The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-13
But Supporters, Because of
the Prejudice in Congress,
Are Finding Their Path a
Very Thorny One.
DEATH RATE OF u. S.
COULD BE DECREASED
Agricultural Department Has
to Enforce Pure Food Law.
But Is PoWerIess With the
Questions Involved.
palladium Specially


Washington, May l3.-Congress has
always approached the creation of a
new department of the government
with cautious deliberation. 1t is pre-
JUDGED against such projects largely
in the belief that they tend to increase
the payrolls and because scattered ap-
preparations for bureaus in different
departments do not bulk so largely be-
lore the public eye as when combined
Consequently the American Medical as
ISOLATION and the other advocates of
the Owen bill which creates the DEPART
ment of public health are not finding
It's path as smooth as they would like
Yet, as the necessity for such a depart
ment is obvious and the demand is
practically unanimous. there is little
question that eventually this or some
similar bill will pass. 1t is claimed
that 100000 people die each year and
100000 are sick from preventable
diseases 1t would appear that con-
servation of their health and lives is
as important as that of an equal num-
IVA VI la III
Would Not Infringe.
Without infringing on the duties and
functions of the states health de-
partments, it is recognized that there
are many matters requiring handling
on large and extended scale and Of
ten involving states rights, jurisdic-
tons and responsibilities that require
federal supervision. Those bureaus
now engaged in such work are accom-
plishing much within their limitations
but it is often delicate task to deter
mine Their scope and powers especially
when their functions clash or their
work overlaps, as is often the case.
One of the anomalies presented is the
charging of enforcement of the pure
food law upon the secretary of agri-
culture, whose department has other
wise nothing to do with the questions
involved. Congress did this because of
the fact that the department of agri-
culture was the only one which had a
bureau of chemistry equipped for the
purpose. Otherwise the work would
have been intrusted to the department
of commerce and labor, the depart
ment of the interior, or the treasury
department, any of which would be
more suitable.
What Society States.
On this point the brief of the Ameri-
can Medical association says: '1ndi-
vidually the present bureaus and other
sanitary and medical agencies per-
form their ordinary functions salts
factorily. but with such lack of coop
Grafton as to greatly mar results, while
in the emergency of epidemics or in
dealing with vast interests where the
strain of commercial pressure falls
upon them, they almost unfirmly fail
or are greatly crippled in their SAM
tary functions. This is the history of
even so strong a movement as that
of the enforcement of the pure food
and drugs act.'
At present eight of the nine cabinet
officers employ medical men and all
departments have medical and sani-
tary problems to solve. The war and
treasury departments are now cross
ing and duplicating their work in Porto
Rico, Cuba. Panama and the Philip
pines. The war, navy, treasury and
agricultural departments all have
large and important laboratories de-
voted to medical and sanitary prob
lens.