New-York tribune., 1919-01-14
Clubs i'm Demand
For Reinstatement
OF DR.. Louis Harris
Women Active in Protest
Against Alleged Hylan
Policy of Eliminating
Experts From Bureaus

The Womcn's Municipal League, the
Citizens Union and the Womens CITY
Club joined yesterday with we'll known
New York physicians and various labor
organizations in seeking to restore
control OF Tic Division of Industrial
Hygiene to Dr.. Louis I. Harris. from
whom it was taken January 2 by Health
Commissioner Copeland.
Charges were also renewed that the
reccnt change in the Health Depart
mcnt is part Of definite plan by the
Hylan administration to eliminate eX-
pert supervision and management from
the department.
A printed bulletin, officials of the
W omen's Municipal League said. would
be ready for distribution early next
week. 1t will review the work of DR..
Harris and will close with the follow
ing paragraph:
=" In view of the fact that mon OF
high standing in The medical profess
sion of New York feel the limitation
OF Or. Harrs's jurisdiction to be
detrimental TO the welfare of the Board
of Health and the public, in view OF
the fact that the labcr interests. who
are most vitality affected by the proper
son of Industrial Hygiene, have ex-
pressed themselves as strongly regret
tui of any change in its management,
and in view of the fact that DR.. Cope
Land himself says he has the highest
regard 'or the ability of DR.. Harris.
the league respectfully protests the
r:rro"ing of the scope of the Bureau
ol Preventable Diseases and calls upon
al our members and the members of
all civic bodies to Join in the effort to
have DE- ilalris's power restored"
Citizens Union Adds Plea
The Citizens Union, through its cx-
ccutive committee, went on record in
the following statements
"The Citizens Union urges the
Heath Commissioner TO reconsider his
Getcrmlnation to Withdraw the wo~k G /
lndustrial hygiene from the Bureau of
Prevcntable Diseases and from the i'm
mediate supervision of Dir. Louis l.
Harris, tho director of that bureau =
This work was instituted in the
early part OF 1873 Provision for its
considerable extension was made in
lSl' 10Y the budget OF 1919 The ap-
preparation thus made available fo~ the
extension OF industrial hygiene was
not used during 1913 by this Adminis-
tratlon, but it authorized a similar
amount for that purpose for 1919.
The increased service which this
larger appropriation makes possible is
but sthc development of the same val
liable work in the investigation and
prevention of occupatonal disease
among workers and in places of work
which has been carried on and plarned
by DR.. Harris, whose exceptional train
ing and experience, according to the
authorities in this field, makes him one
OF the best qualified persons in the
country to supervise and direct this
service.
"The work of industrial hygiene is.
moreover, so closely related to other
functions Of the bureau of preventablo
diseases, such as prevention of tuber-
culosls and of social diseases, that the
creation OF Il new division in the Com
nlssloner's Office or elsewhere to take
over mere extension of the previous
work of industrial hygiene must in
eVltabiy amount to duplication of
plant, equipment and personnel or de-
moralzing conflict of authority.
Former Attack in New Guisc
Last spring, before Commissioner
oopeland's appointment, there was
great indignation at the city adminis
tration's threat TO eliminate from the
Health Department tho services of Tho
specialists IN charge of the various
technical branches of lis work. That
was Wholesale attack looking to the