The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-01
Commissioner John R. Hor- nady Gives Interview on
 Health Situation
CITY IN SYMPATHY
 WITH MOVEMENT
No Official Sanction Given Proposal to Surrender to Jefferson Coun- ty the Control of City's
 Health System

Those who think the city of Birming- ham is enthusiastic over the proposal to merge the city health system with that of the county at this time are laboring under false impression, according to Commissioner John R. Hornady, in charge of the health department of the city.
 As a matter of fact, he says, the city has never agreed to any such merger, and he has requested the medical authorities not to attempt to bring it about under prevailing conditions. He says that the Fox plan was adopted by the commissions CTS only as it relates to the city, and that no action has ever been taken with ref erence to that section of the report, which refers to unifcation.
 When questioned relative to the posi- tion of the city the merger proposition, MT. Hornady made the following state ment at his home last night:
 My attitude is shown by the fact that I have asked the county medical author ities not to be nasty in attempting to force, through it's plan of merging the clly Hedllu system Wltn lndL or lHe county, and I judge that this request will be given the consideration it should re- ceive when the medicI society meets Monday night.
 CITY NOT CONSULTED
 ''The city of Birmingham has shown the utmost sympathy toward the move ment to improve health conditions in this community and it has been prepared to f,,1 q fled health system as soon as the con ditions precedent to the establishment of such system have materialized. How ever, these conditions have not material ized and our board has not been asked = sanction a merger. Even under the most favorable conditions, the city would hesitate and weigh Carefully any pro- posal to relinauish control of it's health machinery, and as matters stand now l do not believe it is reasonable to expect such action.
 has not given official consideration to the proposal to surrender to Jeffer- son county the control of it's health system, and the further fact that the city has no desire whatever to be drawn into the controversy which has arisen between the medical society and the county officials over the health proposition, I have asked the medical authorities to leave the city entirely out of the issue at this time. When Z F e.se Qrable conditions have deyel- oped the city may look with favor upon some unification plan, but under existing conditions it will not willing ly surrender the management of it's health department to the county health officer any more than it would turn over it's police department to the sher- if or the financial department to the county treasurer, however capable these officials might be.
 TRY TO FORCE MERGER
 We recognize, as a matter of course, that the medical society has authority in this matter, but we do not believe that upon due consider ation it will exercise this authority by trying to force through the pro- posed merger when the plan upon which it is based is in the present nebulous state of development. We stand ready to cooperate with the county in every way possible, and will help whenever our help is needed, but we are not prepared to hand over the reins to Jefferson. as much as we love her.
 While Birmingham hasn't the health department that it hopes to iiee' III tuC HEAL LEW yedrS, 1IS Ia- cilities are infinitely superior to those of the county. It maintains force of sanitary inspectors fully up to the requirements laid down by Dr. Fox; il has a bacteriological department that does all the city work and much of the work of the county; it has a meat inspection departments dairy inspection department that reaches all Of Jefferson and numerous points on the outside; it has force at work ap- plying the tuberculin test to cattle in every part of the county; it has a division of food inspection and carries on numerous other activities that have to do with the health of the com munity. For the city to surrender con trol of this machinery to the county at this time and under existing cir cumstances would. believe, prove a serious blunder, and feel sure that the medical society will see it in this light and permit the work of health conservation to proceed upon a CO., operative plan until consolidation can be urged with a greater degree of unity behind the movement"
 Pat Gets Another One
 The Patterson Cigar company has leased a space in the Hilman hotel lobby for general cigar stand. w. G. Pat terson stated last night that he expected