Evening star., 1941-11-18
Monday Evening Club
Urges Rutland as
Health Defense Head
Commissioners Asked
To Appoint Him os
Chief Medical Officer

The Monday Evening Club, Or
ganization OF those interested in
social work, unanimously adopted
last night resolution urging the
District Commissioners to appoint
DR.. George C. Rutland, Health Of
ficer, to head civilian health de-
fense.
was explained Dr.. Rutland still is
active in planning and advisory
capacity on the Health Committee
of the District Civilian Defense
Council, but DR.. John A. Reed. act
ing chairman of the Board of Police
and Fire Surgeons. has been an
pointed chief medical officer for
Emergency Medical Service. one Of
the seven local defense chiefs to di-
rect the so-called active phase Of
civilian defense in the Metropolitan
Area.
The resolution at the Monday Eve
ming Club was sponsored by Mrs.
Walter Ufford and prepared by Ray
H. Everett. executive secretary OF
the District Social Hygiene Society,
neither Of whom attended the meet
ing. The resolution was read by Mrs.
Louis A. Gutenberg.
Provisions of Resolution.
The resolution said:
1T is a cardinal principal of good
government that any official re-
sponsible for results in given field
should be given the authority need
ed to attain these results. The Dis
trict health ofiicer is responsible for
guarding the population against
epidemics, communicable diseases
and other health hazards. The out
| line Of local organization for civilian
protection prepared by the United
States Once Of Civilian Defense
specifies that public health should
be under the supervision OF local
/ (and State) health departmental"
The resolution put the club on
record as urging upon the District
/ commissioners the logic. validity
and importance OF appointing the
District health officer to head up the
civilian health defense activities in
this community.
At the District Building. offlcials
took exception to that part OF the
resolution which quoted the United
States once OF Civilian Defense as
specifying the health officer should
be appointed defense chief medical
officer. Instead. District officials
contended. the national Office OF
Civilian Defense insists that the
head of the civilian defense health
agency should be a physician in
private practice.
o. c. d. Bulletin.
From the United States Offlce OF
Civilian Defense an official bulletin
sets forth how the emergency
medical service Of a community
should be set up.
1T is recommended says the
bulletin. that the local chief Of
emergency medical service be 4
physician OF broad experience, and
administrative capacity, such as =
/, health oficer, or an experienced
hospital administrator. The local
chief of emergency medical service
should be chairman Of a medical
advisory council. This council might
well include the local health officer,
an experienced hospital admins.
traitor, or, a physician recommended
by the local medical society because
of his technical experience and ad-
ministrative ability, a registered
nurse. and q representative of the
American National Red Gross, and
other voluntary agencies"
1t was learned that in other
cities, such as New York. a physician
in private practice was appointed tt
the post.
DR.. Reed has held various officia.
positions in the medical society He
is chairman Of the Committee or
Public Health In this capacity he il
prominent in the new movement TO,
periodic health examinations of thu
public
At the District Building it was in.
sisted that DR.. Rutland was still
active in an advisory capacity. ane
that the appointment Of DR.. Reee
had been made after conferenc.
with DR.. Rutland and others in tn,
District Defense Council. Dr. Rub
lands service will be of value. o.
course, it was explained. as health
officer in charge Of city-wide facili'
ties.
Children on the Staee.
The Monday Evening Cub alst
proposed "a study by some authori
tative group Of the whole subject O
children on the stage"
The club adopted a proposal tt
provide a solution to the problem!
at the Home for the Aged and In.
firm at Blue Plains by erection of 6
hospital at Gallipger for i'll patients
repairs to presentfbuildings and pos
sible transfer of some of the aget
outside of the home to live either
alone or with friends or relative!
with the help of cash grants.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi
dent Of the Board of Education, ant
school officials presented a program
outlining the value of vocationa
school training in the District
Speakers included Lawson j. Can
treI, assistant superintendent o
schools; Mrs. Ola Rush. principal o
the Dennison Vocational School TO
Girls, and Harold Clark, director O
vocational education in the District
who showed a motion picture of hoy
girls are trained at Dennison Voca
tional School. Miss Louise Mcclure
president of the club, presided.