Evening star., 1943-06-28
DR.. Parran Asks
Speedy Action
On SIun Report
Other D. 6. Leaders
Call for Measures
In Health Menace

In Health Menace
Speedy action TO improve health
end sanitation conditions in the
District, along the lines recommend
ed yesterday in the -worded
D'Alesandro report, was urged today
by DR.. Thomas Parran, United
States surgeon general.
Other Government and civic lead
ers also joined in demanding the
corrective measures" which the
report warned must be initiated i'm
mediately if serious threats of epi-
denies here are to be eliminated.
Report Warns of Dangers.
Climaxing a several-months-long
investigation by the Public Health
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee, headed by Representa-
tive D'Alesandro, Democrat. OF
Maryland. the report warned of Sc
rious health dangers here, estimated
at 50 per cent of the Districts resi-
dents live under slum conditions,
and recommended nearly two dozen
steps AS remedy.
Most of the recommendations were
directed toward tightening regula-
tions dealing with venereal disease,
providing additional low-rent public
housing to replace existing insani-
tary slum dwellings, and greatly ex-
tending services of the District
Health Department.
Among those calling for action
was Representative Plumley, Re-
publican. of Vermont, whose March
81 speech on the House floor charg-
ing insanitarv conditions here led
to the investigation which produced
the report Senator Capper, Re-
publican. of Kansas and Harry Wen
der. president of the Federation of
Citizens Associations, also made
statements commencing the DIAL
esandro group
Rutland Halls Report.
DR.. George Rutland, District
health officer, who. the report said.
must display more aggressive ac-
ton in the solution of public health
problems" hailed the D'Alesandro
committees recommendation that
appropriations for public health
work here be virtually doubled from
the present S1.20 per capita.
OF the District Commissioners,
who were sharply criticized at sew
eral points in the report. only Com
missioner Guy Mason was available
today. He refused to comment.
Chairman Randolph of the House
District Committee, who ordered the
investigation after Representative
Plumley made his charges, indi-
Gated the District Committee would
meet some time this week to take
formal note of the subcommittee
recommendations.
Findings Called Vigorous.
DR.. Parran described the findings
of the D'Ale5andro committee as
the most comprehensive, vigorous
and interesting report I have ever
seen come from a Congressional
committee on health conditions in
the District of Columbia"
DR.. Parran made only two excep-
tlons in indorsing the report in its
entirety.
He deplored the subcommittee
criticism Of lack of aggressive ac-
ton" on the part CT DR.. George
Ruhiand. DISTRICT health officer, and
said that he regretted the D'Alesan-
dro groups failure to suggest a spe-
clflc remedy to the insanitary
housing problem.
Sought Action for Five Years.
Dr. Parran said he knew that DR..
Ruhland has agitated for five years
or more to secure a competent sani-
taly engineer" appointment of
which the report recommended as
one Of the first needs in meeting
local sanitary problems.
In recommending more aggressive
action by the health officer" DR..
Parran said, 1T should be recalled
that recommendations from the
health officer in Washington and in
other Jurisdictions must be approved
f5y layers of higher authority before
being released to the public
The surgeon general indorsed as
"ouite accurate the subcommittee
statement that insanitary housing is
a greater menace than violation of
food and drug laws. He said. how
ever, that the report failed to sug-
gest an equally specific law to deal
with it
WPB Cited as "Obstacle."
Commenting on other sections of
the DAlesandro report, DR.. Parran
laid some of the blame for the Dis
trict's venereal disease problem at
the door of the War Production
Board
For many months. the WPB was
the last remaining obstacle to secur-
ing urgently-needed quarantine
hospital facilities, the lack of which
Is partly responsible for the great
increase in venereal diseases re-
ported by the committee" he said.
DR.. Parran added that several thou
sand "selectees' in Washington are
not taking their proper place "A the
armed forces because they have
failed or refused to seek cure of
their infection.
He further said the committee
appropriately pointed out that pri-
vate employers are doing much
better job to protect the health of
employees than is the Federal Gov
ernment.
Flumley Thanks Group.
Representative Plumley congratu-
lated the D'Alesandro subcommittee
on the "thoroughness and efficiency
Of its investigation.
"A lot of people undertook to take
me for ride down the alley because
I called attention to the insanitary
conditions in the District" lie said
in letter to the subcommittee.
The facts which you find with
respect to the situation. as evil
denced by your report, substantiate
the charges I made.
Il think your committee has per-
formed very worthwhile service
which, of course, will not amount
to anything unless the necessary
action is taken to enforce your rec
i