Evening star., 1934-05-23
RULES COMMITTEE
TRIMS $4,000, 900
FROM D. c. WORKS
Continued From First Page.)

Municipal Hospital, s75O,0O0. At Gal
linger there are more than TOO pa
tients with accommodations for only
500.
In support of the tuberculosis sani-
toria item, Representative Smith
speaking for the District Commission
ers, pointed out that the conditions
with reference to care Of tuberculosis
patients in the District are acute
The death rate in the District from
tuberculosis puts this city in the
| fourth worst position among the SO
largest cities in the country. There
are available only about 300 beds tor
adult tuberculosis patients. whereas
there ought to be not less than 600
and preferably 800. The appropria-
| tions already made and proposed for
! the Children's tuberculosis Institution
will not affect the need for the care
of adults.
The only institution now provided
for the care Of adults is the old hoSpi-
tai at Fourteenth and Upshur streets,
built to accommodate 120 patients and
! now congested with over 200 patients.
| In addition, Smith said, there are
about so patients In old buildings at
the Gallinger Municipal Hospital
which have had to be used as as emer-
gency measure. There is a waiting
| list of patients in the community for
| whom no accommodations are avail
able in any hospital. A great deal of
concern is felt in the community, he
said, relative to the tuberculosis situa-
ton. The proposed new hospital is
strongly advocated by the District
Medical Society, the Association for
the Prevention of tuberculosis and by
civic organizations generally.
Regarding the necessity for sewage
treatment plant to safeguard the Poto-
mac River from pollution and to pre-
vent serious epidemic Representative
| Smith said:
"An investigation by the United
States Public Health Service OF the
sanitary condition of the Potomac
River, published in January last year
under instructions of a Senate reso-
luton. indicated that the entire river
between Fort Washington and Three
Sisters is unsafe for bathing from the
standpoint of sewerage borne disease.
Report High Contamination.
! He said this condition is killing
off valuable fish life. With the in
crease in sewerage, conditions of the
river channel near the naval maga-
zine will constitute a nuisance.
AS a result of the recommenda-
tons made in this public health re-
port, a grant of $4,000 by the public
works authorities directed board OF
eminent sanitary engineers to deter
mine the need for a model treatment
plant. This board found the Potomac
River polluted with sewerage and
highly contaminated with bacteria
thus making it unsatisfactory for
recreation for a distance of more
than 20 miles downstream from the
| AnacoStia River To remedy these
! conditions the board recommended
| that sewerage from the city be puri-
fled to high degree by the activated
sludge process during the six warmer
months of low river discharge and
during the six cooler months to a
lesser degree by plain sedimentation
1t Is proposed to construct this sew
erage plant on District-owned prop
erty at Blue Plains, D. c., at an esti-
mated cost of $4,000, 900, and to oper-
ate it at an estimated annual cost of
| $400 900 from District revenues under
congressional appropriations.
Says Lorton Crowded.
Regarding the need for construc-
ton at the Lorton Reformatory, Rep
resentative Smith called attention
that present buildings were designed
to accommodate 800 prisoners, where
there are now more than 1900. He
said the reformatory was intended
originally for the care of first Of
Tenders and those considered more
/ amenable to discipline and hopeful
of reformation. Now all long-term
prisoners, including those with life
| sentences. are sent to Lorton, and 1t is
imperative that there should be a cell
building with an inclosed yard, such
as Is found necessary in all the Fed
eral penal institutions for the safe
keeping OF such prisoners as cannot be
safely housed in open dormitories with
out inclosing walls. He stressed the
| overcroWded condition at Lorton and
warned the committee that the need
for new construction is imperative.
Inc existing buildings at Gallinger
Hospital were planned to accommo-
Date 500 patients and there are now
700 patients there, so that many are
IN beds In the halls and in the corri-
dors. Gallinger is the only general
municipal hospital in the city and re-
celves all classes of patients, includ-
ing mental cases for observation
pending their commitment to st.
Elizabeth's. Last year there was
daily average of 583 patients and in
January of this year, 716 Last No.
vember the conditions at the hospital
were so acute that the visiting staff
composed Of outstanding members of
the building profession petitioned the
Commissioners to have additional ia
cilities provided at the earliest posi-
BILE time. The congestion Is so great,
said Smith, that unless additional ac-
commodations are provided imme-
diately, the District probably will be
compelled to seek hospital care for
patients under contract with some
private Institutions. .