Evening star., 1940-01-17
Budget Bureau
Advice Awaited
In Rutland Case
Commissioners Silent
On Possible Custer
OF Health Officer
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
A -prouision in the Seal orgdnt-
cation plan for the District Dould
force custer of Health Oficer
George C. Rutland, and it has
been hinted that President
Roosevelt would replace the pres
ent holder of the Office wtth
physician from either the Army,
Navy or Public Health Service.
At his press conference yesterday
the President emphatically de-
MED any such intention. Instead
he said, he faUored the Commits
sioners haUinq poUers to engage
the best health officer available.
Commissioners George E. Allen
and David McCoach, jr, today were
awaiting advice from the Budget
Bureau before taking any further
steps in regard to the proposal
in the District of Columbia gov.
ernmental reorganization plan to
supplant DR.. George C. Rutland
as District health of1cer.
The Commissioners and Corpora
ton Counsel Elwood H. Seal de-
clined to make any statement in
reaction to President Roosevelt's
denial yesterday that he had in
spired the plan. The Presidents
comment was made at his regular
press conference.
The Commissioners declined to-
day also to make any statement
on the opinion expressed by the
President at the same time that he
felt the Commissioners should not
be restricted in any way in their
choice of a health officer.
In short, the mystery remained
as to why the Commissioners, in
revising the Seal plan for reorgani-
zation of the municipal government,
had inserted a provision that the
health officer should be an official
| of the United States Public Health
Service, designated to serve as head
of the District Health Department.
Commissioner Hazen Ill.
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen
president of the Board of Commits
sioners, who has just received a
third term nomination from the
President. was in Garfield Hospital
today. He had been suffering from
cold Monday and left his Office
early and was confined to his home
yesterday. On advice of physicians
he went to Garfield for an exam
| ination
| In reply to all questions regarding
| the part Of their reorganization plan
dealing with the Health Department
the other two Commissioners would
say only:
We have no comment to make
until our plan comes back from the
Budget Bureau"
When the bureau replies to the
Commissioners on legislation they
| propose, the bureau customarily
states either that the proposal is
not "in accord with the program
OF the President, or that it is not
contrary to the Presidents program
First Statement.
.Today's statement is the only ONT
the Commissioners have made or
their reorganization plan since they
completed their final draft and sent
it to the Budget Bureau about two
weeks ago-except to explain thai
they were required to submit it tt
the bureau before releasing it te
the public by reason of long.
standing executive order concern.
ing all legislative and appropriation
proposals which might be made by
any Federal or District official.
The details of the Commissioners
plan came to light officially Monday
when Chairman Kennedy Of the
Reorganization Subcommittee of the
House District Committee "pried"
the document loose from the Com
missioners in exercising the preroga-
tives of a congressional committee
chairman.
Health Officer Rutland was not
quite so reticent as the Commits
sioners today. He said the Presi-
dents statement was very gratify-
ing" but he would not comment
| further. 1t was assumed he referred
to Mr.. Roosevelt's declaration that
he was not responsible for the move.
Disclosure that the Commissioners
had inserted the new health officer
plan in their reorganization sug-
gestions came as surprise at the
District Building because no such
idea had been heard while the Com
missioners' Kitchen cabinet" ad-
visers were preparing the reorganiza-
(See DIR. RUTLAND, Page A-5)
ST. lawrence WATERWAY