Evening star., 1936-02-17

ton you just passed-which. your
| chairman said, was by unanimous
vote, although I never voted for it
| IS a reflection on the man in the
White House, since the Budget Bureau
is his agent carrying out his policy?"
This question was followed by a
wave of laughter and applause. I'm
a supporter of the President" Blanton
said, although have voted to over
ride his veto when my principles were
at stake"
There were Kisses and a few boos
when Blanton said: Il heard about
this meeting and came down here to
help because I think it was mighty
thoughtful Of these good doctors to
take the matter of raising the money
out of the committees hands. / want
to help this meeting raise the money!"
After the kissing subsided, Blanton
continued: But don't misunderstood
me. You people here have a right
to meet and a right to petition Con-
gress. And I'll tell you something
else.
I'm going to vote more money for
| Eastern High School, for new Police
Court and for bridges, no matter how
much this may exceed the budget
estimate"
Leave 1t to Congress-"
The audience was almost convulsed
with laughter when Blanton shouted:
You people just leave things to
Congress, and you'll be taken care
of"
At this juncture Rabbi Simon rose,
raped for order and asked the audi
ence to please keep its emotions
under check"
Blanton called attention to the fact
that the Federal Government has
spent "$22, ,O00, 900 for your water sys-
tenn. You get the cheapest water in
the world here" he added
Referring to the resolution which
pointed out that only one other COM
munity has a larger death rate from
tuberculosis than Washington, Blan-
ton said:
That other community is my own
city of San Antonio. Is that not
right, Mr. Chairman? thought so
Well, Washington's tuberculosis prob
lem is similar to San Antonio'S.
You have a large colored popula-
ton here, and in San Antonio there
is large population of Mexicans and
colored people. That's where you get
your high tuberculosis death rate
And speaking of death rates, p"
Blanton added, isn't that a reflec-
tion on the ability of the medical
profession in Washington" Prolonged
kissing greeted this remark.
Blanton said there were too many
doctors on the Districts pay roll and
that public doctors spent too much
time on private practice. The meet
ing was adjourned after he closed his
remarks.
Statement of Fact Adopted.
The following statement of fact was
adopted by the mass meeting as a
prelude to resolutions laying out a
campaign for health funds:
THE standards of the American
| Public Health Association are uni
versally recognized as authoritative.
According to these, the financial
support of an adequate municipal
health service requires the ex-
penditure of not less than $3.50
per capita annually. In contrast to
this requirement, the present annual
per capita expenditure for such pur-
pose in the District Of Columbia,
under the current appropriations and
those proposed by the budget now
under congressional consideration, is
less than 81; in other words, less
| than 40 per cent of the accepted
standard. Certain conditions newt
ably result from this inadequate
financial support of the local Health
Department. among which a few of
the more striking may be mentioned.
''The Health Department is housed
in the same quarters originally pro-
vided for 1t over a quarter of a
century ago, when the population of
the District was probably at least
$4,000 less than at the present time.
One room still provides space barely
available for the desks of the chief
of the contagious disease service, the
chief medical inspector of the public
schools, the director Of the child