Evening star., 1942-03-11
0vercrowding
Seen as Peril
To D. +. Health
More Housing Units
Badly Needed,
Welfare Aides Told

Welfare Aides Told
A picture of social welfare prob
lens now existing in Washing
ton was given yesterday after
noon at meeting of the Depart
ment of Social Welfare of the
Washington Federation of Churches
by a panel of speakers who were
unanimous in blaming the evils of
the present situation on overcroWd-
ing.
DR.. George C. Rutland, District
health officer. whose address was
read to the audience of more than
100 white and colored persons who
assembled at the Mount Vernon
Place Methodist Church, said over
croWding must be regarded as an
ever-preSent risk" in the transmits
sion of communicable disease.
Reporting that there has been no
outstanding increase in disease, he
said his department is preparing
especially to guard against typhus
typhoid, smallpox, malaria and in
f1uenza. He added that communi-
cable disease of childhood likewise
may become a disturbing factor.
Dangers Are Cited.
Further dangers and inconven-
fences of overcrowding were cited
by Mrs. Helen Duey Hoffman, ex-
ecutive director of the Washington
ACCnnInfInr tn,
Slum conditions in the city, she en-
phaSiZed that the Government had
created the demand here for addi-
tlonal war workers, but still had not
taken sufficient steps to accommo-
date the newcomers after they ar
rive.
This idea was reiterated by Con-
rad Van Hyning. director of the
Board of Public Welfare. who said
there is need for legislative change
and for an appropriation TO take
care OF neWly-arrived war workers
until they can get adjusted
Other speakers on the program
were George F. Goodman. director
of the Washington Urban League:
Hugo Wolters, executive director of
Research Service of the Metropoli-
tan Area of Civil Defense, and Mrs.
Frank LinZel, chairman of the
Emergency Committee on Child
Welfare.
Typhoid Causes Concern.
In MS review of the health situa-
ton. DR.. Rutland named typhoid
as one of the major diseases trou-
bling his department.
"A break in the water mains and
the contamination of the water sup
ply system from the heavily in
fected waters of the Anacostia or
Potomac Rivers he said, might
easily cause widespread outbreak
of typhoid and other gastro-intesti-
nal infections. The defense meas
ures which are being taken now are
provision of emergency chlorination
to disinfect the water supply, the
boiling of water by the individual
householder. and the immunization
against typhoid now.
AT the present time the Depart
ment of Health is undertaking the
immunization of its employees. 1t
has also recommended that the stats
of hospitals be protected"
10000 Units Needed.
DR.. Rutland reported that present
estimates call for an additional 2l00
hospital beds to meet the situation
and recalled that this partly would
be taken care of in the Lanham Act.
AS another special need in the realm
OF public health he named mental
hygiene, which he said his depart
ment had requested for a number of
years.
Mrs. Hoffman gave a brief re-
port OF the work of the Housing
Registry, but added that unfortu-
nately its inspection work does not
reach down to the thousands of
rooms and dwelling units occupied
by low income white and colored
families" which she said were be-
low the minimum standards.
Mr.. Goodman, who based much of
his talk upon the labor situation in
Washington as applied to Negro
workers, said Americas task is two
fold-to put out guns, planes, tanks
and other materials as fast as it
can and at the same time keep up
Its spiritual program.
Plea for Negro Workers.
He made plea for Negro work
ers to be given a chance to work
for their own livelihood so that
they could solve their own prob
lens. Referring to reports that
more skilled labor was needed in
the District, he said he had sent
number of Negro carpenters to the
District Labor Council to get them
In touch with jobs and that they
had been turned down.
Mr.. Wolters called upon the
churches to take "a real offensive"
in the recreation in Washington,
remarking that the churches now
nave an excellent opportunity to
combine the spiritual with the
physical
Mrs. Linzel reported that day
care OF children was an initial
problem with her committee. She
said plans were under way for day
care centers and that these must
adhere to certain general stand
ards, among which she named care
and guidance similar to that the
mother would give and activities
which will be of value TO the child