Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-01
Iowa
GUARDS HOGS; SBABES
Member Iowa Board Of Health Crit
cises Legislative Appropriation.
NO MONEY FOR HUMAN HEALTH
DR.. Eiker Points Out Men Are
Paid TO Protect Beer, but
Board OF Health Serves
Free.
From a Sad correspondentl

~ NNSAAN 20 ~ ohNrAe .
thousand dollars to establish a laboratory
for the manufacture Of hog cholera serum
that our farmers may get this serum at
actual cost; but not 1 cent to assist in re-
ducing the cost Of diphtheria anti-toXin
and other serums for the use Of our peo-
Pile" This is the criticism that DIT. b. L.
Eiker, a member Of the State Board Of
Health, deals out to the way the legis-
lstures OF Iowa have been looking after
the health of the people OF the state.
In a dozen or more ways by reading
through the proceedings OF the legislature
DR.. Eiker has discovered that this is a
state for hogs and cattle and even bees,
but not OF children. Like the woman who
found that II her husbands hogs got sick
the government would send an expert
clear from Washington, but II her babies
got sick she couldn't even find a bulletin
that had been printed on the subject; SO
DR.. Eiker tells the State Board Of Health
in a paper read before that body that
Iowa has just spent 10000 on a new
amphitheater from which the people can
keep track Of the horse races, but not /
cent for keeping track Of the birth records.
While the death rate among hogs and
cattle has been going down DR.. Eiker
finds that during the civil and Mexican
wars there were three died of disease
to every one now, while during the late
Cuban war there we're fourteen died of
disease to every one shot. He thinks this
is not very flattering to the progress and
enlightenment of the country.
some of His Criticisms.
Here are a few Of the things DR.. Eiker
has found:
"The annual useless waste of life in
the United States represents $4,000 900. 900,
and yet when a volcano kills a hundred
or so people we think it terrible.
ITO teach the people how to be healthy
the state has directly appropriated 5000,
or a little more than 2 mills each, while
to teach the people how to Farm 1t has
appropriated at the last session OF the
Legislature alone $4,000.
For a meteorological laboratory to pro-
tect the people from contagious disease the
last legislature appropriated $500 and for
protecting the fish and game $4,000
For hog cholera serum 5000 and for
diphtheria anti-toxin nothing.
AN inspector of bees who is to see that
they are healthy and properly cared for
was created. to be paid s. a day and not
to exceed $1,000 a year, while the MEM
bers of the State Board of Health serve
without compensation OF any KIM.
Fol the state entomologist to quarantine
against insects $1,000 and to quarantine
the people against disease nothing"
The fish, the game, the hogs, the agri-
cultural interests and the horse races all
have liberal appropriations, declares DR..
Eiker, but the people themselves and for
their education along lines OF health there
is no money at all. p
gu,.a.a a. Tuha--.Vaafa ES~ht
DR.. Eiker the proceeded to point out. to
the State Board Of Health that the state
had appropriated liberal sums for the
purpose of educating the people on the sub
ject of tuberculosis and had been SO sue
cessful that the ordinary citizen now knows
more about tuberculosis than physiejans
did a few years ago.
He declares that the same thing should
be done as to all other matters OF health
and he believes that it can be done as
successfully. He pointed out that nearly
every town of any size has one or more
J who are totally blind or deaf or both be-
! cause Of improper care. while they had
! scarlet fever. He declared that venereal
diseases are even more dangerous than
tuberculosis and that the need Of proper
education on the part of the people is
even more important and yet for these
the state does nothing.
Three lines of action were recommended
by DR.. Eiker as solutions to the problem
First he believes the State Board Of
Health should be reduced from ten tC
three members and these requird to devote
all thir time to the work on a proper
| salary.
Second, sufficient appropriations to allow
the State Board Of Health to carry on ia
work.
Third a system OF education similar tc
that used in educating the people on tho
subject OF tuberculosis.
Has Evidence Ready.
After the state board Of railroad finishes
its investigation OF the Indianola branch
of the Burlington, Gels BotsfoTd. secretary
Of the Commercial club. will lay before the
board some evidence he has collected
against the Cumberland branch OF the sam'
road.
Residents Of Cumberland say hat It take
them three days to get mail because th'
only trains on the road are made VI
principally Of freight cars.
For fourteen years the people Of Cum
berland have not had a regular passenger
Etrain,' said Botsford today.
School teachers from all over Iowa viii