Evening star., 1943-05-07
House Inquiry
0nTubercuIosiis
Starts tuesday
D. 6. Subcommittee
To Sift Row in
Association Here

Hearings on the controversy IN
the District tuberculosis Association
will be held by the Public Health
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee at 10 am. Tuesday, it
was announced by Subcommittee
Chairman D'Alesandro.
Several witnesses will be called,
beginning with Harold H. Lund, who
resigned as executive secretary OF
the association; DR.. j. Winthrop
Peabody, president of the organiza-
ton; DR.. George C. Rutland, Dis
trict health officer; DR.. A. Barklie
Coulter of the Health Department
DR.. Herman Hilleboe of the Public
Health Service, DR.. Howard Payne
of Freedmen's Hospital and others
The subcommittee, it is understood
will go into the whole tuberculosis
situation in the city.
Officials Criticized.
Officers of the tuberculosis Associa-
ton headed by DR.. Peabody had
been criticized by Mr.. Lund for at
tempting to run ''vestpocket" Or
ganization with interlocking direc-
torate tied in with the District
Health Department and the Medical
Society. Members had no real par
ticipation in choice of officers, Mr.
Lund charged at a protest meeting
of members, who have appointed a
committee of five members to de-
mand the postponed annual meeting
be held soon, with opportunity for
nominations from the floor.
In the meantime, the Executive
Committee of the District of Colum-
bia Branch of the National Associ-
alton for the Advancement of Col
ored People adopted report on the
tuberculosis situation at its monthly
meeting. approving the investigation
by the House subcommittee. A re-
port, signed by Louis R. Lautier,
chairman; DR., Herbert Marshall and
George A. Parker, called on the
tuberculosis Association officers to
hold its annual meeting "at the ear
liest practicable date"
Want Bylaws Changed.
1t further favored liberalization
of the bylaws of the tuberculosis
Association in such way as to give
the members of the agency the
right to select the members of the
Board of Directors"
The meeting also favored Co
operation of the tuberculosis Asso-
citation with. but not subordinatior
to. the Health Department and the
District Medical Society, and the
establishment of the same relation
ship between the association anc
the Medlco- o-Chlrurgical Society as
exists between the association ano
the District Medical Society,""
Declaring that tuberculosis is the
outstanding health problem in the
District of Columbia the commit
tee report said that vital statistics
show that of 486 deaths from tuber-
culosiS in the District in 1912, 347
were colored as compared with 139
white, and of a total of 131 deaths
from the disease at Glenn Dale Sana
torlum, II were colored and 81 white
making a total Of GIT deaths from
tuberculosis, of which 424, or 68.T
per cent, were colored and 1913, o.
3l3 per cent, were white.
10000 Cases in District.
There are no adequate statistic.
on the number of people who have
tuberculosis in the District, but or
the basis Of 20 potential cases tt
each actual death. DR.. Ruhland es
Inmates that there are between
10000 and 10000 cases of tubercu
losis here the report said, adding
"Colored people constitute 20 pc.
cent of the population of the Dis.
trict, A considerable number of col
ored people contribute year afte.
year to the District of columbis
tuberculosis Association. Hence
colored people of the District have
a major interest in any organization
having for its purpose the preven
ton of tuberculosis, the arrest O
the disease and the rehabilitation
Of patients with arrested cases."