The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-16
duSt a Word or Two
Of CdsUdI Mention

On Christmas Day a big esteddfod will
be held In Pittsburg at which the Pitts.
burg papers announce that choirs from
this city will compete. For the benefit
| Of our Pittsburg contemporaries we might
say that Scranton will not be represented
by contestants at the Christmas Day els.
teddfod. The singers OF this city and Its
vicinity have on several occasions partici-
pated In the musical contests in the
Smoky City and much money was ex-
pended to transport large choirs to that
place. The Pittsburg singers never re-
turned the compliment by entering con-
tests hereabouts. and for this and other
| reasons the local singers decided not to
enter in any Of the competitions at the ap.
preaching Pittsburg eisteddfod.
Secretary D. b. Atherton. Of the board
of trade, received letter yesterday from
Ray Stone assuring him that he will be
in the city next Monday to address the
board Of trade on the subject of good
roads. Mr.. Stone is the special agent and
engineer of the road inquiry division Of
the United States department Of agricul-
ture and his headquarters are at Wash
ington, D. c. He is considered one OF
the leading authorities of the country on
the subject Of good roads.
The board of health Of New York city
propose. II 1t can secure the necessary ap-
preparation. to appoint medical examiners
for all the schools-public, private, and
parochial--in New York, with q view TO
prevent the spread Of contagious dis
eases, especially diphtheria and scarlet
fever, among children. 1t Is the opinion
of the medical officers Of the board that
the greatest source of transmission Of in
co. and ;cao ~
children Is through their contact with one
another in schools. 1t is also believed that
material reduction in the number of
cases of sickness and death from conta-
gouS diseases can be secured by daily
inspection of the pupils Of each school by
medical inspector, and by ascertaining
whether children absent from school are
sick with contagious of infectious disease.
How would this scheme work in Scran-
ton?
Speaking of the Medical Record-which,
by the bye, is good reading for the lay
man rs well as for the practitioner-it
draws a pessimistic picture of the physi-
clan of the future, calculated to dampen
the ardor of Scranton's several dozen
young "medicos' who hope in due time
to add themselves to the more than three
score and ten NJ. D.s already in the local
field. Faith, hope. and charity healers,
mind, brain, and thought curers, hypnotic,
hydropathic, magnetic. electric, eclac-
tic. spiritualistic, human, and divine
workers of miraculous cures increase and
flourish II says, but the reputable phy-
sician walks to his dispensary class Tor
to his deadhead list of patientsl and treats
many who should be going to his own or
to his brothers office, and who will to-
morrow run off to "a divine healer and
leave a bank bill on his table in return
for the benefits they hope will come from
the laying on of hands,
@
Speaking Of public baths here goes for
resurrection Of the swimming pool at
Nay Aug park. 1t can be built in salts
factory manner for 5000 1t can be made
ideal for $1,000. Its maintenance would
be scarcely worth considering. The bene-
fits are SO many they can scarcely be
catalogued. The desirability need not be
discussed. We want it, We should have
it. We can have 1t. We will have it.
.
II, as the firemen claim, the Clarency
bill intended that each city's share Of
the revenue from the tax on foreign fire
insurance companies should be set aside
for the relief of disabled firemen, this city
could do many a worse thing than TO
stretch the law little and allow this
money to be devoted to the purpose for
which it was meant. Councils under
stand thoroughly how. on account of the
antiquated statute against civic pensions.
the trainers and promoters Of this bill
could not include It's real purpose among
its provisions and had to have 1t passed
with the verbal understanding that its
revenues should be devoted to pensions
for firemen. They can easily satisfy them
selves on this point and after doing SO
their only duty before turning over this
money Is to assure themselves that II will
be properly taken care Of.