Evening star., 1937-04-02
BY DON S. WARREN.

BY DON S. WARREN.
One of the principal arguments
raised against transfer of the hoSpi-
talization and medical care of the poor
to the Health Department is that it
would deprive the disfranchised Wash
1ngton residents of any voice at all in
the policies of administration of these
services.
In short, the change would mean
that instead of having the Board of
Public Welfare-one of the non-sal-
aried boards of citiZens-formulate
the general policies of the hospitals,
there would be substituted the direc-
tion of an appointed official, the health
officer.
In this connection, advocates of the
present plan report that a survey of
hospitals shows the great majority are
fare. boards of trustees, institution
commissioners or similar bodies, rather
than by health officers
Question One of Pressure.
Proponents of the present form of
administration are relying heavily on
the history of the development of the
welfare administration to sustain their
arguments. The difference in the pos
sible effect of pressure which could be
exerted on one single city official, as
opposed to a nom -salaried citizens
board was cited in 1925 by the COM
mission which developed the present
plan for organization of the Districts
welfare administration.
The following quotations are taken
from the report of that commission
which had studied the problems for
nearly two years:
The board form of organization for
the District has some distinct merits.
In the first place, we have always had
1t. our present problem l925-before
the present Board of Public Welfare
had been created) being too many
boards. 1t seems wiser to reduce the
existing diffusion of boards to order
and unity rather than to turn sudden
ly to the extreme form of centraliza-
ton by abolishing all participation Of
LllG ClUlLClfS GluOuSll d bScAd anu Wy
putting one man in complete control
OF our welfare administration.
"A well-chosen board can bring to
the problem, without cost to the pub
lie, a wealth OF experience, knowl-
edge of business methods, a human
sympathy and understanding which
ought to be invaluable to the director
A. t,,e nd
an assurance to the public that its
wards are receiving proper attention
at cost which represents efficiency in
both administration and service.
Responsible TO City Heads.
Responsibility to the heads Of the
municipal government is definitely es-
tabIished by having the Commission
ers appoint the board, and the director
upon nomination by the board, and by
having It's budget submitted to the
Commissioners as are all other boards
Tor municipal activities.
1T Is worth recalling that public
welfare is one of the newer develop
ments in government. It deals with
human beings in distress, and its work
Is not so definite. tangible and meas
ureable as are, for example, the activi-
ties of the Police and Fire Depart
ulents.
"A board of citizens can be an edu-
eative and interpretative force in the
community and can help to acquaint
the public with methods and needs in
. field where public education is great
ly needed. 1t can bring the non-
expert but intelligent lay point of view
to bear upon the problems of the sick
and needy, which is always a whole
some and often very necessary thing.
"It is sometimes true, also, that
department controlled by single ex-
ecutive may lend itself too readily to
domination by particular persons or
groups Of interest either through bias
or fear Of opposition.
1T is, Of course, supremely impor-
liant that public welfare administra-
ton be fair and just and free of petty