his only
comment.
Whatever Mayor Gaynor may have
asked his health commissioner to do,
It was only a few days after DR..
Lederle assumed the post he occupies
that he issued a strict order stating
that no interviews were TO be given
out. except by authorization of the
commissioner.
This was looked on by the oldtlmers
as a first slap at the formerly verbose
sanitary superintendent. Since then
there have been only a few instances
when DR.. Bensel has kicked over the
traces.
Some idea of the former standing Of
the sanitary superintendent is shown
in the powers Of which he has been
shorn by Commissioner Lederle. At
one time his office included control over
practically all arms of the department,
among them being the hospitals, the
! sanatoriums, the laboratories, the di-
vision of food inspection, the division Of
child hygiene, the division of communi-
cable diseases and the sanitary di-
vision. His control now is limited TO
the sanitary division It is reported.
II has been rumored that 1t is the
commissioner intention to create bu-
reaus instead Of divisions, the head Of
each to be on a par with the sanitary
Superintendent and answerable only to
the commissioner.
More Woes for Mcmillan.
Report has it also that the division Of
food inspection is to be placed under
the supervision Of Dr. Marion McMil-
Ian, an assistant sanitary superintend-
ent. Two years ago DR.. Mcmillan, al
though under Dr. Bensel, had charge
Of the work and made a record for
himself.
II was DR.. Mcmillan who was dele
gated TO head the recent cleanup cam
paign, thereby winning more glory
while the absence Of DR.. Bensers name
in this regard gave rise to more talk
that there was a wider breach between
the superintendent and the commits
sioner than before that time.
DR.. Bensel first entered the Depart
mont Of Health in 1892 as a medical
inspector. He was made sanitary SUI
perintendent i'm 1907, accepting with
!. T. nlR