Evening star., 1944-08-22
Clinical Service
Plan Supported
ByWitnesses
High Dividends Paid
In Health, House
Committee Is Told

SVO1 lCS Vi LlkSA OlV1OCAlS4S Ala tAAC
health of workmen, in production
and in reduced absenteeism that
have resulted from health programs
adopted by industrial concerns were
outlined today to the House sub
committee considering provision Of
clinical services for Government
employees.
DR.. Victor q. Heiser, medical con-
sultant to the National Association
Of Manufacturers, a witness before
the Civil Service Subcommittee
headed by Representative Randolph,
Democrat, of West Virginia, de-
clared health programs in industry
are paying dividends that go beyond
dollars and cents.
Measured In Lives.
Such programs, he said, "are meas
ured in lives and hours saved on
the home front, and in victory
itself" and predicted the experience
should bring a robust postwar
health to America such as it has
never before known"
A large electrical goods manu-
facturer, he said, cut accidents 30
per cent by serving snacks of good
basis foods between meals. A mill
ing company in Alabama reported
a 10 per cent production increase
due to nutrition program. An
other company gave $500 employees
a free pint of milk during daily re-
cesses with a resulting 30 per cent
decrease in accidents, increased pro-
duction and lessened absenteeism.
DR.. Heiser reported a NAM sur
vey OF 2,064 plants employing more
than 100000 workers in AZ States
showed institution of health pro-
grams had reduced accident fire.
quency by A per cent, occupa ton
disease by 81 per cent, labor turn
over by ~ per cent and absenteeism
by 20 per cent.
Defense Workers Aided.
Also during this mornings hear
ing Col. A. j. LAMA, chief Of the
occupational hygiene branch of the
Office of the surgeon general, ex-
planned that the War Department
now has an industrial health pro-
gram for employees in 900 war plants.
He suggested these programs
would be continued in the postwar
period, particularly at air bases, and
Chairman Randolph said his bill
would not interfere with such exist
ing health programs.
Support for the proposed pro-
gram was contained in three let
ters read into the record. They
came from DR.. w. A. Sawyer, medi-
cal director of the Eastman Kodak
Corp: DR.. C. D. Selby, medical
consultant of the General Motors
Corp. and Ned H. Dearborn. vice
president of the National Safety
Council.
An enthusiastic Endorsement of
program to protect the health of
Government workers was voiced by
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, who is
employe relations adviser to the
Treasury Department. Mrs. Doyle,
who is president of the Board of
Education, but was speaking today
as Treasury consultant, stressed the
benefits that would come from a
program to safeguard and improve
the health of Government workers.
Approve Randolph Bill.
General approval of the aims Of
the Randolph bill was voiced by a
number of witnesses appearing be-
fore the committee yesterday after
noon. These included DR.. Thomas
Parran, surgeon general of the
United States Public Health Serv-
ice; Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines of
the Veterans Administration; Dr.
Verne K. Harvey, medical director
of the Civil Service Commission
and Dr. Carl Peterson. secretary of
the Council on Industrial Health of
the American Medical Association.
DR.. Parran stressed the impor-
tance of the use of micro films for
chest X-rays to detect tuberculosis
and suggested that this service as
well as some others might be con-
Quoted from central agency in
stead OF trying to set up separate
services in each building. He and
other witnesses said dental prophy-
Tactic services should be included in
the program.
Gen. Hines described the Ran
dolph bill as very worthy" but
urged amendments so that the con-
troll be left with the head of each
major Government agency. He
protested there had been a ten
dency in recent years toward over
tapping of administrative controls
The bill provides that the services
be established only on recommended
tion by the Civil Service Commits
sion after consultation with the
USPHS.
Would Pay Costs.
DR.. Parran said he was not con-
cerned whether the csc or the
USPHS had the final authority. He
said he thought the programs would
Just about pay for themselves in
reducing absenteeism and improving
health of workers He estimated
roughly the cost might run to about
cent day per public employe. He
pointed to the common cold as the
greatest single cause of absenteeism.
DR.. Peterson said he felt the bill
should include definition of type of
service that is to be provided, that
the Government services should be
related to those afforded by the
community, and that emphasis
should be placed on preventive med
ical techniques. If the program
operates along such lines, he said he
felt the medical profession would
support the plan.
On this point, DR.. Parran said he
regarded the plan as one that would
supplement rather than complete
with the work of the private
physician.