The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-08


basis and under Federal control. uhdci
present conditions, figures may. be III
creased or diii'islled ~ y thc VIZ q III
stock market. 1
Case Of New Orleans.
.rhc 1'lmcs- Dispatch snys In m edi.
torial thut New Orleans has reduced Its
death rate to 10 iii the thousand. News
papers should look more closely into facts
before. making sweeping assertions, !
as 2soi. In 1880 IT, was, 2o.s1 and In
1900 1t was, 24,74. u Since then there has
been 2 marked decrease, and why? they
eTGlnde al deths tle clarity 81, hos e.
500, which represents tho i'lnntes Of
these institutions, and do not count the
deaths which last year numbered III "
It Is o5yo,,s tiat the death rnto enn Is
piucticod. !. have not the slightest doubt
that we have Iii the city Of I{1clinyld
to-day 100000 people, Putting tIs white N
pop,,latiop at e. 250. tho death l rn,s
1910. thut being for the year 1900, which.
as have shown was erroneous. In 1896
only 1922. We were also charged last
although wo were not credited with its
population. In the meantime the lowest
rate among tho l1egrocs--that Of 1907
was 2l30, and the hghcst--tliat Of 1000
Se 5 ThS fH hese fat sae 1s5
based upon an estimated colorcd popu--
lation of&s7,75O. A. population OF $4,000
would be ,fnirer than the present estimate
Of 5000, but do not believe that, the,
hold any more. ,lnloss buildings arc erected
In the uir. Y-e are cncompassed by three
small cities. resulting from tho overflow.
In this connection ! would quote from
q letter received from tho Census BIZ
estimated poplla ton of the cities Of
Norfolk and Richmond, will say that
*-' in the year 1902 an annexation to-
the city (Norfolll was made, containing
on the other hand. has had no annexation
since 1892 when It took In Leo District.
then containing not more than q hundred
people, t N u !, 81. ,l., ~
o56 as1 s snee then pena' on
$50. although it Is a%fact that within the
last five year.. c., since 1000 1865
houses have been built and connected
with public sewers, according to the rec
according to tho chief Of the fire dcpart-
mont, the number Of houses Of all de-
scriptions amounted to $3.50. This would
the building of about three
the census whereas in reality many Of
these houses are z flats aHand n represent
moro than the generally accepted average
1f five, persons to, a house ut Is Likewise
true that the der p n In washington
only SG6. while it added 1913 to Nor
'olk's population. Why should we not
Expand as she has done?
A Medical Centre.
in common with other, towns Of like
Size, Richmond Is medical centre and
receives patients from all over Virginia
md nclgRborng States. In the past year
,itals alone. Many come III from the
suburbs. The colleges and schools help
swell the list. althoughpweiar not. crcd-
ted with thc corresponding apopulatlon.
he penltentiary. All these deaths APP
oear against us In the Washington sta
.iStlcs.
adduce these points to show that It
8 useless for one man to be honest In
sending in figures If OTHER cities do not
observe the same. system. The results
initiate against the man himself as u
public official and against the city through |
diverse newspaper criticisms.
The death rate among the negroes Is
lcplornbly high but among the whites
he death rate is rs low as In any city
II the United States. and l. believe Rich
nond, to be as healthy as any city In
.he Union. 5,fj35 3,
" WC WISH .flplSokty " iECuuC- 4OuE
death rate, we must extend our city
limits and give more attention and
money to the care Of the negroes
They are herded together In ll-ven-
defy all laws Of decency and COM
mon sense, and fall an easy prey to
disease. OF the patients treated by
the physicians to the poor from 1909
were co|ored. The negroes come In
close contact with our children. and
the warfare waged against tubercu.
losls should begin among the coored
of the whites from this disease.
still insist that farm be bought |
or patients In advanced stages of tu-
'orcuosis, for tho elimination of the sick
viii do untold good. It Is possible to
cstran people from splitting on the side
'rcat the, and the germs arc disseminated
" the breath as well rs by expectora-
ion.
Be Followed Up.
With all due respect to tho bactcrioogi-
al department, we would say that tho
diagnosis Of consumptionanvnis nothing
he disease. II is, singular, indeed. to do
nand IN immediate appropriation for
he examination of milk, when the mpney
needed for u campaign
gainst tuberculosis has been asked so
. 4
| maintain that our actual death rate
s. not high, and must proceed from
many sources besides Impure milk. nut
vo stand in Imminent peril from tn
'crcuoss, which here In our own city
las claimed o,53S people in eleven years
III white and 1897 colorcd.
! cannot SEQ the benefits to be de-
lived from changing the organization Of
he health department.. The commission
would be quite independent, and rs 1t
would outlast two councils, It could
arely be voted upon., and L. mpetent
nombers could only be removed with
tfllculty.
My suggestion would be TO make The
Board of Health directly nnswerable to
ho Council, so that deficiencies of stat
nd routine might be promptly corrected.
l consider the present board competent
{ supplied with the necessary money ana
orce. Tho minutes OF tho Board of
lealth by no means represent our la bors,
Vc have met at all hours, and whenever
was necessary. but 1t was impossible
0 record many Of the meetings,
The Board of Health has submitted to
the Council lnnumerabe recommen-
datIons, which have been unheeded,
| suppose, for lack Of funds. While