New-York tribune., 1918-05-01
Loses Way on First
Trip to Department
Asserts He Didn't Want
Job and Insists on Hav-
ing a Free Hand

Department at 9:15 o'clock yesterday
morning. He would have reached his
desk promptly at o'clock. the hour
at which the Mayor believes all city
employees should begin work, had he
not lost his way after emerging from
the Canal Street subway station and
walked away from the department
headquarters in his effort to find it,
After taking the oath of office, the
new Commissioner accompanied H.
Kohler, secretary to former Commits
sioner Amster, on tour of the Health
Department building, visiting every
bureau and being informed of the work
done by each. Just before the Com
missioner's first business. day ended he
welcomed newspapermen and expanded
upon the policy he would pursue in his
administration of the department.
81 don't know how to begin to talk
as public Official" he began. "It's
difficult for me to get accustomed to
the title of Commissioner. Just ask
what you want to know"
Questioned About DR.. jacob
will you retain DR.. Abraham jacob
and DR.. S. S. Goldwater on your ad-
visory council, despite the Mayors re-
quest that they be removed" was
asked.
"The advisory council has not come
to my attention yet. don't know why
l should drop those doctors"
"The Mayor asked Commissioner
Amster to drop them"
"Do you really think he did ?" asked
the Commissioner. ~ tell you l don't
believe the Mayors as bad as he's
painted. I had occasion TO talk to him
about DR.. Goldwater some days ago,
and he spoke quite kindly of him. The
Mayor certainly has made no request
to me to drop anybody, and I do not
believe he will. Let me say this:
When it comes to the appointment of
an advisory council, a body which
gives its service voluntarily, I'm going
men who can be valuable to me. In a
sense the advisory council is the cab
met of the Health Commissioner, and
he should be able to choose it himself.
If | am continued as Health Commits
sioner l shall, in due time, select an
advisory council, and | assume my
selection will be satisfactory to the
Mayor"
Health Education Necessary
"Do you favor the abandonment of
the Bureau of Public Health Educa-
ton, as urged by the Mayor"
81 think public health education is
vitality necessary. l believe in giving
to the public all the facts that can be
living, right eating, right drinking
and right breathing. really do not
know what the Bureau of Public
Health Education is yet. / ask you to
wait few days before asking me
what my disposition of it is to be-"
"How do you look upon the sug-
gested plan to take the handling of
tuberculosis out of the jurisdiction of
the Health Department and put it in
the hands of the Charities Depart
ment?"
II take it to be the function of the
Health Department to deal with con-
tagious, infectious and pestilential
disease, and if there are persons who
need to be isolated it is the function
of the Board of Health to supply such
isolation. But it is not the function
of the Health Department to treat dis
ease. 1t is the duty of the Health De-
from active pulmonary tuberculosis
and put them under treatment"
How about joint and glandular
tuberculosis
~ regard them as safe neighbors."
Views on Federal Criticism
do you subscribe to Mayor Hylan's
views regarding the undesirability of
Federal criticism and cooperation
II am glad you asked that question.
We want to cooperate in every way
possible with the Federal authorities.
We are subordinate in every way to
the necessities CT the national govern
ment. l shall waste no time in getting
IN touch with the surgeon general of
the army, the surgeon general OF the
navy and the United States Public
Health Service officials. | am sure the
Mayor desires Federal cooperation"
He told DR.. Amster he didn't give
darn for Federal government letters.
didn't he 7"
~ don't believe he did. He's not the
kind of man to say that"
Have you discussed with him the
possibility of Federal intervention In
the New York Health Department t
situation?'
II certainly have not; that has not
been considered"
DR.. Amster was ordered by the
Mayor to abolish the baby health sta
tions.. Will you do that?'
tions." ~
Promised Freedom of Action
Can you say in advance what yonr
attitude would be if the Mayor so in
structed you, or If he should dictate
the appointment of subordinates ?"
n cannot; for the reason that don't
beiieve the Mayor would do such things.
have been promised freedom OF ac-
tion. Understand me; don't want to
pe Commissioner: / am COMMISSIONS OF
because man who / believe to be sin
cerely interested in the peoples vel
rare has asked me to assume the bur
den. ! am going to bear the burden
as well as can. There will be nothing
radical, because l am not radical.
am going to find out what kind of ma
chinery there is in this department
II it's antequated III attempt to mod
ernie it."
Commissioner Copeland said he felt
there would be no complications aris.
ing from the fact that he is doctor
of the homeopathic school in an allo-
path institution.
Il see in the newspapers Or. Gold
water said | am the first homnpath
to hold any such Office as this in any
big city. That is not true. DR.. James
W. Ward, homopath, was health off.
Ger Of San Francisco during the ire. II
J can do half as we'll as he did III
do well.'
"Come in any time" concluded RI a