Evening star., 1947-03-04
District Heads Favor
Aims Of Hebert Bill
For Alcoholics Clinics
By George Kennedy

Lie DlSGTlCG SOIlIIlSSlOIl6TS Ia
vor the objectives" Of the Hebert
bill which would provide clinics fos
rehabilitation of drunkards, Com
missioner Guy Mason today told
the subcommittee of the House
which is considering the legislation.
Commissioner Mason suggested
two changes. One, that clinics es-
tablished under the bill be under
the supervision of the Health De-
partment rather than the Depart
ment of Corrections as the bill now
proposes. Two, that the special tax
on liquor sales in the bill be aban-
doned in favor Of a provision such
as Congress wrote into the day
nursery legislatjon-that q sum mot
to exceed $3.50, 900 should be spent"
each year for the purposes Of the
bill. +
Representative Miller, Republican,
Of Nebraska, chairman of the COM
mittee, closed the hearings after
Mr.. Mason,s testimony. He said the
committee would meet early next
week with interested persons from
the municipal government and the
courts to decide on revisions in the
draft.
DIR. Duryea Favors Bill.
DR.. Lyman c. Duryea, director of
the Research Council on Problems
of Alcohol, New York, said:
IT think this bill is very good. 1t
is a marvellous opportunity for the
District to do an outstanding piece
Of work that is not being done any
where in the country"
DR.. Duryea also suggested that the
clinics be under the Health Depart
ment rather than the Department
of Corrections.
Asked by Representative Deane,
Democrat, of North Carolina if the
medical profession had not been slow
in taking up alcoholism as a public
health problem, the witness answer
ed that it had, and added that the
American Medical Association and
the American Hospital Association
are becoming aware of their neglect
of this problem
He said that a survey of public
health officers of the Nation made
by his organization disclosed that
alcoholism was more serious health
problem than tuberculosis in their
communities.
Narcotics Clinics Cited.
DR.. Michael M. Miller, psychi-
artist, spoke of the Federal clinics
for narcotic users, and added that
I'VE are willing to spend money on
a problem (opium) that is really
China's problem, but unwilling to
spend any money on our national
addiction"
DR.. Leopold Wexberg, psychiatrist
who conducts the Health Depart
ment's alcoholic clinic at the Force
School on Massachusetts, avenue,
said that it would be safe to say
that the clinic is helping SO to so
per cent of the alcoholics voluntarily
attending.
IT do not mean they have stopped
drinking entirely, but they have
adjusted themselves socially in their
jobs and with their families"
He questioned whether clinics
could be so successful with alco-
holics sent there by the courts.
obviously" he said, the alco-
holic who makes the required ap-
pearance at the clinic and has his
drink of whisky after, would not be
a good prospect for psychiatry."
Witnesses Urge Action.
James v. Bennett, director of the
Federal Bureau Of Prisons, a nem-
ber of the committee which drafted
the Hebert bill, pointed out that
every witness has said that some
thing should be done.
Much of the basis of crime" he
said, "is in alehelism. It costs 81 200
4 year TO keep such criminals in
penal institutions when you consider
ell costs. This is not a cure-all, but
it is an opportunity to reduce these
costa"
AS to whether the clinics should
be under the Health Department or
the Corrections Department, he sug-
gested striking any directions as to
this from the bill, and leaving it to
the Commissioners.
"They might work with an ad-
visory board consisting OF the heads
Of the Health, Corrections and Wei
fare Departments" he said.