The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1901-07-18
FUNDS EXHAUSTED
On Payment Expenses Small
POI Gases Treated
MUST CURTAIL EXPENSES
Says Gov. Jennings to Officer POr-
ter, who in Turn Instructs Counties.

DR.. Joseph Y. Porter, State Health
Officer, has mailed to each Board of
County Commissioners throughout the
State, & circular letter containing the
following information:
Tallahassee, Fla, June II. 1901.-TO I
DR.. J. Y. Porter, Secretary State Board /
of Health, Jacksonville. Fla: Dear
Sir-Kindly call the attention of the |
, late Board of Health, which cOnVeneS |
in special session at Jacksonville to-
morrow, June IS. to the absolute ne
cessity for its radical action in greatly |
curtailing its expenses.
As you are aware the State funds |
available for the use Of he State Board |
of Health, have not only cen entirely |
exhausted, but have been largely over |
drawn to cover the payment of expens- !
eS resulting from the care of smallpox
cases during the past year. and the /
present Legislature mSde no appro- |
priatiOn FOR the expenses of the State |
Board o. Health during the interval
until the tax levy for 1901 shall be-
come due and payable, which will not
be the case for several months.
1t thus becomes imperative for the
State Board of Health to very mater
tally decrease its expenditures and
there seems to be but one possible re-
trenchment open for action The ex-
penses of the marith hne quarantine ser
vice is largely coveEed by fees charged
for inspection and ;disinfec on. The
O~uInary expenses Of the board, in
cluuIng the compensation of its Off
GERS and agents are administered as
economically as good service will per-
nit. The costtOf the care of smallpox
cases, / IEunderstanU, during the past,
has been nearly fOur-fifths of the total
heXpenses Of the board, and it occurs to
me lat retrenchment must be made
in this item of expense, not only as
being the largest expense of the board,
but also beca1se it is an expense which
until recently has been met by the sew
.eral counties in the case Of disease Oc-
fcurFiRg Wflhin their respective limits.
I it's tfTie SIT Gzptsf 4Sg5--of the
acts of 1899, approved May "a, was un-
questiOnably intended TO fix the ne
! ceSsary costs and expenses of the care
of contagious and infectious disease as
between the city. county ant State. and
required the State to pay such ex-
penses after the State had assumed
care of the same, but l do not read
into the law any necessity for the
State to assume charge Of sporadic or
isolated cases, and | suggest that the
State Board of Health notify the
mayors Of the larger cities and the
! County Commissioners of the several
counties of the State, that in the fu-
ture, certainly until the board shall be
| in funds, it will only assume charge of
cases of disease and become RESPONSE
BILE for attendant expenses only when
| the Safe Health Officer shall determine
that such disease is contagious and in
| fictitious, and a menace to the public
health of the citizens of the State. In
| other words, when such disease threat
ems to reach beyond tue control of
local authorities and before an cpl
demic threatening the health of the
State at large.
Please assure the State Board of
..ealth that l make these suggestions
because do not see any other ade-
quate solution of the financial difficult
les of the situation, and think that
very likely the next Legislature may
PASS some relief measure on behalf of
--e clues and counties, which are put
to extraordinary expense by the ne
ceSSities of the case,
Very respectfully,
w. S. JuNNINGS,
Governor.
Executive Office, State Board of
Health of Florida, Jacksonville, Fla,
July 10, 19O1.-TO the Hon. Board Of
County Commissioners: Gentlemen
The above attached copy Of letter
from His Excellency, the Governor OF
Florida, indicates that on account OF
extraordinary expenses connected with
the care of smallpox (sOme three thou
sand cases) in the State during the
year 1900, the treasury of the board,
more generally known as the State
Health Fund, has become exhausted;
therefore there is no money at the
command of the board by which cases
| of smallpox or other epidemic cOnta-
giOus diseases can be cared for, man
aged or controlled directly by the
board (as specified in Section 8, Chap
ter 1856, Laws Of Florida, 1899, at
public expense, until the tax levy au-
thorized by statute Is made and col
lected for this year.
| The State Board of Health is obliged
% require a more economical admin
stration Of State funds used in cOnnec-
ton with the management Of smallpox
than has obtained during the past year.
Over 5000 cases were cared for, at an
expense to the State Of about 5000.
This amount in the aggregate and
total may appear large, but consideredI
as per capita, $12 per case, must be
acknowledged to be exceedingly low
cost for care and attendance upon a
loathesome disease, (which ordinarily
covers period of sickness from four
70 six weeks.
The State Board a Health informs
you that in accordance with the sug-
gestiOn Of the Governor, it has direct
ed its executive oficsr to suspend the
payment Of further sexpenses for the