Evening star., 1943-10-21
Commissioners
Adopt Mason's S
Ga||inger Plan
Will Ask Civil Service
To Revise Rules for
Duration of War
BY DON S. WARREN.


proposals Of Commissioner Guy Ma.
son for strengthening of the per.
sonnel and better care of patients a,
Gallinger Municipal Hospital.
Also, after a conference with
health and budget officials, the city
heads approved in principle the
placing on 48-hour work weel
many employees of Gallinger and the
District tuberculosis Sanatorium a,
Glenn Dale, Md, and perhaps some
at the tuberculosis Convalescen1
Home, Fourteenth and Upshul
streets NV.
In answer to the protests of hos
pital authorities over the time now
necessary to obtain Civil Service
Commission approval of job appli.
cants needed by the District, they
directed that negotiations be begun
with the commission on the possible
abrogation-for the duration-of the
present rule that District employees
must be taken from civil service lists
whenever eligibles are available.
Patients Being Moved.
1t also was revealed that tuber-
culosis patients now housed in the
wooden Gallinger buildings dating
back to Civil War days. are being
moved into the new tuberculosis
wards at Gallinger or to the Glenn
Dale institution.
DR.. Edgar A. Bocock, Gallinger
superintendent, said 10 of the "A
occupants Of the old building already
had been transferred and that the
remainder would be moved as soon
as practicable.
Col. Charles w. Kutz, the Engineer
Commissioner, was reported to be
prepared to have the old Civil War
buildings torn down as soon as they
are vacated
The Gallinger improvement pro-
gram entails the appointment of a
physician as deputy superintendent
OF the hospital. to be in direct charge
OF the professional personnel and to
serve as substitute for DR.. Bocock
whenever he is absent.
1t also calls for appointment of an
administrative assistant superin-
tendent, to serve as general manager
In charge of maintenance and op-
Grafton of the hospital plant and
the service of the nonprofessional
workers.
To Establish Positions.
In addition, the plan calls for the
appointment of an Office manager
an accountant and two clerk stenog-
raphers to work under the direction
of the administrative assistant su-
perintendent
Budget Officer Walter L. Fowler
was directed to prepare estimates for
these positions and to seek their in
clusion in supplemental appropria-
ton so that such positions may be
filed now instead of waiting for the
next District Appropriate Act.
The plan also includes proposals
for the prompt erection of a tenn
porary building to house the laun-
dry which would permit Municipal
Architect Nathan c. Wyeth to pre-
pare plans for the new building
and for enlargement of the kitchen
War Productions Board officials will
be asked for priorities for the con-
structionS work and for the replace
ment Of laundry equipment which
has worn out or broken down.
The Mason plan also provides for
the creation of a board of survey
consisting of staff physicians at Gal
linger to make periodic checkups
on condition of all patients in the
institution and to pass judgment on
all transfers of patients within the
institution or their discharge from
Gallinger.
Praises Program.
Under the new program the health
officer or the deputy health officer is
directed to visit each of the three
municipal hospitals at least once
every three Weel-s to check on the
care being given patients
DR.. Bocock said he thought the
new program fundamentally is eX-
cellent" and that if it were put into
effect in its entirety he thought it
would result in service at Gallinger
that could be regarded by every
Washington resident with intense
pride"
Meanwhile. Senator TYdings, Dem
ocrat. of Maryland. a member of the
District Committee, expressed the
hope that Commissioner Mason s
conciliatory letter to the committee
Tuesday would 60 long way toward
bringing constructive results out of
the Gallinger Hospital inquiry. The
Maryland Senator made this COM
ment:
Il was not on the subcommittee,
and I haven't read the testimony
I have heard. however, that the
alleged attitude of Commissioner
Mason before the subcommittee
largely induced the subcommittee
to recommend the drastic action in
the report
Attitude Generous"
Il have read Commissioner Mason's
letter and feel he has done wise
thing in taking the atmosphere of
contention out of the whole matter
1t would be pity if personalities
and personal antipathies were the
cause of any future action from any
quarter. Mr.. MaSon's conciliatory
letter states that if he has caused
any personal affront by his attitude
toward the subcommittee that he
did not so intend This should 20
long way to bring about the con-
structive work of putting Gallinger
Hospital on the plane We all want
it to achieve.
Mr.. Mason's attitude, as exhibited
In his letter. will be admitted by all
to be generous, for it took real big
ness for him to be so frank in his
desire to erase personalities from
the investigation"
Meanwhile, Senator Overton
Democrat, of Louisiana said that the
last time he presided over hearings
on District appropriations two years
ago we gave Gallinger all that was
asked for
Since giving up the chairmanshir
of the District subcommittee, Sena-
tor Overton said he has not followed
the details closely. but so far as he
knows t. hospital has been giver
sufficient money with which tc