Evening star., 1926-09-22
THIRD PROBE NEARS.
At ST. ELZABETH'S.
House Subcommittee May
Begin Inquiry at Hospital
Late This Week.
Entirely separate in character and

Entirely separate in character and
proceeding along differing lines. the
two Investigations of ST. Elizabeth S
Hospital. now under way by agents
of the Controller Generals Office and
a group Of five eminent hospital Su-
perintendents and psychologists. Will
go into every phase of the hospltai $
medical and financial administration:
Another inquiry into the practices CT
the big Government hospital. Will get
under way the latter part OF TINS
week, when a subcommittee of the
House District committee begins a
probe into many phases of admins
tration of District affairs, among
them st. F,lizabeth's Hospital.
The inquiry instituted by agents of
the controller generals office under
the terms of g. joint resolution passed
late in the past session of Congress
has been under way for six weeks
and is concerned with the financial
and business administration or the
hospital. The inquiry now being con-
Quoted by a committee of prominent
psychologistS is undertaken with the
view of ascertaining whether the med
ical practices at the hospital are mod
ern and up-to-date.
Will Report in December.
The inquiry by agents Of the con
troller generals office under the
terms of the resolution must be COM
pleted in time for a report to the
opening session of Congress early in
december. The second inquiry has
had no time limit set for it's com
pletion. but will very likely be con-
n
plete records Of the financial and bust
ness administration of the hospital
are being investigated by the con-
t,oller generals office under the di-
rection of ii. A. A. Smith.
DR.. II. w. Mitchell, superintendent
of the State Hospital at Warren, Pa.
DR.. Owen Copp, consultant at the
PENNSYLVANIA Hospital at Philadel
phia. and DR.. Arthur II. Ruggles.
superintendent of Butler Hospital, at
Providence. r. l., the three members
of the committee appointed by Sec
retary Work to undertake the IN
vestigation of the medical and
scientific administration Of the nos
pital, have begun their inquiry by
splitting the work up into three
phases. and have already gone
through many of the hospital wards
ana seen IlldHS VI Lii' H,iO'
DIR. s. f. Smith, provost of Indiana
University, and DIR. George M. Kline
commissioner of the Massachusetts
department Of mental diseases, the
other members of the Work com
mittee. are expected to arrive in Wash
| ington early next week and oeRln
their duties Immediately.
Members Are Experts.
DIR, w. A. White, superintendent
explained today that all the members
! of the Work committee are so familiar
with hospital procedure and practice
| that they can visit any section OF
ward of the hospital and within few
moments ascertain whether or noI
| it is being operated properly
The inquiry to be undertaken by
the House District subcommittee, DIR
| White said will have to do more Wltf
| the commitment of patients to the IN
stitution than with either the medlca
or financial aspects OF it's operation
Representative Gibson Of Vermont
who served as chairman of one OF the
House subcommittee investigating
the administration of former Com
missioner Frederic A. Fenning at thu
last session of Congress, is expected
| to be named chairman of the subcom
! mittee.
! The agents of the Controller Gen
eral are proceeding with their finan
| cial inquiry with copies of the entire
proceedings of the Fenning inquir,
before them. They would not discus:
| today the progress made so far in th'
investigation except to say they wer'
going far back into the hospital rec
! ordS.