Evening star., 1939-03-04
|Ga||inger Quiz
Is Postponed
Until tuesday
Committee Members
Fail to Appear
For Hearing

pltdl was temporarily nalJeQ LOCdy
by Chairman Bates of the Public
Health, Hospitals and Charities Sub
committee Of the House District
Committee due to the failure of
members to appear for the third
scheduled public hearing.
Representative Bates waited until
II o'clock, an hour beyond the
scheduled time for the hearing be-
fore ordering postponement. He
plans to resume the inquiry Tues
day at 10 am. with DR.. Martha
Eliot Of the Children's Bureau Of
the Labor Department as the first
witness. She assisted the United
States Public Health Service in
preparing report on Gallinger
about year ago.
Prospects for more determined
battle over control of the hos
pitfalls major wards were seen in
the disclosure today that the ad-
vice Of national hospital. medical
and surgical leaders had been
sought by university medical school
officials in support of their position.
VAoA oUCo W SHlCoSOs
DR.. Cloyd Heck Marvin, president
OF George Washington University,
1t was revealed, has made a special
trip to Chicago to discuss the issue
with officials of the American Col
lege Of Surgeons, the American Hos
pital Association and the American
Medical Association.
On this trip. it was said In a re-
liable but unofficial source. DR..
Marvin was accompanied by Rich
ard Mackenzie, hospital administra-
ton expert, who has been engaged
by the District Commissioners to
seek a solution Of the issue between
Health Officer George c. Rutland
and the heads of George Washing
ton and Georgetown Universities.
Prior to last July the visiting physi-
clans had control over Gallinger's
wards.
Mr.. Mackenzie already had con-
suited with DR.. Rutland. the uni
versity heads and officials at Gal
llnger Hospital. He was asked bv
the Commissioners to submit his
own plan for Gallinger's organiza-
ton if a satisfactory plan could not
be agreed upon between the Health
Department and the medical schools
OF the universities.
1t was said Dr. Marvin made the
trip to Chicago after he had con-
suited with Chairman Randolph of
the House District Committee and
with Chairman Collins of the Dis
trict Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee.
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen
re-entered the controversy yester-
day, announcing that he was chang
ing his vieWs-which had conceded
with those of DR.. Rutland.
The Commissioner said he now
favored control of the hospital wards
by representatives of the medical
schools. Previously, he had taken
DR.. Ruhlands view. that the med
ical staff of the hospital should con-
troll the wards.
Explains Misunderstanding.
Mr.. Hazen said he hadn't changed
his mind about the matter. but
that his original statement backing
DR.. Rutland was the outgrowth Of
misunderstanding. He made this
original statement. the Commits
sioner explained, because he thought
the plan had the approval of the
full membership of Dr. Rutland 5
advisory committee of doctors.
Commissioner Hazen withdrew his
statement of support for DR.. Ruiz
land after he had ascertained only
three of the seven members Of
the Health officers Advisory Com
mittee had attended the meeting,
and that one of the three, DR..
Stirling Ruffin, registered definite
opposition to the placing of the resi-
dent physicians in control over
visiting physicians from the stats
of the university medical schools.
Mr.. Mackenzie conferred with
Commissioner HaZen and other Dis
trict officials yesterday and said
he expected to propose a plan of
his own soon to solve Gallinger S
problems.
AS a result of testimony yesterday
by DR.. Edgar A. Bocock. Gallinger
superintendent, and two nurses, that
the hospital is greatly understaffed
and that 10 nurses last year had
contracted tuberculosis. the cause of
which might be traced to overwork
and crowded conditions. Mr.. Bates
declared the blame lay with Con-
gress for making insufficient appro-
priations.
courageous and Criminal"
"It's an outrage that these nurses
have to work such long hours" he
declared. Its nothing short of
murder. It's criminal that persons
responsible for appropriations have
neglected them so long"
DR.. Bocock had reported he had
asked in his 1910 estimates for the
employment of 1876 additional en-
ployes, having an added pay roll
cost of some $4,000. District Off
cials said later the Budget Bureau
had provided for employment of 81
additional workers. with an extra
pay roll of about $4,000.
. Mr.. Bates said he would recon-
mend that the full membership of
the House District Committee ap-
peal to the District Appropriations
Subcommittee for more funds to
tighten the load on Gallinger en-
ployes.
Health Officer Rutland won a
substantial point in the jurisdic-
tional battle yesterday when Mr.
Bates declared h agreed with DR.
Rutland that the full-time chief
resident physicians. appointed last
July l, should take precedence
over the volunteer visiting physi-
clans. This came after DR.. Ruh-
land had cited one case in which
he said one of the younger visiting
physicians had become "stymied
; while attempting major operation
He said the operation was finished
, "by one of our own men," He
added this was not common oc-
i. currence."