The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-04-19
MAYOR WARREN'S
FIRST MESSAGE
Makes Some Very Excellent
Recommendations.

WIN Hic~h AASoAAJ HPPASFoN " ~fhA~SAAS'
The following is the full text of the
message OF Mayor T. w. Warren read
before the City Council on Tuesday
night:
To the Honorable Board OF Aldermen,
City OF Palatka:
Gentlemen
On assuming the office OF Mayor OF
Palatka for the ensuing year it becomes
my pleasure 10 outline TO your body my
policy so far as possible at this the first
meeting of the new term.
1t shall be my policy to enforce the
ordinances as ] find them so far as posi-
bic. Every ordinance was put on the
books with the best intentions and with
the hope that they would be enforced.
II some of them are not suitable 10 pre-
sent conditions they ought to be re-
pealed. II should hardly be expected
that we as officials should be placed in
the attitude OF determining which
should and which should not be en-.
forced. regard The city's business as
OF great importance, and shall at all
times give il the best thought and effort
that can; and / trust that the members
of your body will look at it with equal
sincerity. Many times in the past com
plants have been made that with a
membership of fourteen il has at times
been hard TO get quorum for the trans.
action OF the city's business. Ii is fire.
quently stated that the bulk of the bust.
ness OF the organization falls on few
OF The most faithful and active members
of your body. This is moi as il should
be. Each one of you was elected from
your ward in the hope that you would
make a good alderman and when you
accepted the office your ward then ex-
poets it OF you. Each ward should have
its, representative at each aldermauic
t=l1rts
meeting ,e d5aw your attention e J he
need OF some restrictive legislation on
the street shows. They evidently find
this a very profitable city in which to
exhibit, and they take away from here
enormous amounts of money for which
they in my opinion give no adequate re-
turns. They constitute menace 10 the
legitimate business OF the city as they
are run now.
! would call your attention TO the
need of a city physician. There are
several good reasons for such official.
First OF all he would be expected 10
treat the poor OF the city, who are at
present forced TO suffer 10 the extreme
before the authorities feel like hiring a
physician for them. Probably the most
important need of his services, however,
would be the quarantine and control OF
contagious and infectious diseases.
There is at present no syStematized
method OF doing this work. 1t has
been urged that this is the duty OF the
State Board of Health; so it is, but being
state bureau it is necessarily slow and
cumbersome in lis actions. And be-
sides, ii takes no action except in an ad-
visory way in scarlet fever or dyphthe-
ria, the two most dreaded diseases OF
childhood. And in the management oil
small pox it is difficult often TO get an
agent OF the State Board of Health here
until the need of one is almost past.
When small pox is in existence in sew
eral other points in the state al the same
Time HE State Board answers calls in
their regular sequence, and II takes
some time 10 get round. Another very
important duty of the city physician
| would be general supervision OF the
sanitation OF the city. His duties might
also be extended 10 include medical in
spection OF school children without
further expense.
Another matter that should have your
carly and earnest attention is legislation
requiring that meats, fruits and Other
food supplies Offered for sale should be
rigidly protected from flies and stree
dust. Ii is we'll established fact now
that flies are the carriers OF disease, es
peciaIIy tuberculosis and typhoid fever
along with other possible enteric dis
eases and it is just as much our duly tc
quarantine against them as any othe
source of infection. Even aside iron
their danger in the transmission OF dis
ease, the extremely filthy and wilt
habits of flies causes revulsion OF ieel
ing when we sit down TO meal ant
see them crawling all over il or know
they did crawl over it before, lis prepa
ration. The same can be said OF stree
dust. Owing TO the enormous amour
OF traffic on our principal bushes
streets, large amount OF the refuse !
pulverized into an impalpable ,powde
and fills the atmosphere, settling Oh
everything adjacent. These thing
render il just as mandatory that the loo
we eat should have the same protection
from it that is already given TO tn
clothing, hats and furniture that W
wear and use otherwise.
Isugge:t also for your consideration
the wisdom OF passing resolution ask
ing the State veterinary surgeon to max
visit to Palatka and examine all III
COWS that are furnishing milk TO tn
city and determine if they are healthy