Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-14
Health Officials Here
Push Drive 10 Close
|nsanitary Cafes
Dr.. Ashworth DiscIoses
Fifty Eating Places Are
On Blacklist

A campaign to close many small
restaurants among the Districts
1900 licensed eating places which
have been persistently violating the
Districts sanitary regulations was
being pushed today by Health De-
partment officials.
DR.. Reed Ashworth. director OF
food inspections, revealed yesterday
that so of the city's eating places.
mostly smaller ones. have been
"blacklisted' and are being sub
jected to CLOSE scrutiny" because of
laxity in preparing and serving their
food. At the same time he pointed
out that rs per- cent of the food
establishments here are complying
fully with health regulations.
DR.. Ashworth said these places
have been given an order to clean
up or close up and are being in
spected at least three times week
to see that they take immediate
action. He pointed out that fines for
insaniation have been costing eating
places an average of $4,000 month
for the past few months. and more
rigid steps to control the situation
are now being taken.
rianpower Problem.
Chief cause of insanitation in the
smaller places, DR.. Ashworth said, is
the manpoWer problem, with dish
washers particularly scarce. He
added that this has resulted in gen.
eral untidiness, including dirty
dishes, glasses and silverware, and
sometimes exposed garbage.
One solution to the problem. &C
cording to Dr.. George S. husband,
District Health officer, is being
made in attempting to get lunch
counters and drug stores to use
paper plates, cups and knives and
forks. The problem of cutlery and
china has been a constant head
ache for the smaller places, he
pointed out, but not so much with
the larger Establishments where the
manpower problem is not yet too
acute.
Robert Wilson, executive secre-
tary of the Washington Restaurant
Association, stated today that his
organization, together with the
Health Department, is petitioning
the War Manpower Commission to
allocate help to restaurants.
Despite the fact that many foot,
establishments here have been
| judged lnsanitary Mr.. Wilson as
serted that ION the whole we ale
beating the problem of sanitation
and Washington has the cleanest
restaurants of any city in the United
States"
Weekly Meetings Held.
Weekly meetings of a Board of
Health Committee. composed Of
representatives of all types of food
establishments. are being held every
Friday at the Health Department
All establishments, he said, are
being asked to act as their own in
spectors, besides the Health Depart
ment check ups.
Mr.. Wilson said the larger restau-
rants are not faced with the ne
cessity of using paper serving ma
terials at present, but that the
Civilian Supply Division of the War
Production Board has been asked
to release additional supplies to help
solve the problems of the smaller
operators.
In cracking down on insanitary
food establishments, Dr. Ashworth
disclosed that the Health Depart
ment has been bringing 10 to 20
cases week into court, where many
have been convicted. Some of these
violators have appeared in court
more than once and will have to
clean up now If they expect to stay
in business. he declared.