Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-15
COMEDIES ENGLAND'S LEAD
UNITED STATES BEHIND NEIGH
BORIS IN HEALTH PROTECTION.
Views Of DR.. Woodward Of the Dis
trict Coincide With Those Of
Dr. osler.

DR.. William c. Woodward, health officer
OF the District, in q statement re-
Gently given out, state dthat high-class
medical or scientific men are hard to obtain
for health departments Of municipalities
or states because Of the lack Of induce
ments offered, and agreed with DR.. William
Osler, who in an address before the Path
illogical Society, in Philadelphia, Friday
night. declared that America Is far behind
England in the matter Of the public health
service.
In his statement upon this subject Dr.
Woodward said:
1T is, I believe, unquestionably true that
the administration Of the sanitary affairs
of the various states and cities of this coun-
try Is far behind the administration of SINH
lar affairs in Great Britain and continental
Europe. In the United States there is no
inducement whatsoever for young physi-
clan, engineer, bacteriologist or chemist to
enter into a minor position in a health de-
partment of a state or city, except the sal
airy attached to the position, and the most
desirable men, II they are well advised, do
not enter upon such work except from sheer
have now been eliminated from the health
department, the appointee has no certainty
that a change in the administration will
not not restore politics to their former posi-
civic ideals Of the party in power and not
upon legislative enactment.
Difficulties Encountered.
"And even where the established civic
ideals of the community are such as to
render tenure Of office for an indefinite
period reasonably certain, the chances Of
promotion are 80 slender as to represent
in the ordinary Office almost a negligible
quantity, and promotion depends upon the
occurrence of vacancies higher up, which
occur but seldom. Increased usefulness,
which comes to man from long experf-
ence In an Office, counts for but little when
1t comes to fixing his pay. Should a man
be disabled or lose his life in the perform
ance of his official duties, no pension awaits
MIN or those who are dependents upon him
for support.
when all these facts are considered, and
when 1t is borne In mind that experiences
In the health department Of a state or city
livelihood in private life should AS con-
nection with the health department be sew
cred. 1t is no wonder that the very men
who would reflect most credit on the serv-
Ice and who would accomplish most for
the community do not ordinarily take up
the work.
Efforts of Colleges.
Several efforts have been made by vari-
GUS universities in this country to establish
departments Of public health in which per-
sons desiring to be trained for sanitary
work could obtain the special education
which they sought The field of public
health work is however.so uninviting from
the standpoint Of salary, tenure of Office,
social position and opportunity for scientific
investigation that no university has ever
succeeded in organizing and maintaining a
department of this character
When people come to think as much of
their health and of the health of their
children and those dependent upon them
as they do of ease. comfort, personal APP
pearance. social standing and property in
terests, the organization and status Of the
sanitary departments of our states and
cities will be put upon their proper plane,
but it Is questionable whether they will
reach their proper plane before that time"