New-York tribune., 1918-04-24
Labor Leaders, Physicians
and Educators Oppose
Adjustment of Bureau
Declare Clerk Can
Not Do the Work
Chairman Kept Busy Ex-
planning the Commissions
Plans Are Misunderstood

Inc DOaTUs neaQeQ py James II.
president Of the Civil Ser
vice Commission, which is investigat-
ing the Board of Health, with view
to effecting economies, heard the oppo-
nents Of the scheme to abolish the
Bureau of Public Health Education
yesterday. When the hearing ad-
journed the record was full Of argu-
ments for the retention Of the bureau
and explanations Of the members Of
the commission that it really is not in
tended to end the work of public health
education in New York.
Again and again the board room of
the Civil Service Commission, where
the public hearings are now being held,
rang with applause, when labor lead
ers, physicians, educators and indus
trial experts testified as to the neces-
sity for centralized bureau for this
work. Almost as often Chairman Mac
Bride or Morris I. Cukor, member of
the Civil Service Commission, found it
necessary to cut in with explanations
that the plan of the board generally is
misunderstood, or that the newspapers
are guilty Of misrepresenting its good
intentions.
Tomorrow the board will hear those
who favor its recommendations that
the Bureau of Public Health Education
be abolished, and it's functions turned
over to a $4,000 year clerk. These,
Mr.. MacBride said at the close of til.
hearing, will be subject to questions
from representatives of those organiza-
tions which are opposed to the change.
Labor Opposes Change
James H. Bagley, secretary OF the
Labor Sanitation Conference and rep
resenting 100000 organized workers,
was the star witness yesterday. Big
of frame and of voice. he talked right
out on the methods of the board and
the vacillating policy it has followed
since public clamor arose over it's at
tack on the Health Department.
"This commission said he, "has
been running around chasing its tail.
You started out to do one thing. You
are now doing another"
"Do you not think that the board
has the right to regulate it's activi-
ties?"
"Sure you have" replied Bagley,
"but when you regulate them, why
don't you stick to the regulations? You
called people here yesterday to testify
on the abolition of this bureau, and
instead you held an inquiry into the
Bureau of Child Hygiene"
Assuring Mr.. Bagley that the COM
mission does mot care for the criti-
cism Of anybody" Mr.. MacBride ex-
planned that Mondays hearing was in
terrupted to allow DR.. Baker to testify
merely as a matter OF saving time.
81 accept your apology" replied
Bagley, "but you have no business
wasting my time and the time of other
people"
Should Be Expanded, Not Curtailed
"Just whom do you representa-" Mr.
MacBride asked.
"The Labor Sanitation Conference
he replied, ais made up of representa-.
tives of the Central Federated Union
of New York; the Central Labo,
Union, of Brooklyn; the United He.
brew Trades, and 1913 individual Local
unions"
Previously he had said that these
bodies, which represent a membership
in excess of 1000, 900 men and women
had found it necessary to centralize
their efforts if they were to get better
sanitary conditions in the factories anc
workshops of the greater city.
"We fought the Mitchell administra
tion for more money for the Burear
of Preventable Diseases" he said,"ant
we got an addition Of $4,000 for thu
Bureau of Public Health Education
We believe that the work should b,
expanded, not curtailed The draft
with its showing of go per cent of fac
tory workers unfit for military service
shows the need of public health educa
ton II we are to fight for the ideal
OF democracy, as We term them"
Says People Pay Bills
What do you mean by ideals o
democracy, as we term them p" de
manded Chairman MacBride.
They differ from yours" replied tn
may be to get rid of jobs that he'll
the public. Mine is to increase tn
plumber Of jobs that help the public
Your idea is to save $50 on the publ
cation OF pamphlet. Mine is t.
spend $500, that ten times as man
people may benefit by it,"
You believe, then, in the unlimite
expenditure Of public funds? aske
Dir. MacBridc.
For the public good, yes. Afte
all, the people pay the bills. Sa
what you want about the propert
owners paying the bills, the fact i
the rent payers pay them. And it i
only through the Bureau of Publ
Health Education that we can tel
those rent payers Of the disease dan
gers they face. II you want to max
q recommendation that will meet wit
the approval of labor and be in lin
with its feelings you will recommen
the extension Of this work."
DR.. Bolduan Explains Work
Or. Charles F. Bolduan, tho head @
the Bureau Of Public Health Educa
ton, was the first witness called yc,
terdAy. He explained the workings G
the bureau and was questioned q
length by Dir. MacBride al to ccrtai
pamphlets issued last fall which h
intimated were issued for pontina
reasons. One Of these dealt with tn
Staten Island garbage disposal plan
and the witness was examined Il
7rnv4h an IN h0w IL caYne Ia he igsuc