Evening star., 1934-04-18
MRS. NORTON ASKS
FEDERAL LOAN FOR
TUBERCULOSIS AID
Tells House Personal Tour
Revealed District Condi-
tions Are Primitive.
PLEADS AGAINST TAX
CUT IN FACE OF NEEDS
Declares She Will Argue for Per.
mission for Commissioners to
Borrow From R. F. C.

A Federal loan for the District to
build adequate tuberculosis facilities
was proposed in the House today BY
Chairman Norton of the District
Committee.
Mrs. Norton revealed she had made
a personal inspection of the Districts
tuberculosis institutions and said:
In the most primitive town, moth
ing would be found that is worse.
What saw convinced me that the
people of the District should have at
lease elected representatives in the
Congress of the United States to see
TO 1t that they receive square deal. ="
Against Tax Cut.
She pleaded against reducing the
tax rate in the face of the great need
for well-equipped institutions to fight
tuberculosis.
Instead Of being reduced" she said
1 expect before this session of Con-
gresS is ended to come before YOU TO
plead for bill that will grant per-
! mission to the Commissioners to bor-
row sufficient amount of money
from the r. F. c. to enable them to
start some very badly needed i'm
provements TO safeguard the health
OF the people living here"
Mrs. Norton was interrupted several
times during her speech by members
OF the House. Representative Weide-
man, Democrat, of Michigan, and
a member of the House District Com
mittee, declared it had been a policy
in the District to build up the ave-
nues and buildings that visitors see.
but to forget the cesspools behind
| them
| Representative Blanton, Democrat,
! OF Texas, endeavored to soften Mrs.
Norton's severe criticism of the Tuber-
culoSis Hospital. He said he had
helped build that institution and
knew that conditions there could not
be as bad as had been pictured.
Charges Newspaper Stir"
| "I've investigated everything the
District has got" Blanton shouted.
and l know whereof I speak. This
Is all due to another newspaper stir.
1t happens every year when the Dis
trict appropriation bill is being con-
sidered by the House"
| Blanton, who was controlling the
time on the Democratic side during
Mrs. Norton's speech, had just pre-
viously refused to yield her an addi-
| tional five minutes to complete it.
| Representative Otter of PENNSYLVANIA
in control of the time on the Repub-
lican side, however granted her the
five minutes. Mrs Norton is a Demo-
| crat
Mrs. Norton said newspaper articles
had led her to believe she would find
bad conditions, but Il was not pre-
pared for what saw"
In order to bring this picture be-
fore you of the suffering endured
by these unfortunate victims of tuber-
J culoSlS, crowded into an inSanitary
! hospital, I shall merely give you the
! facts. II you find it difficult to be-
heve that such conditions can exist
in the most beautiful city in the coun-
try, then I beg that you call at the
hospital and see for yourself
The bare facts are these: A tuber-
culosis hospital erected 90 or more
years ago. which was supposed to We
merely wing of what was to be the
| finished hospital-providing shelter
for 220 men and women, white and
black. in space that would be crowd
ed to provide for 100. Three wards
are filled with colored people, five
wards with white people. In one
ward / found % people crowded into
a room about 20 by 40 feet-just
about sufficient space between the
beds to walk by. one chair upon which
the patients clothing was kept, there
being no room for closet.
| This ward was provided with one
bath, one shower. four basins and
three toilets. and the only recreation
! room for the ward was the square
around which was grouped the toilets.
basins, bath, etc. l found a card
table in this space and few patients
playing cards.
No Recreation Room.
| Another ward, 22x4O, contained 90
beds-an filled, still another % beds
| % in another packed in-no recrea-
ton room anywhere. A few outside
porches are located in various parts
OF the building, but these are all filled
with beds so that they could not be
| used
There are no examining rooms in
the entire building. The operating
room is poorly lighted. They have a
very old X-Ray machine which could
not be used for patient reclining: he
would have to stand to be X-rayed.
Until recently there was only
one resident doctor and he now has
one assistant. There is one student
| inferno, Is nurses, IL of whom are on
| days working 10 hours relieving one
another for the other two h, -. Four
OF the l6 are on nights with I.Ahour
shifts.
Shacks Are Cold.
There are IL tiny shacks on the
grounds of the hospital. These are
used by the patients on the road to
recovery. These are built of sheet
iron, heated with stove in Winter,
and very cold. In the Summer, with
the burning sun of Washington shin
Ing on them all day, they are absolute
places of living torture.
There is now no place to send chill
dren suffering from tuberculosis. There
are about $50 children now attending
the so-called health school, and it is
expected that these will be sent to the
new Children's Hospital when it is
completed. I understand that this
Is about the capacity at that new hos
pital. SO that there will still be no
place for the hundreds of tuberculosis
subjects all over Washington.
These children should be cared for
Immediately. 1t is absolute cruelty to
allow poor children to suffer and die
for want of proper care in a COM
munity of wealth and refinement.
This is city Of marble buildings to
carry on the functions of Government
and the most precious asset the Gov
ernment has must suffer because of
the carelessness and indifference OF
those responsible for their well being"