Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-15
Job Transfer
Squabb|e Goes
ToCify Heads
Health Department
Offers 20, But
Lowe Wants 40
By Miriam Gutenberg

The Commissioners today were
referees in a tug Of war between
the city's health department and
the General Administration De-
partment over how many health
employees should be transferred
to the newly-created housing
Setup.
The Commissioners already
have decided that part of the
stating of the new housing unit
in the Department of Licenses
and Inspections should come
from the Health Departments
Bureau of Public Health En-
cheering.
The Health Department last
week said it was willing to give
up one supervisor and II inspec-
tors. But it was told to go back
and look again, basing a new
estimate on the past perform
ance of the SO employees in pub
lie health work.
Lowe Demands 40.
The Health Department came
back with a total of 20 employees.
The issue was drawn today when
General Administration Director
Schuyler Lowe said he thought
about 40 of the So should be
transferred.
Commissioner Renah F. Cana
lier told his colleagues at their
board meeting that they had to
leave enough to handle the job
or public health would be jeop-
ardized. He insisted on imme-
diately summoning top health
officials to the District Building.
His colleagues agreed.
There was an ironic twist to
the subsequent presentation.
The Health Department ball
was carried by William Cary, jr.,
director of the Bureau of Public
Health Engineering, who has
been offered first chance at the
job of boSsing the new housing
unit. Mr.. Cary has not yet said
whether he will take the job,
but he put up a fight today to
protect his Public Health Blu
reau.
withhold Decision.
The Commissioners withheld
the decision until they have had
more figures presented to them.
Commissioner Samuel Spen-
Ger, at the outset of the argu-
ment, made it clear that because
of the District perennial per-
sonnet shortages, the Health De-
partment would not be satisfied
that it could carry on as well
without the staff withdrawn for
the housing unit, and the houS-
ing division would not feel it
had enough inspectors, either
regardless of what the Commits
sioners decide.
Mr.. Lowe pointed out the
problem will be alleviated if the
Senate restores some of the re-
quested jobs deleted by the House
Appropriations Committee. He
said the District was asking for
restoration of 20 of the 80 jobs
destined for housing but cut out
by the House Appropriations
Committee, and the restoration
of all seven public health jobs
also cut out by the house unit.
Fears Gripping.
Acting Health Director Fred
erick C. Heath told the Com
missioners that if they made any
further reduction instead, it
would so cripple the department
that it would not be able to
carry on its work.
He said a study made before
the merger of all housing was
even thought about showed that
in the Public Health Engineer
ing Bureau 40 per cent of the
time of supervisory employees is
now spent on housing and 81
per cent of the time of the in
spectors goes into housing.
DIR. Heath said that Is en-
ployes of the bureau cannot be
considered up for transfer be-
cause of their specialist activities
and four would be transferred
anyhow because they are attached
to the board for condemnation
of insanitary buildings. That
leaves "a engaged in general in
spection work. which includes
housing, DR.. Heath said.
The Commissioners focused on
the Is who the Health Depart
ment considered could not be
touched. Included in this group
were nine specialists, the di-
rector, two secretaries and two
clerk-typistS.