The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-20
Aldermen Voted Last Night to
Investigate Proposition
BOARD UNANIMOUS FOR 1T
Several Members Spoke in Favor of Plac.
ing Institution on City Land Off the
East Montpelier Road--Money Ap-
propriated for Permanent Streets.

The first step toward the filling of a
long. g.felt municipal want in Barre was
taken last night at the regular meeting
OF the board Of aldermen, when, afte.
the matter had been suggested by City
Clerk Mackay and discussed, motion,
was heartily carried that the board of
health and the health committee be au-
/ thorized to investigate and report re-
garding local tuberculosis sanatorium.
This matter has long been considered in
the abstract and the advisability of hav-
ing an institution Of this sort has been
recognized always in the past score OF
years-yet neither the city government
nor other organization has seen fit to
| take the matter in hand.
When the city clerk brought up the
matter at the close of the regular busi-
ness OF the double session of city council
and board OF aldermen, the suggestion
struck a responsive chord at once. Clerk
Mackay declared that the spread of tu-
berculosis has continued in Barre, and
still no organized effort has been made
to stop it, children, as well as adults,
have been made liable to the disease;
earning capacities of men have been
either reduced or cut off entirely, while
at the same time the city has been
fighting other less serious diseases. Clerk
Mackay thought the city has plenty of
land in a good location which might
be utilized for a sanatorum.
AT the close of these remarks, Alder
man Brown expressed his full approval
of what had been said; and he reported
that while the board of health and the
health committee were looking for u
smallpox pesthouse last Sunday they
took occasion to inspect possible sites
for a tuberculosis sanatorium on the hill
overlooking the city farm on the East
Montpelier road. He said there were
ideal places for the location of such an
institution. with good air and. probably,
running water. He said that Health
Officer Jackson told him there are thirty
advanced cases of tuberculosis in Barre
at the present time the number OF
incipient cases was not stated.
Following Alderman Brown, Alderman
Dawson. the new member from ward
four, made his first speech before the
board and he showed Enthusiastically that
he is in hearty accord with the sugges
ton He asserted that persons afflicted
with tuberculosis are hastened to the
end by the fear of the disease, and he
thought that the mortality from it might
be greatly lessened by having an insti-
tuition where they might go and receive
treatment Many OF
those who contract the disease have not
~ ha narpH fpr
Alderman Rossi then showed his inter
est in the project by moving that the
board of health and the health commit
tee be authorized to investigate and
make report. Alderman Patterson sec
ended the motion; and it was carried
with more emphasis than motions are
wont to be carried by the board. In
fact, the entire board showed its thor
ough accord with the idea,
So it seems as If some tangible re-
sult Is likely TO follow this unexpected
of sentiment in favor Of re-
1ueing tuberculosis in Barre. From his
seat as a spectator, too. the city council
having adjourned, Mayor Thurston adj
tanced the suggestion that he had heard
complaint that the public schools were
rot getting as much attention along the
ines Of public health as the situation
All this talk, and the action, came
lfter Alderman Brown Of the health
committee had reported verbally on the
prompt move made toward placing the
mallpox case in the improvsed pest
louse at the city farm; and at the
conclusion of his report Mayor Thurs
on expressed the conviction that no
ault could be found with the promptness
Il the steps when once the matter was
to the attention of the council.
Aldereman Brown thought there ought
o be a regular pesthouse.
In this connection, it may be well 10
tate that in the council meeting Health
)fIicer Jackson reported that only twelve
ases of contagious disease were reported
\ January and nine in February. In
anuary the cases were: Cerebro spinal
Meningitis l. mumps 3, measles l, chick
npox ,. and whoopingcough 5, with one
cath from whoopngcough. In February
he nine cases reported were; Mumps
measles 2, whoopngcough 3, typhoid
ever /. In the two months there were
3 births and % deaths. as previously
pported in this paper. The report was
ccepted.