Evening star., 1953-06-25
Where 10 Put Addicts
Raises Big Problem
For City Officials
GoIIineer Facilities
Held Too Limited
For Narcotics Cuses
By Miriom Gutenberg

The problem of hospitalizing
the Districts dope addicts had
city officials going in circles
today.
A bill to compel their hospi-
talization. beginning six months
from now, was signed by Presi-
dent Eisenhower yesterday, but
the President made it plain the
District would have to take care
of them.
Both the President and the
Budget Bureau rejected the idea
of sending them to United States
Public Health Service hospitals,
under a bill now pending in
Congress.
The Budget Bureau, in for
mally opposing the bill for hos
pitalization at the Federal mar
cotics institutions, said it would
help the District work out an
alternative program.
The Star asked the Budget
Bureau what was the alternative
with these results:
/. A Budget Bureau spokes-
man said that, on the basis of
conversations with Commits
Sioner Samuel Spencer, he felt
he was correct in assuming the
Commissioners had an alterna-
tive plan.
2. Commissioner Spencer said
he had conferred with the
Health Department and had in
formed the Budget Bureau the
District would make alterations
at Gallinger Hospital to take
care of up to SO addicts there.
3. Health Officer Daniel L.
Seckinger said that, when he had
talked to the Commissioners, he
had meant that a ward of Gal
linger's much criticized psychia-
trio department could be reno
waited to hold the addicts for a
few days while they were wait
ing transfer to the Public
Health Service. He said he
never talked with them about
anything but temporary Gus
today and thought they under
stood that Gallinger had neither
the facilities nor the personnel
for long-term care.
Nor was that the only source
OF confusion in the wake of the
Presidents signing of the long
sought, widely-sponsored hos
pitalization bill.
The other question: How did
a simple measure, intended to
let the Public Health Service
hospitals accept patients COM
mitted from the District, become
cause celebre involving what
the Budget Bureau referred to as
this impact on Federal-State
relationships?
Enabling Act Suggested.
Representative Miller, Repub-
lican. of Nebraska, sponsored the
original disqualification bill.
When it got to the Senate Dis
trict Committee, United States
Attorney Leo A. Rover suggested
that it would need an enabling
act for the Public Health Service.
He explained that the Public
Health Service could accept VOL
untary patients and addicts con-
victed of crimes, but there was
no provision in the Public Health
Service law to provide for hold
ing addicts committed under this
new civil procedure.
DR.. Miller agreed to introduce
the companion measure. Ac-
cording to DR.. Miller, the Public
Health Service asked him to
make it apply to commitments
from all the States as well as
the District. In fact, he said,
the Public Health Service
drafted the measure.
But before a House Commerce
subcommittee yesterday, DR.. G.. |
Halsey Hunt. assistant surgeon
general of the Public Health
Service. read a letter from We'll |
fare Secretary Oveta Culp Hobby
asking Congress to defer action. !
DR.. Hunt testified that the de- /
mand for care of addicts coming
(See NARCOTICS, Page A-30 !