The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-03
DR. LOWREY NAMED
 HEALTH OFFICER
 FOR CITY BY BOARD
Joint Meeting of City and County Officials and the
 Health Board Held
HORNADY AGAINST
 MAN AND SYSTEM"
Dr. Lowrey May Not Be Allowed to Assume His New Duties Without Fight Be-
 ing Made


 ing Made The Joint meeting of the three bodies-the city commission. board or revenue. and committee of health-to clarify the health situation might have muddled the situation more. James Weatherly's suggestion that the three interested parties in the de- cision of the supreme court in regard to the necessity for the county health officer to be qualified elector, urge the tribunal to speed the decision. was indorsed unanimously. If the boards ask the supreme court to make 1t preferred case it is possible that this phase of the health situation will Dc cleared up by April 1.
 This development gave hope that the matter might be cleared up soon. But the committee of health brought in the report that pr. J. M. Lowrey would be named as city health officer When the announcement was made Commissioner J. R. Hornady stated neither the man nor the system is satisfactory to me-"
 EXPERIENCE IN HEALTH WORK While the new city health officer Dr. J. M Lowrey, has never been di- rectly engaged in public health work he has battled against the spread of leprosy, smallpox, berriberri and the most deadly contagious diseases. For two years he was stationed in the .I. ue;o ta, surgeon of the United States army.
 During those year 1s00-1901, he handled typhoid epidemics and the most vexing health matters. Dr. Lowrey is well known in Bir- mingham. inasmuch as he has been practicing physician here since 1902. He is a native of Georgia, having been born in Greensboro. He received his academic education at Emory college in Georgia and later entered the Col leges of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, graduating in the class of 1S97
 He served as the resident physician of the Hebrew hospital in Baltimore during the year of 1899 Before enter ing the government service in the Philippines. he took a postgraduate course at the College of Physicians
 
 turning from his post in that wild country
 While he has been appointed by the committee of health as city health of- ficer under the power granted to this committee by the board of health. the Jefferson County Medical society must confirm this appointment Monday night.
 It is understood that it is virtually assured he will have no difficulty in getting the appointment to the posi- tion confirmed.
 MAY MAKE FIGHT
 Inasmuch as MT Hornady is in charge of the department of health and education for the city, 1t is regarded as probable that there will be an ef- fort made to prevent Dr. Lowrey from assuming his duties
 The commissioner was not willing to make known his objections to Dr. Lowrey yesterday.
 But his objections to the unified health system are openly stated as being unwilling to have the people of this city being forced to tie a s4O,000 tail to the county's S4oo0 kite" Un- der the unified health system he states that the entire health department of the city will be under supervision of the county and in charge of the coun- ty health officer This he claims, is manifestly unfair.
 His statement in regard to- the sit nation follows
 The action of the committee of health in dragging the city of Bir- mingham into it's row with the coun- ty was absolutely without justification and the persistence with which it in- sists upon embroiling the city in the controversy is without excuse
 The duty of the health committee was to have the medical society elect health officer for the city until the differences over the unified health system had been work ed out and uni fcation could be brought about with some degree of unity. There was every thing to gain and nothing to lose by following such course.
 INCREASED APPROPRIATIONS
 There was 70 complaint from mem bers of the health committee or from any other source relative to the will liosness of the city to cooperate in health measures. For the present year if appropriated more than twice the sum previously appropriated for health purposes. It inaugurated a campaign against the dry closet that thus far has resulted in the elimination ct over 5000 insanitary dry closets. It took up the work of testing dairy cattle for tuberculosis It inaugurated a food in- spectton department and went at tha matter of health reform in the most determined and energetic manner
 This was the condition of affairs when the health committee d.sw the city into its controversy over the unified health system. paving no attention to it's pro- tests against such untimely and i'll 'ad- vised action. The city is now and has been perfectly willing to enter into a discussion of the unified health plan, and assist in trying to work out satisfactory