The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-11-23

One hundred and two school di-
rectors of Wayne county registered
Friday afternoon, when the opening
session of the Fifteenth annual con-.
vention was called to order by the
President, R NJ. Stocker, at 1:45
o'clock in a few well chosen re-
marks. The first speaker on the
program was DR.. l. w. Howerth'
of Chicago University, Chicago, Ill,
who spoke on the problem OF PUB
lie Health" In part he said:
There are several subjects OF
common interest to us. You are
irving to change your school laws
and modify your system. We are
doing the same thing in Illinois. l
was the secretary of the Education
al Commission in my state, and l
know something of the work and the
difficulty of securing a modification
in the school system.
lone of the greatest movements
in Modern Education is the move
ment in the direction of a more con-
scientious and careful attention to
the welfare of school children. In
Massachusetts they have laws pro-
viding for medical inspection. In
Vermont they have similar laws. In
twenty states they are trying to Sc
cure such legislation. There is med
ical inspection in Philadelphia, Pitts
burgh, Harrisburg and Reading"
DR.. Howerth gave succinct ac-
count of the great plaques of his
tory, and of the manner in which
they were handled or mishandled.
Coming down to our own days, and
discussing the maladies that flesh
is heir to, he said among other
things:
"Our Dear Old Friend, Mr.. Fly"
Wherever there is an epidemic
of typhoid fever there is great ig-
norance on the part of the people
or great neglect on the part of the
authorities. Typhoid is not merely
caused by contaminated water. 1t
is transmitted by the house fly. AS
a boy | wondered why the fly was
created. / remember reading that
Martin Luther thought all things
were created for some beneficent
purpose. He came to the conclusion
finally, after much thinking, that
flies were created by the Devil to
annoy men with bald heads One
of the greatest enemies of the fly
has said swat the fly and swat him
early in the season." A single house
fly will lay 1928 eggs, and in sin
gle season will produce four sextil-
lions of descendants.
What To Do With Mr.. Fly.
"A little girl saw a fly on her
poor little fly. Nobody loves you
but God. / guess you'd better go to
God'-and killed the fly.
oChildran NAV inhprit DrpdiS-
position to consumption. Tubercul-
osis is a germ disease. Every sin
gle germ may be stamped out OF
existence by the application of in
telligence. Out of every ten people
who die in the United States, one
dies of consumption. There should
be no splitting in public places. II
consumptive spits in a public
place he may be the unconscious
murderer of other people. The di'
rectors should see to it that every
little school has a bubble fountain
See to it that the child is built up tC
resist the little germs all about US
You teachers ought to raise the win
dows every hour and let the chill
dren roam around the room.
There are some dangers
connected with medical inspection
But the child VINO comes TO Scnoo
with adenoid growths is handicap
ped in his efforts to get an educa
ton We call him duh child per
haps. And yet the teacher that call
a child a 'blockhead' is a block
head himself and oughtn't to be al
lowed in the school room.
I'VE have discovered that diseas
is not merely a visitation of tn
Deity upon the people for their sins
Wherever there is a disease, ther
is a cause.
See that the children have pur
water, pure food and fresh air
Travelling through Kansas, trie
in vain to find the cup to get
drink. / asked the porter "Wha
has become of the cup?" Il had I
put it away he said, 1--WE ar
travelling through Kansas" Yo
have to have your individual com
munion cup in Kansas to get
drink of water
Every child is public asset. III
is worth so much to society.
school director is a public servant
The director who pushes the move
ments looking to the health of tn
child-future generations will ris
up and call him blessed. Deyot