The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-30


and energy. In Porto Rico. curtOusly
enough, only Indifferent attsntiOn has
been given 20 them. Tho organic law Of
April ~, 1870. contains no reference 10
health or sanitation excepting provision
for quarantine against imported diseases.
The Official aud public sOllOitiIde for
Americans visiting or resident In Cuba,
Panama or the Philippines does not extsnd
TO orr fellow citizens Ia Porto Rico. and
the incidental concern for the physical
welfare % the natives % the other couHs-
tries does not cover the Porto Rioans.
The census Of Iso0 quotes returns Of
doubtful trustWOrshinees showing the
average annual death rate % the island
from 1883 TO Isos inclusive az 9O.7 TO each
I 600 Of estimated population. The figures
are probably somewhat. aud perhaps
considerably. belowths actual. The rate
for the first year % American occupa-
ton was 3S.7. Tho hurricane Of 1880
and its consequences raised the percent
ago for the next two years to above 20
In 100. Later years show nuctuatiOn.
but a general Improvement over oondi-
tions OF the earlier years. From 77.A
In 1904 q rise 10 shown 20 3e.I1 In 1907.
and from that decline 60 the 20.0 Of last
year. The record in Cuba shows plainly
the result Of sustained activity and con-
troll. The rate there has for q number
Of years averaged about u In 900. OF
somewhat less than the rate In the United
States. The rate In the island over which
this country has had full control for more
than ten years 10 more than 20 per cent
higher than the rate In Cuba. where the
native people have been In control for
about half Of that term.
! Under the Spanish control little ofiicial
attention was given to health and SANTA
tion. In June. Ises. Brigadier-0eneral
George W. Davis. then Governor General
Of Porto Rico. issued an order creating
q hoard 81 health. the authority Of which
will extend throughout this department
and to which all local boards Of health
will regularly report An act Of the
local Legislature. approved by Governor
| Hunt on March 10, 1904. consolidated
three bureaus and created the Depart
ment 81 Health. Charities and Correc-
ton. The United States has imposed
upon Cuba an obligation TO spend several
millions 81 dollars annually for work
| in tho departments Of health and SANTA
ton The expenditures from the federal
treasury Of Porto Rico including special
! fund 81 about 80 600 for the treatment OF
ansmia. amount 90 little over 500, 600.
! A little more than one-fourth Of the in
sular revenues Of about 81 900 coo q year
is spent for education. and about per
cent. for health and sanitation. Com
menting on this Secretary Dickinson
says: -Education is desirable. but IL IL
% little Use To educate people 10 they die
before their information can he made Of
use to the country
Under the proposed organic law re-
viewed in these columns a few days ago
the matter % health and sanitation IL
/ made more important. A Commissioner
of Health will he a Cabinet officer at the
head OF a department Of health. The ball
provides that this Official may he and
II the ball IL approved he undoubtedly will
he IAN Officer % the army ~ navy ~ the
United states and Ma ior Bailey X. Ash
ford 81 the Medical Corps - the army is
indisputably the man for the place. HIS
services in the island cover nearly the
whole of the period of the American Occu-
patton. To him IL due the discovery OF
the Porto Rican uncinaria. or hook orm.
and most of the campaign against that
pestiferous parasite has bsen under his
control and direction. He knows his bIsi-
ness and he knows the island aud its
needs and IL esteemed and loved by its
Deople The estimated charge ON the in
sular treasury for the maintenance % the
central Office is sI3O GO This does not
seem 10 he enough Out Of that must
come the salaries % officers, clerks.
inspectors. chemists and other agents.
the expenses 81 the anRniia commission,
which last year amounted TO 81 $40: the
cost 81 examining boards for pharmacy
and medicine. the maintenance 81 q train
ing school for nurses; the maintenance
81 laboratories. and provision for the
various other agencies and processes
necessary for the proper conduct % the
WoTk
From an American point 81 view the
proposed system Is peculiar. Section
81 81 the bill provides that each munich
pality shall contribute rs per centum of
it's income for each fscal year TO the
support Of It's sanitary services The
entire island ia divided into municipalities
which include rural ~ well as urban
districts. The hill provides for the adj
ministration "a the local sanitary Affairs
81 each municipality by . local sanitary
Ofucer VINO must 10 luauueu DOCTOR
IL medicine aud Who la his Official ca pacity
shall he the representative 81 mo bureau
81 sanitation and under the immediate
orders 81 the director oG sanitation
The director is the president 81 the hoard
~ sanitation and charities and IL under
the immediate authority 81 the Commits
sioner 81 Health. The local officer 10.
under the new bill. made responsible In
his district for street cleaning and sprink-
ling. removal Of garbage and other waste
disinfection of public and private build
ings and places. and for the enforcement
81 all sanitary laws, ordinances and
regulations. both insulsr and municipal.
The provisions Of the proposed Law are
taken mainly from the Cuban code, under
which their value has been proved, and
from the sanitary charter 81 the city
Of New York. Some of the moro strin-
gent provisions says Colonel Jefferson
X. Kean. who had much 20 do with the
drafting 81 the law. were taken from the
New York charter