The mayor's advisory committee on communicable diseases Sunday urged that a replacement be found "as soon ! as possible" for the late Dr. W. P. Gardiner, director of the city health department until his death last Dec. 29.
Describing the situation as urgent, the committee asked that a permanent director be appointed or a hilly qualified person assigned to head the department on a temporary basis.'
The committee, In a statement signed by Dr. William J. Mogabgab, chairman, also asked that the health department be given a suitable budget so its programs may be developed.
Mogabgab cited the city's No. 1 ranking in the United States in incidence of syphilis and contamination of Lake Pont-chartrain as "two obvious and very i iL symptoms of
lack of forceful effort" in the health area.
"Without a qualified man in this position it will be exceedingly difficult to organize or expedite a program for control of syphilis or correction of contamination of our lake or to strengthen all of the other activities expected of a modern city health department,J> the statement said. j
. "Nf; i city i
ami point of exchange for In-
4 epi-
;
"Tourist trade Is an important business and nothing is more disco ;■ the latter
than a reputation for poor public health facilities."
The petent
individuals qualified in public health and -dicine
practices : .ind in this
area.
It is also state-
ment, that such a person must be given a salary commensurate with his knowledge anc authority
him to perform the necessary functions.
"It is ti
realize that an effective health department is as important as a polj
'■><:■■ - ov/;:' /..■;■■■;:■/■■'; :: .:■■/■'.•■ ;.;;'::^t^;!':; The committee said Dr. Gardiner - ,uite a
while" before his death and that the city has been without a her. tor for several
months
Members of the committee, in ad'
.■:.\-i.:.■.■..:'■; ;^DSv%:v:\::; -.;.■ "!.■-....;.,-f""',; Dr. C. C. Haydel. Dr. Edward
• R .' monj and Ivor Trapoliiu
