Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-21

himself and be protected from diseases
which destroy his life. What has our
government taught along these lineso
Very little compared with what it mas
taught along other lines, Realizing the
Importance OF this negligence, both re-
publican and democratic parties in
c0rporated planks dn their national
platforms favoring measures that
would promote the public health. Since
those platforms were written little has
been heard about national public
health. Were these planks written in
good faith, or were they inserted as a
sort OF mental dope to soothe the
feeling or righteous indignation of our
true health and sanitary conditions.
Disease Kills More Than Battles.
STATISTICS compiled from the records
made during the civil war show that
for every man killed in battle three
were killed by disease; the same ratio
obtained during the Mexican war The
record of the Spanish-.American war
shows that for every American soldier
killed in battle fourteen died of disease.
This is horrible record for an INTEL
ligent and enlightened people, and could
be considered criminal because nearly
every one of these diseases is prevent
| able. In the recent war between Rus
sia and Japan the ratio is changed; for
every five Japanese soldiers killed in
battle one died of disease.
Had our government been as en-
thusiastic in preventing the diseases
among the living as they have been in
rearing monuments to the memory OF
the dead it would have been better for
our country. However skilled a me-
cllanic may be he can proceed no faster
| than the head workman makes 1t pos
sible for him to go, thus it follows thai
the individual state can go no fas-
ter than the government, of which it Is
an integral part permits it to go. L
| is estimated that the annual useless
waste of life in the United State.
amounts to one s1,5Oo,0oo,oO0, and We
when a volcano kills few thousand
people we think it is terrible.
Comparisons Of Appropriations.
In our own state we have popu.
lation in round numbers of two and {
half million people (2.231,S53.) Gu,
state has grown in wealth and prom.
inence until in many ways we feel tina
our people are no longer followers bu
leaders. Two important factors ar,
responsible for this advanceme nt
namely. opportunity and education. Ou
Opportunities are our natural re
sources, and include soil, water, min
erals and timbers. Our education ha
taught men how to get the most on
of these natural resources. Our pas
and present development has been at
tanned by the splendid men and WON
en- Of the state, but our future depend
upon our boys and girls. If they are t
carry on this great work they mus
be healthy and free from disease. Fo
this purpose the state of Iowa directl
appropriates $4,000, or a little NOR
than 2 mills per capita. AS far as
have been able to investigate there
no state in the union that appropriate
less per capita To teach the peopl
!. how best to develop the agriculture
. mineral and live stock resources Of tn
state, our last legislature appropriate
alone to the school of agricultural an
mechanic arts S1S9,500. We have $500
annually appropriated to equip an
maintain q state archaeological labra
tory. The object Of this labratory Is