The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-17
DISCUSS PLANS
 OF HEALTH WORK
Dr. Nelson Elected President and Other Officers Reelected at Meeting
 Held Yesterday

The monthly meeting of the Education- al and Aid association of the Birming- ham health department was held yester- day afternoon. The officers not only en- tered into a lively discussion of the duties of the sanitary inspector to the community, but held the annual election of officers
 Dr. Robert Nelson was elected presi- dent, and the other officers were re- elected, E. NJ Duncan, vice president. J. I. Baty, secretary, and w. T. Johnson. treasurer.
 The association meets each month and discusses some branch of the department work, looking toward an improvement in the service. Among other things, the following paper was read by Assistant Sanitary Inspector ". R. Anderson,
 '-The Duty of the Sanitary Inspector to the Community
 "The duties of the sanitary inspector to the community are many. and are sur passed by those of no other officer. He, first of hll, should thoroughly post himself as to his duty, and the law governing the same.
 "He should go to the people as teach- CT goes to his pupils. with full deter imitation to patiently and thoroughly teach them what they should know.
 "He should be courteous. never for getting that he is gentleman: kind and sympathetic, remembering that it Is easier to rule by kindness than by force.
 Above all things he should be just, treating every one as nearly alike as pos sihle, at the same time he should be firm, insisting and seeing that his instruc- tions and orders are carried out.
 'He should try to make friends of the people in his territory. remembering that all men are presumed to be law-abiding until the contrary is shown.
 "A man who carelessly or thoughtless- ly violates a law is not a criminal and should not be treated as such.
 "The sanitary inspector should be a hustler. He should cover the territory assigned him thoroughly and not in spots. He should give all his time when on duty and take an interest in his work and the welfare of the people in the community in which he is serving.
 ''He should, if there be a public or pri- vate school in his community, keep a close watch over its patrons and take prompt action when any disease or sus- pected disease should show up.
 Another duty which I should have mentioned before is that he should be frank with everyone. If a person fails to carry out his orders he should first ascertain, if possible, the cause of sucn failure.
 With the few men which the health department has 1t is utterly impossible for the sanitary inspector to give the community the service it should have, owing to the large territory and the further fact that so few of our citizens are in sympathy with our work.
 'Our citizens need a sanitary teacher more than they need a sanitary officer, although l do not wish to leave the im- p1 ession that it is never necessary to make an arrest
 "The praise and the reward should not go to man merely because he makes a number of arrests. Arresting, as g. rule, does not leave as much respect for the law as can be obtained otherwise.
 "A sanitary inspector must remember that the community does not, when he makes a mistake, place 1t wholly upon him, but place their criticism upon the head of the health department, there- fore we must be conservatiye.''