The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-03-19
HEALTH BUREAU
STRONGLY URGED
Bill Soon to Be introduced Is
Backed by Associations
and Physicians.
WOULD SAVE NATION BIG SUM
President Taft and Senator AIdrich
Busy with Financial Legislation
Observation-Disclosures Favors
Central Bank Scheme.

Busy Win Financial Ie9tSidIoU
Observation-Disclosures Favors
Central Bank Scheme.
Washington.-Congress is to be
asked before long to pass bill Gre
ating what shall be called National
Bureau of Public Health. 1t is urged
that great associations and thousands
of individual physicians are anxious
the government shall take cognizance
of the necessity for a more adequate
system of guarding the health OF the
American people. Time and again
suggestion has been made that there
should be department of health with
a chief who would have place in the
presidents cabinet. 1t is not likely
that congress for years to come, at
any rate, will sanction the creation OF
such department of government, but
it is likely that health bureau OF
some kind before long will be estab-
lished.
1t must not be taken for granted
that Uncle Sam does not do anything
to look after the health of his nephews
and nieces The Marine hospital serv-
ice is efficient. and it is aided in Its
work by the medical corps of the army
and navy. The American Health
league is petitioning congress to es-
tablish a National bureau of health,
and il is asking the people to back up
its request.
! Plea of Health Officers.
In communication recently put out
from its New York headquarters. of1-
Gals of the bureau of health. say:
Responding to general demands for
such scientific check to the prevent
able diseases and deaths that are now
known to cost the nation $500. 000,.
900 in life and labor each year. off,
GERS of this organization are making
every effort to have law speedily
made of their recommendation, which
was contained in the platform Of the
three leading parties in the last pres
idential campaign and which has been
advocated by leaders of every political
faith since that time. President Taft
has Just assured representatives OF
the American Medical association and
| American Health league. they declare
| that he is heartily in favor of this
plan. If the people of every section
of the land will declare themselves or
this vital question in the next few
weeks. it is asserted Uncle Sam soor
may be persuaded to give the same at
tention to the physical welfare of hu
man beings that he now does to thai
of sheep, cattle, hens and hogs"
The friends of the plan for health
bureau under government control say
that the bureau is particularly neces
sary to warn the people of this coun
/ try "of the dangers that menace theil
vitality in the most common walks o
everyday life." Then the American
Health league says that it is callini
attention to drugs as well as diseases
Declaration is made that numerou
forms Of drug habits are becoming
more prevalent everywhere in tn
United States than people realize Thu
dangers of cocaine. morphine and OPT
UNI are pointed out. and it is said tina
vigorous efforts which are being mad
to control and minimize their sal
ought to have the sanction. the back
ing and the aid of government bu
reau.
While physicians are trying to &c
government recognition of the nee
of federal safeguards for the healtl
of the nation, sociologists are tryinl
to get Uncle Sam to establish wha
| for lack of a better name they cal
Laboratory of Criminology. Tn
subcommittee of the committee on il
dietary has Just reported favorably
bill which appropriated a sum Q
money for the establishment of sue
laboratory or bureau. 1t is not tn
intention of the lawmakers, If the
pass a bill of this kind, to make tn
bureau a large affair. What tn
friends Of the measure want is t
have appointed three or four specia
lists in criminology who will max
deep study Of the causes of Grim
with a view of finding out If it is nc
possible in some way to bring to bea
the preventive measures which are s
much better than cure measures.
II Crime l Disease.
Some people &c so far as to say ths
crime in many Of its forms Is di
ease. A great many people admit tia
crime is frequently committed by pc
sons who are the victims OF circun
stances and who are not impelled
crime by what may be called rel
criminal motives. II congress sha
establish bureau CT criminology, II
experts will study living conditions I
the people. the effect of poverty ar
liquor drinking on crime. and mar
other subjects which may shed hgl
I