Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-02-02

TO spare no expense. Ana SO ne Went
for the hog. and 1t got wel.l It wasn't
cranky for the government to do
this. and it could AFFORD the expense,
for the hog could be turned into ham,
sausage and bacon Anybody, even a
fool could see that It would be cranky
for the State to save the life of a
little mother and it could not afford
it, either.
The moral drawn from this story
by the man from whom got 1t was:
BE a hog and be worth Saving" You
may draw your own moral Now,
while the background of this story is
laid in Indiana, the truth of whatever
moral may be drawn from it applies
with equal force in other States, in
Guiding the State of West Virginia. To
us all it suggests, at once, some per
tinent questions: Is the life of fat
hog Of more value than the life of a
little mothef? Is it good business"
to protect the health Of the people :?
Wnat is Of more Importance, men or
money? Which is better, to prevent
an empidemic or to build a. sky
scraper? Should the health of the
citizen be of any concern to a COM
munity? Does civic health really
count as civic wealth?
The Pocketbook Test
Let us first use the pocketbook test
I feel / owe an apology to such an
audience of noble high-minded men as
see before me for even putting this
matter before you in the selfish light
| in placing human life on SO low
plane as to try to show its CONNER
cial value. However, on the other
hand, nothing is be despised that
| Eliminates our minds to the absolute
need Of keener sense Of our civic
responsibility. But at all events, !
shall hurry over this part, that neither
pays a compliment to you, nor gives
satisfaction to me.
Anone who had the stomach to
stand the task, could bring reams o.
paper filled with statistics from every
i land in Chpistendom to demonstrate
this part of the thesis: that bad
sewage, bad water, bad housing and
bad air are species of indirect taxa
ton upon your business interests not
only as taxpayers, but by their effect
your output Let me take one explicit
Iexample however, to make the matter
clear. / choose an illustration from
| the experience of the city of Pittsburg
with typhoid fever in 1906-1907.
The epidemic was caused first by
lack of pure water, supplemented by
lack of attention on the part of the
city authorities until commercial and
civic organizations, realizing the
| frightful economic loss and the loss
Of prestige to their city, awakened to
| the situation and forced attention to
j the matter. a Sx.
/ Having chosen his example let US
put it on the, low ground of values
lost in money and to commerce. In
1906 Pittsburg had 5,729 cases OF
typhoid fever. OF that number sos
died. It has been estimated that the
leverage income of each of the sos
people was $500 annually. That an
nual earning capacity represents a
capitalization of $1,000 at per cent
If we multiply that capitalization by
1908 then Pittsburg lost in income
l$152,400 annually,saOr what cores
ponds to an earning capacity on 81,
$4,000 in capitalization in single
year. This is the loss for single
year, remember. If the average age
of the sos victims was arrived at, and
we would then figure on the expecta
ton Of their lives all sacrificed in q
great measure because of a lack OF
Civic duty, the economic loss to the
city of Pittsburg in number of years
would be simply appalling.
IA
Now to this loss add the frightful
loss to this same city of Pittsburg
from the white Plague ESTIMATED
recently by one Of its leading special
lists at 100000 annually and we
can easily say that Pittsburg has been
losing an earning capacity from pre-
ventible deaths by two diseases alone
of over 100000 annually. That rep
resents a steel plant capitalized at
1900, 900 earning ten per cent of its
capitalization. Now ask you, mat
should happen if the citizens of the
great city of Pittsburg were through
some agency to awake to the fact that
they are actually losing annually a
material, tangible steel mill costing
5000, 900, and paying 100000? Can
.Iyou conceive Of them sitting idly
down and making not the slightest