Evening star., 1936-02-16
TOday's Mass Meeting.

afternoon, called to discuss public
health needs and to petition that they
be adequately met, presentation of the
background may be helpful.
Provisions for, protection of the COM
munity health of Washington today are
alarmingly inadequate. The Budget
Bureau, in framing the current esti-
mates made reductions in health items
which, added to those already made by
the Commissioners, reduced DR.. Ruh-
lands requests by approximately
100000. At the same time, the total
budget estimates, if unchanged in the
appropriation bill, would leave an idle
surplus of local revenues in the general
fund alone totaling about $2000,000.
The money to be appropriated, on the
basis of these estimates, is composed of
about s37 100000 of local revenues and
taxes, plus a minimum of $5,700,000
from national revenues. The District
taxpayers will contribute practically all
of the s37O0O,0oo, and through their
contributions in Federal taxes are con-
tributing more than any one of twenty
three of the States toward the S5,700,000
lump sum; contributing more than nine
of the States combined and in per
capita more than thirty-eight of the
States.
Though thus contributing heavily in
local and national taxes, the people of
the District are barred completely from
participation in both kinds of tax legis-
lation affecting them. They have no
say concerning how much they shall
be taxed, by what methods of taxation
they shall be blistered and how the tax
money shall be spent. Left to them
Is the constitutional right of petition
for fair play from their all powerful
legislators.
A widely representative section of the
District people wishes to exercise this
right of petition in respect to the appro-
priations for community health protec-
ton. They have planned this mass
meeting to petition the Commissioners,
and incidentally the members of Con-
gress, for additional health funds. By
this device they demonstrate their own
recognition Of the vital need for addi-
tional disease-fghting appropriations
and their desire that the money be ap-
propriated from their tax revenues.
Chairman Blanton of the House Sub
committee on District Appropriations,
enjoying great influence in the House
as regards local appropriations, has
manifestly misinterpreted the purpose
of the mass meeting and viewed it, not
as the instrument for petition, but for
protest and denunciation of the House
and his subcommittee for assumed hos
tile action before even his subcommittee
has completed its work
Based on this misinterpretation, Mr..
Blanton sent sarcastic letter to the
Medical Society, by implication ad-
dressed as we'll to the prominent or
ganizations of public spirited Washing
tonians joining the Medical Society in
its laudable efforts.
The letter contains serious, if thinly
yelled, threat to the effect that mas
much as the meddling citizens of Wash
ington have presumed to take up the
question of health protection, his sub
committee will wash it's hands of the
business and let the citizens take care
of 1t.
This threat of chastisement contains
its own irony. For the real victims of
the abandonment of its duty by the sub
committee would not be the Medical
Society members, but the sick and the
helpless, dependent on the community
in their time of need. The victims
would be the sufferers from tuberculosis,
many Of them children. The victims
would be those in the charity wards Of
the Municipal Hospital. The victims
would be those most susceptible to and
least able to resist the attack of prevent
able disease. Dr. Rufin, president of the
Medical Society, and a physician not
given to exaggeration, has said the pub
lie health question here is actually
matter of life and death. The victims
of abandonment would be the dead.
The usual danger in petitioning by
mass meeting is that some Of the peti-
TONERS may lose control of their emo
tions, and under provocation may de-
nounce instead of petitioning. Invective
by the impotent against the all-power-
full is worse than futile. The Medical
Society has conducted its campaign on
a plane of dignified presentation of the
facts, however, and there is little danger 4
that Mr.. Blantons apparent especta-
tions of personal abuse will be realized,
thus justifying him, in his own mind,
to make reprisal.
If this is the case, Mr.. Blanton might
be expected manfully to retract his re-
markable letter to the Medical Society
For with the Medical Society and Mr.
Blanton both avowedly in hearty sym
pathy with health protection and the
fight against disease it is inconceivable
that the result of the discussion will be
the vital injury to the community In
4