Evening star., 1934-07-12
Commissioners to Erect
Building for Adults on
Tract With Child Center.
PLACE IN WEST VIRGINIA
MOUNTAINS IS REJECTED
Decision Is Announced With Re-
lease of Mrs. Grants Letter
Protesting Delay.

Although considerable pressure has
been brought to have the Districts
proposed new adult tuberculosis SAN
atorium constructed in the mountains
of West Virginia, the Commissioners
we're understood today to have de-
cided to erect the building at Glen
dale, Md, on the same tract as the
new childrens sanatorium.
This became known simultaneously
with publication of letter to the
Commissioners from Mrs. Ernest r,
Grant, executive of the District of
Columbia tuberculosis Association,
vigorously protesting any further de-
lay due to changes Of opinion as TO
the location of the sanatorium.
She said. Il believe you will agree
with me that there have been enough
committees and enough reports. and
that action is now most needed"
Would Defeat Plans.
Location of the sanatorium else
where than at Glendale. Mrs. Grant
said. would completely defeat the
plan toward which we have been
working for many years. namely,
building a great tuberculosis center
composed of a group of sanatoria
which would be worthy of the Nations
Capital City"
Advocates Of building the institution
on high land in West Virginia sor
some other State have argued that the
Glendale site is too low, too hot and
otherwise unsuited for a sanatorlum
for the treatment of tuberculosis.
District officials were represented as
believing, however. that the cost of
construction on a site far distant from
Washington would be considerably
higher because of the necessity Of
purchasing additional ground and en-
ploying an entirely separate staff of
physicians and other help.
Architectural plans for the new
Sanatorium already are under way and
ground will be broken when the
P. W. A. approves the loan Of 81 l,500,-
900 for construction of the new build
ing. This was one of the projects in
mind by Congress when it enacted
legislation permitting the Commis-
sioners to borrow up to s1o,75o, 900 on
70-30 basis for number of public
improvements.
In her letter to Commissioner
Hazen, Mrs. Grant said:
When the question of locating the
children's Sanatorium first arose, there
we're various groups, each with diff
ferent opinion as to the proper loca-
ton. To solve this problem, DR..
Henry D. Chadwick, one of the lead
ing tuberculosis experts of the United
tates, and now commissioner of
health of the State of Massachusetts,,
was brought to Washington. He came
with the approval of the former Com
missioners and at the expense of the
District of Columbia tuberculosis As
sociation, for the purpose of giving an
unbiased opinion regarding the whole
problem"
Protests Further Delay.
Mrs. Grant set forth in her letter
DR.. ChadWick'S recommendations
upon which the former Commissioners
based their decision 70 buy Glendale
for the purpose of centralizing all
tuberculosis institutions.
Il would not presume, Mr. Commits
Sloner, 10 write you tnlS letter except
for the fact that l am told that any
further delay, which would naturally
arise in having to wait for a COM
mittee to go through all of the same
formalities that other committees
have complied with, will defeat our
ultimate purpose" Mrs. Grant con-
tinued.
In the Office of the tuberculosis
Association there is large scrapbook
which contains innumerable reports
and newspaper clippings regarding
adequate tuberculosis disqualification
for the District of Columbia. 1t ex-
tends back to 1919.
Originally this book was intended
to be kept as record of achievements.
but long ago it began to assume the
of an indictment of one
dilatorious delay after another, and
meanwhile tuberculosis continued to
spread throughout the city until today
the District of Columbia has the
fourth highest mortality from the
communicable disease"