Evening star., 1934-07-22
MEDICAL ADVICE
TO Be SOUGHT ON
SANATOR|UM SITE
Hazen Says He Will Suggest
Admiral GraySon as One
of Advisers.
ACTION OF DISTRICT
OFFICIALS DEFENDED
Insists Committee Will Only
Make Comparison Of Tracts
on Tour.

While still declining to explain why
the District is searching for a distant
mountain site for the adult tubercu-
loSis hospital, when the city already
owns a site near Washington-wh which
was selected on advice Of medical ex-
pertS-Commissioner Melvin c. HaZen
last night promised that competent
medical authorities would be con-
suited before any new tract was
| bought.
One Of these, he said he would sug-
gest. would be his friend. Adm Cary
T. Grayson. Grayson is regarded at
the District Building as an advo-
| cate of a site other than that at
! Glenn Dale, Md, where the Chill
dren's Sanatorium is being COM
pleted
Apparently disturbed by protests
! against abandonment OF plans for
completing a tuberculosis center at
! Glenn Dale, on land already paid for
! by District taxpayers, Hazen de-
| Tended action of the Commissioners
in naming a committee to select a
! site" for the institution for adult
patients.
VIII Make Tour of Sites.
He insisted that this committee.
| headed by Edward A. Dent District
surveyor. merely would make a tour
! of sites offered by owners Of land in
! Virginia, West Virginia and Western
Maryland and recommend from 10
! 10 regarded as best The Commis-
sioners then will inspect these, COM
pare them with the Glenn Dale site
and make a decision. he said.
Congress authorized the District TO
accept loan of 81 500 900 from the
Public Works Administration, 10 per
cent to be repaid by the District with
| interest, for construction of the badly
J needed new adult sanatorium.
! Controversy over the site broke into
the open when Secretary OF Interior
Ickes said he could not see why funds
should be provided for a hospital at
Glenn Dale when land on high ele-
vation in the mountains could be
| found.
Ickes Has @Open Mind"
Ickes later. however. protested he
was not trying to dictate" the site.
declared he had an open mind" on
the subject, and denied reports he
had said money would not be forth
coming If the Commissioners insisted
on the site already owned by the Dis
| trict.
| The ooy,, y,itIaa e,,hsaopay,tIty v,ayead
! by the Commissioners to select a site
| includes. besides the District surveyor.
| the municipal architect, the superin-
| tendent of the tuberculosis Hospital.
an assistant corporation counsel and
the land purchasing assistant 10 Mai.
Paul Hodgson, Assistant Engineer
/ Commissioner.
When this committee has turned In
its report, Commissioner Hazen said
yesterday, he plans to seek the advice
of medical authorities before the
Commissioners themselves act.
Grayson Consulted.
Admiral Grayson, who was a spon-
sor Of Hazen's appointment as Com
missioner. already has been consulted
about the sanatorium site. Hazen
! said he would propose as other mem
| bers Of the group to advise on the
site, before any money is spent, Surg.
Gen Hugh S. Cumming, head of the
| United States Public Health Service
DR.. William c. Fowler, District health
officer; possibly a representative OF
the tuberculosis Association, and
| either a spokesman for the District
| Medical Society or representatives of
Georgetown and George Washington
| Hospitals
Surgeon General Cumming told The
Star last week he saw no compelling
reason for not building the sanatorium
at the Glenn Dale site.
Hazen declined to comment when
asked again why a sudden move was
| made TO inspect proposed sanatorium
sites at points from so to 20 miles
distant from Washington He said he
could not discuss his understanding
of what is the attitude taken by the
public works administrator.
Many Sites Suggested.
"A great many sites in the noun
tains of the Blue Ridge have been sug-
gested" he said Our committee of
District officials is more of an elm
ination committee than one to Sc
lect a site He said the real work
of this group would be 10 inspect all
sites offered and to eliminate those
it finds are "tmpracticable and un-
desirable"
When asked what the non-medical
members of this site-picking COM
mittee would use as a guage of what
is impracticable and undesirable, the
Commissioner named transportation
facilities. both rail and road; topo-
graphical conditions elevation, water
supply and the socially desirable"
element listed by Secretary Ickes.
No site as yet has been selected or
eliminated, he said This means that
the Glenn Dale site is not yet dropped
from consideration. he added.
HaZen agreed that TO build the hos
pital at a point distant from Wash
ington would increase the cost Of
maintenance. aside from the extra
money that would have to be spent
for the land. Also he declared il
would be better TO have the adult in
stitution built within easy reach of
Washington, so that extra and spe-
cialized medical aid could be had on
short notice. whenever necessary. To
build the adult sanatOrium on the
same large tract where the childrens
sanatorium is located ne said. would
be more economical.
Tour VIII Start Tomorrow.
The ite-picking committee, how
ever. Is scheduled to start out tomor-
row to look over mountain sites. One
is located near Bluemont, w. Va, and
another near Braddock Heights. Md.
The committees program had not
been announced yesterday.
The expenses of the tours of in
spection are TO be paid out OF q
travelling expense fund provided for
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