Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1910-03-31

tect its people against them. Other
states are gradually rising to this new
conception, but Pennsylvania now
clearly heads them all, for in NO
Other state is the battle against the
common enemy being waged on SO
large a scale as here. The expert.
ment, therefore, is not only of ex.
treme Importance to Pennsylvanians
but as an example to the nation and
the world.
Does II Pay.
Naturally the people are interested
to learn precisely how the large sums
the state is investing annually in good
health is being spent; what are its
dividends, as measured in the actual
saving of human lives? Is Pennsyl.
vania a richer, a more healthy com.
monwealth now than 1t was four years
ago: Is the average citizen less like
ly to acquire a mortal 'disease-less
likely to die II he does acquire one?
In exchange for its generous appro-
| priations Pennsylvania has received,
first of all, a considerable reduction in
| its death rate. Not so many people
die here now as died in 1906 the year
when the new department began its
organized work The citizens of
Pennsylvania, especially its little chill
dren stand better chance than they
formerly did of reaching mature life
and a green old age. Mortality sta
tistics do not commonly furnish ex-
citing reading. but, when considered
from this point of view. they make
an emphatic personal appeal Thus,
in 1906 and 1907, the death rate in
Pennsylvania per thousand of popula-
tion was 165; in 1908. 1t had dropped
to 1877, and in 1909 to 1873. At first
glance this may not seem a remark
able diminution, but In a state with a
population Of more than 100000 even
fractional decrease is a substantial
gain. This appears when one figures
precisely what this slight numerical
drop means in the actual saving OF
human lives. Had the death rate OF
1906 and 1907 prevailed in 1908. pre-
cisely 55l9 more people would have
died than actually succumbed. Had
this same rate applied in 1909. instead
of the decreased percentage recorded
by the Bureau Of Health. just 1888
men, women and children now living
and presumably in good health and
spirits. would have rendered their
final tribute to nature. In other
words these matter Of fact statistics,
when interpreted in their real rela-
ton to the welfare and happiness of
the state, mean the saving to the state
OF 13,sO7 lives.
Human Lives as State Assets.
This fact has an immense personal
meaning for all people of the state
among these rescued lives might have
been your own, your wife's, your
child's; but they also have a value
which is measurable in dollars and
cents. The political economists now
recognize that the most valuable kind
Of wealth Is the human life-that hu.
man labor is worth at least five times
that OF all other forms of capital
Even the newly landed immigrant, ac-
cording to these investigators, has a
per capita value of $S75; that is. he
adds Just that much to the nations
capital. Professor Irving Fisher, Of
Yale, one of the foremost American
economists. has painstakingly figured
the financial value to the state Of
every citizen at particular ages. A
newborn infant, says Professor Fish
err is actually worth 800. while five.
year-old child is worth $3.50. From
this point on his value rapidly in
creases; at ten, could he be sold at
auction. his market value would be at
least $4,000; at twenty 1t would be
$4,000, and at thirty $4100. From this
point the average human being begins
to lose value. in proportion to his de-
creasing productivity, until at fifty,
Professor Fisher gives him a value Of
only $500. This same authority places
the worth of the average life lost by
preventable diseases at $1700. Taking
this as a basis the decreased death
rate In Pennsylvania for the last two
years represents a money saving OF
$22,641 300. The state. in other words,
is Just that much richer-has just that
much more available capital. For its
actual expenditure to date of $3,000.-
900. including a large portion for per.
manent improvements. 1t has taken in
more than s23,0OO,OOO. The earnings
of the new Department of Health. con.
sidered purely from the commercial
standpoint, thus represent dividends
of mere than 766 per cent in four
years.
What is the value placed by the av.
erage citizen upon his children's lives
not the financial value estimated by
the Unconditional economist, but the
worth in affection, good citizenship
and in all that holds the social organi-
zation together? Is it good business
policy to save the lives of children at
81 apiece? Is it paternalistic and So
cialIstic to protect them against dan
gerous infections at the rate of 50 per
head? That is what the state of Penn
sylV ania is doing now. This conserva-
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