The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-19
Club Women Have Their Atten.
lion Directed to Need of Such
Federal Department
BILLS INTRODUCED
AT LAST CONGRESS
Secretary Wilson Fear. That Such
an Establishment Would Sc
riously Interfere With Work of
Department of Agriculture


ciety at its meeting in San Francisco
attended by Dr.. +. NJ. Rossiter Of
this city. is something in which club
women the country over are taking
an interest and whose esta blishment
they are urging. Mrs. Q. G. Ellis OF
Tacoma, who is chairman of the SAN
itation and home economics commit
tee of the General Federation II
Women's clubs, believes that such "A
department would be of distinctive
service. not only in dealing with dis
ease epdemics in communities in va
rious sections of the country. but also
in providing a cleaner and better
food supply.
Need Better Laws
While there are some federal laws
OF merit, she does not think that
they are nearly stringent enough and
says that not only must more IRON
bound laws be passed but immediate
steps taken to prevent adulteration,
misrepresentation, or the incorpora-
ton of harmful substances In the
food and drug supply sold to the
nation,
The company of medical men in
session in California, says Dr. Ros-
sitter. were strongly in favor of a
government depa rtment. which shall
concern itself with the health of hui
man beings, sanitary problems an1
tho solution Ct the problems present
ed by typhoid, tuberculosis and other
diseases.
General Sentiment
That there is a general sentiment in
favor of the adjustment of such
department is apparent. At the
last session of congress several bills
providing COR the esta blishment Of a
department or bureau of public
health were introduced. 1t is rec
osnized that under existing condi-
tions case Of hog cholera in Kan
sas Is of more importance than ten
deaths of men and women from ty-
phoid fever somewhere else. because
there is government inspection UNI
der the bureau of animal husbandry,
and because one case of hog cholera
unless properly dealt with. might
cause the spread Of the disease
through some other drove of pigs,
anu lpuS mean Il serious money loss
Sick Hog More valuable
While human being has a certain
earning value and his death may
cause d total loss to his family. imam
cialy speaking, unless he carries life
insurance, in the eyes of the govern
ment he is not worth, economicaliv
as much as sick hog. People. with
pride of race in them. think thai
man ought at least to be raised tpl
The level OF the hog. Except in the
case of yellow fever, and except IN
such instances as that now presented
by North Yakima, when govern
mcnt physician is sent out, as a re-
suit of a specific call from COM
munity, to deal with health matters
the government has taken no active
interest i'm this phase of the wei
fare of the nation back of L. 1t has
for some years concerned itself with
tuberculosis in cattle but has not yet
dealt in any comprehensive way with
tuberculosis in the human.
Meat Inspection
Meat inspectiin is of course step
not go far enough is apparent from
conditions right here in North Yak
ma. The federal inspectors examine
only such meat as is sent from state
to state. If the federal law Is sup
plemented by adequate state laws. all
is well. If there are no state laws.
people buying meat raised in the
state are in the same boat as North
Yakima. They have to take their
beef and mutton and their pork on
trust, hoping for the best.
support to BE Asked
North Yakima club women will he
called up to support Il number Of
laws looking to the betterment Of
food conditions to be introd iced at
the next state leg islature. 1t is not
unlikely that their support will be
asked for the establishment OF this
federal bureau of public health.
Such bureau meets with opposition
from Secretary James Wilson of the
Department of Agriculture, who fears
that it will take away from his de-
partment some of its features. In
deed. one of the bills introduced
"a lleQ IoI l0e TRANSFER 10 the bureau
public health of all departments
AMI bureaus belonging to any de-
partment, except the Department of
War and the Department of the
Navy, affecting the medical, surgical,
biological or sanitary service or any
questions relative thereunto," and for
the transfer specifically of the Blu
resus of Entomology Chemistry and
Animal Husbandry Of the Depart
nent of Agriculture. To this MIR.
Wilson is emphatically opposed, ar
guing that this wholesale transfer
would put over into the new depart
ment such subjects as the biology ~
plants. the enforcement Of the food
and dru~s act and the inspection II
meat. MIR. Wilson says he thinks .
public health bureau a good idea hut
be wants his department lot alona