Evening star., 1934-12-28
D. c, HEALTH JOB
CHOICE ENARROW|NC
AS DECISION NEARS
Men Well Qualified to Hold
Position Are Considered
by Commissioners.
SEVERAL CANDIDATES
WILL BE INTERVIEWED
Widespread Survey Is Made,
With Selection Not Based
on Political Factors.

DIR. George c. Ruhland, health COM
missioner Of Syracuse, N. Y. and DR..
E. L. Bishop, Tennessee State health
officer and a member Of the Tennessee
Valley Authority, are being seriously
considered by the District Commis-
sioners for appointment as the new
District health officer.
Another prominently under consid-
Grafton is said to be DR.. William F.
Vile. former health commissioner Of
Bridgeport, Conn. who now is asso-
ciated with the Crocker Cancer Labo-
ratories, Columbia University, New
York.
These names. together with two or
three others, have been suggested to
the Commissioners informally by the
committee Of Washington medical au-
thorities created by the city heads to
recommend a successor to DR.. Will
liam C. Fowler. who was retired De-
cember l as health officer after Dis
trict service of more than 40 years.
Decision Not Reached.
The Commissioners said today final
decision has not been reached and
that several candidates probably
would be interviewed before action
was taken. This is expected to be
done soon.
DR.. Rutland. because of his record
as health commissioner at Syracuse
and also at Milwaukee, where he
was in charge of city health admin
stration for 10 years, is regarded now
| thu LEADING candidate
He was invited to Washington sew
eral days ago to confer with the Com
missioners and private interview
was held yesterday.
The Commissioners Advisory Com
rLttee is headed by DR.. William
Gerry Morgan, former president of
| the District and the American Medi-
cal Societies. The Commissioners
have said they planned to be guided
in the selection of the new health
officer by the recommendations of the
committee. They have declared
political considerations will not be
allowed to sway them in this matter.
Widespread Study Made.
The committee, Commissioner George
E. Allen said today, as yet has not
submitted q report or recommendation
on the matter. DR.. Morgan was au-
thorized by the Commissioners to
canvass the entire United States and
Canada in search of the best avail
! able man for the post. Letters were
sent to many medical authorities over
the country asking for suggested
names.
Dr. Rutland, 56 years old, is q
graduate of Concordia College, Moore
head, Mimi, of the class of 1897. He
served as q newspaper correspondent
in Puerto Rico during the war with
Spain. Later he returned to school
and gained a degree from the Wis
consin College of Physicians and Sur
geons, in 1904. He was connected with
the laboratory of the Milwaukee
Health Department, first as bacteri-
ologist and later as director.
DR.. Rutland was health commits
sioner of Milwaukee from 1914 to 1924
when he became associated with
health work in Syracuse as deputy
commissioner and director of the
Syracuse Health Demonstration. He
| was made the city's first full-time
health commissioner.
Syracuse Healthy City.
He was charged with the RESPONSE
bility of placing health administra-
tion there on an efficient basis. Favor
able regard is being given to DR..
Rutland as District health officer
particularly, it is said, because Syra-
cuse has been credited as being one
Of the 10 most healthful cities in
the country.
Commissioner Allen plans q reor-
ganization of health services of the
District and to stimulate action to
raise health standards here. For this
reason he is anxious to have a new
health officer especially well equipped
to throw new life into health pro-
grams here.