Evening star., 1934-09-04
us. UNIT MAY AID
|N|MPROWNGC|Ty
HEALTH SERVICE
Federal Agency Probably
Will Be Asked to Make
Survey.
ALLEN TURNS ATTENTION
TO REORGANIZATION
Commissioner Also Studies Plan
to Provide Low-Cost Hous-
I ing to Needy.

Uc FuullC I1cdlIl OeTNlCe pTODdDly
will be requested to assign experts to
the District government to make a
study of reorganization of the health
department, it was announced today
by Commissioner Allen, on his return
from a months vacation.
Allen said he saw the possibility of
reorganizing the department to i'm
prove its service and that it was likely
the Public Health Service would be
asked to conduct survey of the
problems and methods of operation.
The matter has been under con-
sideration to some degree since last
Winter, when a committee of the
Medical Society of the District of
Columbia cited the steadily increas-
ing tuberculosis death rate here. At
that time recommendation was made
that Federal health experts be con-
suited about the Districts health ad-
r1inistration.
Fowler to Retire.
Commissioner Allen made plain to-
day that. the proposal to seek aid from
the Public Health Service in a re-
organization Of the department was
not to be taken to indicate that some
official of the Federal agency would
be placed in charge of the health office.
DR.. William c. Fowler, veteran
health officer of the District, is sched-
uled to be retired November "A, when
he reaches the age of 10. Allen short
ly will give consideration to appoint
ment Of Fowler's successor, but, as
matters now stand, he said he had
no idea who would be the new health
officer.
The Commissioner planned today to
start early action on his proposal to
build low-cost housing for families on
the District relief roll and to get ac-
ton soon on plans now being de-
veloped for self-help projects for re-
lief clients, to operate under the Dis
trict Rehabilitation Corp.
Requests for funds for several of the
self-help projects will be placed be-
fore Allen this week. If the plans
proposed by welfare officials are ap-
proved, these requests will be for
warded to the Federal Emergency Re-
lief Administration. The idea back
OF these self-help plans is to engage
employable men and women on the
relief rolls In cooperative enterprises
involving the exchange of work for
products created by their operations.
Shortly before Allen left August
on his vacation, he said the District
was considering low-cost, housing
projects for the benefit of Washington
relief families. Details were not in
shape then to be made public. It was
presumed that he had in mind use of
Federal relief funds for the construc-
tion Of cheap but sanitary housing, to
be made available to relief families
which would pay rent out of their
monthly relief budget provided by the
District.
Mechanics on the relief list would be
employed to the greatest extent pos
sible in the construction of the houses,
under operation of the emergency
works program.
To Study Data.
Data compiled by emergency works
and welfare officials during Aliens
absence will be studied in the next
day or two by the Commissioner.
He said he was not informed of
efforts being made to have Miss Mar
guerite Trenholm Wooley, recreational
director and social worker, appointed
supervisor of the District Playground
Department, to replace Miss Sibyl
Baker. 1t was revealed recently that
consideration was being given to the
appointment of Miss Wooley, who is
the daughter of Robert w. Wooley,
3401 Prospect avenue who at one time
was director of the mint and a mem
ber of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
Commissioner Allen has spent a
good part of his vacation visiting
Mexico City, in company with Sena-
tor Pat Harrison and other friends.
While there he saw bull fights and
cock fights.
When Allen left he declined to re-
veal where he was going and disclosed
today one member of the party. a big
business executive, had taken along a
press agent ito keep everybodys name
out Of the newspapers"