Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-04-09
LOCAL DEATH RATE ONLY ONE PER CENT President Z. Orto of Board
 of Health Makes State
 ment to the City Council
 at It's Meeting.
SUIT TO ANNUL HELD TO PREVENT DISEASE
Warns Against the Deadly Mosquito and House Fly and Urges Proper |. Owners to keep Their Premises Clean,

In a letter to the city council last night, President Z. Orto. of the Pine Bluff board of health, declared tbat the death rate of Pine Bluff during the past year was only suggestions for the protection of your homes from disease and says the scarlet fever situation is now well in hand. His letter follows:
 To the Honorable Mayor and Councilmen of the City of Pine Bluff While it has not been GUS tomary in the past for the board of health to report to your honor able body, it seems to the under signed that a few words may be profitable; and having been hon ored with the chairmanship, by the members, he deems it his duty to make this statement
 Your board organized according to law and after having done so, it undertook to formulate rules and regulations for it's own government, and for the people, as we'll as the city. It was ordered by the board that these rules and regula tions should be printed, in folder form, and distributed to citizens in order that they might be referred to from time to time and become familiar to all. The accomplished secretary of the board must tell why this printing has not been at tended to.
 The board has been singularly harmonious in all it's deliberations and showing a commendable zeal in doing all things possible to pro- tect the city from preventable dis eases, and to cause the removal of all unsanitary and obnoxious con- ditions.
 Within the last twelve months a large number of scarlet fever cases have occurred in this city, all of which were placed under quarar- tine regulations. The death rate has been exceedingly light for this disease-not more than 1 per cent known to the writer-and we are pleased to state at this date very few cases are under observation.
 No contagious disease requiring quarantine, other than the above, has been called to our attention and, so far as we are concerned, we believe the whole city has been re- markedly healthy. Before closing this statement, I wish to say a few words regarding the want of coop eration on the part of citizens with the health board. There has been much chafing and in some cases al most open opposition to the neces- sary quarantine regulations, and 1t is believed that many cases of scarlet lever have developed from laxness and want of cooperation by citizens. The board of health can advise and can make rules and reg ulations governing epidemic dis eases and sanitary conditions which are binding in law, but it cannot assume the responsibility of en- forcement of the same, except in extraordinary cases, and without the cheerful and hearty co-opera- tion of every citizen it's efforts will be for naught.
 would ask every citizen to care- fully examine his premises and see if he is not the owner of an asylum for the propagation and healthful growth of creeping things, the deadly microbes, ever ready to en- ter your house, in a thousand diff ferent ways, but preferably and usually upon the feet, of that
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