Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-10-03
CONGRESS CONSIDERS
LIFE CONSERVATION
NOTABLE ADDRESSES BY RIT-
TENHOUSE AND FISHER.
Both Speakers Dwell Upon the I'm
portance of Preservation of Human
Life-Not enough Care to Prevent
Disease of Middle Life.
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
indianapolis. Oct. 2.-E. E. Ritten-
house Of New York, speaking before
the National Conservation Congress
today on the subject of Human Life
As a National Asset" declared that
the conservation of human life should
Tbe the paramount issue of the Ameri-
can people.
Mr.. Rittenhouse said in part:
The first item in humanity bill
OF rights is the right to live To pro-
tect human life from needless des-
truction is the primary purpose Of
iorganized society.
Eve are not only reducing the
fertility of our race and also short
ening the span of life, but we are
permitting at least $4,000 Ameri-
can lives to be destroyed annually
which we could save by the applica-
ton Of simple and well-known sani-
tary and other precautions.
This is our real race suicide pro-
blem.
Eve have made progress in pre-
venting life waste but it has been
confined almost wholly to cOntag
ious or infectious diseases. At the
same time, the death rate from the
degenerative diseases of middle life
and old age against which we have
waged no war, has steadily increas
ed
I'VE are still burning the candle
furiously at both ends-slower at one
and faster at the other.
eve may felicitate ourselves upon
all of our past achievements, and at
the same time recognize the exces-
sive life wste that is still going on
and also recognize that evidences are
multiplying of race deterioration, anG
\ of our growing contempt for the va
lue and sacredness Of human life.
These conditions will not be ar
rested automatically. The problem
will not solve itself The people alone
can check this continuing waste of
national efficiency and vitality. Great
er efforts must be made to impres.
them with the facts and to arous
them to more effective action.
'.The economic loss is stupendous
but it is insignificant compared to
the misery, suffering, poverty, i'm
mortality and crime which result from
the needless sickness and premature
death from which the nation is now
suffering.
The public health service, local
and national, must lead in this life
saving work.
1T isthe primary function OF
the government to protect the lives
of the people from needless destruc-
ton; but it takes money to educate
the public and to run health depart
ments.
'In the last analysis, the war
against preventable disease Is a
struggle between the dollar and the
death rate.
Most of our communities prefer
high death rate to slight increase
in the tax rate.
There isn't an adequately financ
ed health department in the country.
Many towns have none at all,
some Of them are small cities.
Others have health boards with
out funds. Others mere perfume
tory health service.
"Some have advanced; many are ef-
ficient, but there isn't city in the
Union where the health ordinances
are properly enforcd. chiefly because
of lack Of funds.
"In neglecting our public health
service our people are trifling with
a most solemn duty
Every body should rally to the
support of the health service and join
in the educational campaign for
!. prevention.
!: The National Conservation Con-
: gress is especially adapted TO lead
; in this educational work.
Human life Is our paramount AZ
set. It's conservation should be yosr
paramount issue.
Professor Fishers Address.
Irving Fisher, professor of political
economy at Yale. today told the dele