Evening star., 1940-12-22

congress unally approved IunQS LOT
a first center in the Southwest.
After nearly four years of planning,
budgeting and appropriation. that is
as far as the health center program
has been carried.
S165, 900 Appropriation in 1887.
The story begins in 1887, when
Congress approved an appropria-
ton of $165 900 for construction of
a health center on the site of the
colored Jones Elementary School at
First and L streets NV. DR.. Ruh-
land had asked for 5000 900 and at
first had suggested land near First
and Pierce streets NV. There
arose, however, question of addi-
tional land needed for the Douglass
Simmons School and DR.. Rutland
was to get the Jones School site
as trade"
The idea was that pupils of the
Jones School could be housed else
where pending completion of a new
Jones School, but that part of the
understanding" fell through
Representative Collins, Democrat,
of Mississippi, then head of the Dis
trict Appropriations Subcommittee
Of the House, proposed the next year
that the polyclinic appropriation be
used for the purchase of Homeo-
pathic Hospital (not merely the
adjoining land) for use as the health
center, and his committee so rec
commended.
100000 Saving Claimed.
The committee argued the hos
pital purchase would save the Dis
trict about 100000 in future expen-
ditures for health center and for
construction of a new school to
replace the Jones School.
However, District engineers made
study of the building and reported
the hospital structure was not suit
able. would not carry the load Of
clinical use and that it would prove
too costly in remodeling AS a re-
suit, Congress repealed the old ap-
preparation for building a health
center on the Jones School site and
granted a new item of 100000 for
polyclinic in Southwest Washing
ton. This building, completed in
the past year, now is in service.
The next sidestep from a North
west health center was taken in the
appropriations for the fiscal year
1910, when Congress appropriated
funds for establishment of a a.
hour clinic at Emergency Hospital
and for development of an out
patient" clinic for INDECENT persons
at Providence Hospital. Health au-
thorities then voiced approval of
such steps but held that they could
not meet the same need as a poly
clinic in the Northwest central area
in the heart of the high mortality
and disease area.
Site Purchase Again Deferred.
During the past year Congress
failed to grant a request for $4,000
for purchase of a site for a North
west central health center, this being
understood to be for the land ad-
joining Homeopathic Hospital. The
House Appropriations Committee re-
port stated: 1.-THE committee is of
the opinion that this proposal should
be deferred until the school-replace-
ment program is undertaken, at
which time one or more sites ideally
located for this purpose will be avail
able without additional cost to the
District"
For the next fiscal year, DR.. Ruiz
land has tried new move and
asked an appropriation of $3.50 900
for site, building and fixed equip
ment for Northwest health CEN
ter The Commissioners recently
rejected this, finding District
finances would not stand the strain
next year. They did not ask for a
small sum for land purchase, think
ing that the District-owned land at
New York avenue and First street
perhaps would be available.
In brief: The Park and Plan
ming Commission now has twice re-
jected plans to use this triangle for
q building site; the old Jones Ele-
mentary School site still has not
been made available; Congress SO
far has failed to permit purchase
of land at Kirby street and New
York avenue; the area still lacks
polyclinic services.