The Washington times., 1907-03-17
, COMMISSIONER MCFARLAND.
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(Continued from Fifth Page)
grievances. those who have personal
ambitions which may be served, are
very apt to take up any new criticism
of Washington, however fantastic or
far-fetched. IL it is only made sufh-
cfentlv sensational in its statement. OF
course. the great majority of the in
telligent people take no such view. but
they are silent while the others are
noisy II the results were as academic
as such criticisms, we could AFFORD t0
smile Mt them, but, unfortunately, at
times much harm has been done and
stin more harm may be done.
Death Rate Decreasing.
Take; for example, statements which
have been made about our sanitary coz
dltions, which have made washington
out 10 be one of the unhealthiest cities
in the country. They have ignored the
fact that the general death rate has
steadily decreased since 1873 from 25.29
10 1920 under the measures taken by
the Commlssi ners. by Congress. and
by the community through legislation
and executive and civic cooperation.
steadily carried on year after year with
full knowledge Of all the conditions and
full appreciation Of all dangers. They
have ignored the difference between the
white death rate. reduced from 1923 10
1915 in that period, and the colored
death rate. reduced from 37.57 to 2S.a.
They have not stated that the white
death rate is better than that Of twenty
i've cities OF over 100000 population hav-
irg chiefly white people They have
not stated that the colored death rate
Is less than the death rates among other
large colored populations, or that we
have the largest colored population of
any city in the world.
While stating that we have 2 high
death rate in respect to certain diseases.
they have omitted to state that we
have low death rate in respect TO
other common diseases; claiming that
we have a high infant mortality, they
ignore the high infant mortality else
where and omit all reference to the fact
that statistics on this subject must de-
pend on the number OF births as well as
the number of deaths, and that the
former has been everywhere an uncer-
tain factor which we now hope to make
more certain in Washington by our new
registration legislation on the subject.
Efforts Are Unceasing.
The efforts to improve the health con-
ditions of Washington have been re-
markably successful. There has been
no let-up in those efforts. There will be
none. The most important investigation
sof its kind ever held in the United States
has just been completed by the Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service at
the request of the Commissioners, made
last June. and will give us new light
as to local health conditions, upon which
we shall promptly act. During the last
Congress we obtained much additional
legislation and some additional employees
for our health department, and by add
ing to our health regulations and by the
enforcement Of the law and regulations
are every year gaining ground. II is no
new and suddenly discovered problem
Every effort has been made 70 get the
facts and to improve the conditions. In
view Of what has been done and is 70
be done. We can safely continue to in
vite people to settle and invest in Wash
ington; students to come to its univer-
stiles, and other institutions of learning,
and visitors 10 It's attractions In this,
as in other matters which are frequently
the subjects Of adverse criticism, we are,
on the whole as well of as the average
American city. and, in certain respects,
better off than most of them. Every
where there are complaints against the
assessments. troubles in the school sys-
TENS. and more or less dissatisfaction
with every one Of the municipal ser
vices. We have less OF these here than
in most American cities.
Opinions Always Differ.
Naturally, there will always be COM
plants as 10 that great housekeeping
undertaking. with infinite details, which
we call municipal government. Since
II Is administered by men who, however
honest, may make mistakes. and since
II deals with men and women with all
the qualities of human nature, com
plants must be expected every day,
some Of them just. some of theIs Un-
Just, but all valuable as criticism. Take
the matter Of assessments, depending
upon the judgment of men, which must
always differ, and you will find every
where disagreement; or take the dis
tribution of public improvements,
which, however equitably made in pro-
portion to population and taxable val
ues, will never be satisfactory to all
sections or the municipal territory.
Both these things have been done here,
/ believe, as fairly. and certainly as
honestly. as anywhere in the world.
But there win always be differences Of
opinion about them.
Suffrage Threatens Evils.
Certainly all our problems and trou-
bles put together do not justify upset
ting the form of government and re-
storing suffrage. 1 speak now as a
citizen who has lived here practically
all his life. who is in office involuntar-
lily. and who expects to live here after
ne leaves office, and who knows. even
though he was too young to remember,
the conditions from which the National
Capital was rescued by the Compact
Of 1878" That compact ended the long
neglect Of the National Capital by the
National Government, and ended the ia
reference Of partisan politics with our
municipal affairs. The assumption by
the National Government of half the
cost of maintenance and relinquishment
OF the suffrage are absolutely linked
together, and to them. together with
our own efforts. are due the unex-
ampled progress we have made since
fc Of