The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-03-24
FOR DEPARTMENT
Of PUBLIC HEALTH
SENATOR OWEN IN SPEECH "a
VoRS PASSAGE OF BILL TC
SAVE LIFE.

Washington, March 2i-lu speech II
today I'm favor Of the passag, of bill 4
by himself providing for
the establishment Of department Of .
public health, similar to the nine 9th
or departments Of the federal govern.
ment. Senator owen, Of Oklahoma. de- .
clared that while he was in favor Of .
the conservation of The natural re.
sources, Of the nation. the ,Onser- /
yation Of life of our people is Of far
greater importance. and the consorva. .
tion OF the vitality ana efficiency of
our people is a problem of the first
magnitude, demanding immediate in
tollgent attention
tie spoke against the bureau sys-
tom Of looking ont for tn" public
health. asserting that the question
was of such Great importance that it
could not be handled efficiently eX-
ccpt by a separate department with
powers as great as those now enjoyed
by any OF the other departments OF
the government
we have had bureaus for one hun-
drcd years" he said They are scat
tered ia eight departments. They
have been disconnected and without
coordination. They ever have been zeal
Gus of each other, the one nullifying
and hampcring the work of the other.
They have been without a responsible
head because Of this subdivision and
because the chief of the most impor-
tant of the bureaus. the surgeon-gen-
eral of the public health and marine
hospital service. cannot express an
opinion or give information until he
has consulted the secretary Of the
treasury"
The secretary of the treasury was
selected as "A cabinet officer. he ad-
ded. not because of his knowledge
of the public health but because he
was an expert on finance This gov
ernment officer. he thought should
not direct government activities in
lighting disease. lie declared that IN
the case of certain reports on the hu-
bonic plague on the Pacific coast tine
bureau dealing with public health was
easily suppressed by commerciallsm
and its supposed interests, putting In
ieopardv the national health. the nat
ional interests and the national wealth
and was required To withhold and sup
press the truth in violation OF section
1. of the quarantine laws
Under a subordinate bureau. coop
Grafton in the fight against disease l.
impracticablc, he declared. The bu
reau has not sufficient dignity OF
power In an emergency he continued
II has no national standing. 1t can
: not take the initiative, but must al
WAYS stand subject to the orders
of a secretary too greatly influenced
by mere apparent commercial and lis
cal interest
The bill introduced by Senator over
would coordinate into one workin'
body all of the various health agencies
or the government. 1t proposes n'
. new officers, except the secretary an'
. his assistant. and calls for no new
appropriation aside from the salaries
of the secretaries. II will provide
, "A number of efficencies, said Senate
/ owen. by preventing duplication.
Z. commercial nation, he said
should not be unmindful of the com
mercial value of the saving OF all liz
aud efficiency possible, which Il
. worth $4,000. 5000 per annum.
+ humane nation will not fail TO nc
when 1t is known that We could saw
, the lives Of G0O.000 Of our people an
!. nually. prevent the sickness of 5000
ooo of people per annum. who nov
l. suffer from preyontablc disease
The bill. he said. was in accordanc
with the earnest repeated desires o
the American Medical Association
which he declared was probably IN
lafccs, and most honorable associ,
tion of physicians and surgeons in th
whole world
senator owen quoted numerous ST.
tistic, m proof of the argument
. which he advanced as 10 the tmpo
tancc of the work that the departmcr
= would 1o called on to do, lie express
u ed the hope that action would be tai
en- ON the matter at the present Sc
sion
D Notice Of Sheriffs Sale Of Land For
T. closure.