The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-02-29
PLAN WELL Received
Council Committee and Doc
tors Discuss Proposed
Health Law.
GOES TO COUNCIL MONDAY
Original Draft Of Ordinance Changed
to Meet Demands of Kenosha as S6s-
gested by Physicians and Interested
Citizens Present at Conference.

Members of the special committee
of the common council in charge of the
drafting of an ordinance for the re-
organization Of the board of health of
the city held an open conference at the
city hall on Tuesday. afternoon and
many people of the city, Including we'll
known physicians and officials, appear
ed and gave their opinion of just what
was needed in order to place Kenosha
In the front rank Of cities of Wiscon-
sin in the important problem Of TAX
ing care of the public health. AS a
result of the meeting the committee
on next Monday evening will send to
the council the ordinance Recommend
ed by Alderman W. T. Marlatt which
provides for the appointment Of a
health commission of five members,
the appointment to be made by the
mayor with the approval Of the com
mon council. This health commission
will have entire charge of the enforce
ment Of all health regulations in the
city.
At the meeting on Tuesday the mat
ter of the duties and powers of the
proposed commission was discussed
from many standpoints. The ordi-
nance which had been proposed was
found to be far from perfect and the
committee adopted many suggestions
made by the physicians and others to
improve the ordinance. Pertinent shg-
gestions were made by DR.. j. B. spald-
ing, DR.. P. P. NJ. Jorgensen, DR.. Helen
Harbert, DR.. G. II. Gephart, DR.. Bern
stein, Alderman N. J. Werner, I'll. E..
Bruner and others.
Much of the time of The meeting
which lasted for more than two hours
was taken up in the discussion of de-
tails in regard to the duties of the
proposed commission and the sugges-
tions brought out several matters
which will be incorporated into the
ordinance before it is presented to the
council on Monday. At TIE close of
the conference all of the members of
the committee present and the physi-
clans were agreed that tie ordinance
would bring to Kenosha a health com
mission which would be- Of greatest
value in preventing the spread of
disease and il bringing the hest pos
sible conditions for the advancement
Of the health and general welfare Of
the people of the city.
There was considerable discussion of
the cost Of maintaining health de-
partment under the proposed ordinance
and it was shown that an increase in
the expenditures of the city of less
than $4,000 would be demanded in or
der to give the city health depart
ment which would stand out as the
best in the state Of Wisconsin. Physi-
clans who discussed the matter declar-
ed that the saving to the people Of the
city through the operations of such a
commission would amount to many
times the cost of the maintenance of
the department.
IF the ordinance meets with the ap-
prevail of the common council it will
be possible to have it passed and plac-
ed in operation before the first of
April.
Members of the committee showed
to the people interested that the ordi-
nance had been given the hearty ap-
prevail of the leading health officials
in Wisconsin and Illinois and these
men had declared that if Kenosha
would adopt such an ordinance it
would attract to the city the attention
Of health experts from all over the
country.
The committee spent short time
discussing the question of the propos-
ed hospital for patients in the advanc-
ed stages of tuberculosis, but nothing
of definite nature was done, the mem
bers preferring to wait until after the
contest between Charles Wallig and
the committee had been settled by the
courts in one way er another.