The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-11

MONEY NOT SPENT But Lent
Whom It Is Paid Out for saai-
tation, He Says.
All Depends Upon the Interest
Of the Citizens.

New York, Dec. 11.-"Public health
is public utility. A dollar laid out
in sanitation is not an expenditure,
but loan. which will be returned an
hundred fold" declared Surgeon Cen
era1 Rupert Blue Of the United States
public health service here today, in
an address before the Association of
Life Insurance Presidents.
ANY municipality, state or nation
can have public health If it will but
pay the price," continued the surgeon
general. The most needed reforms
in public health administration are
greater cooperation among public Of
ficials, the employment of full time
workers, establishment of labora-
tistics and the setting aside of suf1-
Gent funds to accomplish those
things
1.-THE future Of sanitary administra-
ton in this country depends upon the
interest which the citizens take in its
development. There is no better in
dex Of the state Of civilization of a
community than the manner in which
it approaches its public health prob
LENS. There is still much room for
reform In the sanitary administration
of many states and municipalities In
our country, and not the least impor-
tant duty devolving upon the health
of officials Of this nation is the educa-
ton of the general public to the end
| that sanitary reforms will not only be
accepted but will also be. earnestly
sought for.
Take Long Chances.
"The feverish energy In sanitary
matters which characteristics the gem
eral public in time of epidemic soon
gives way to lethargyl and indiffer-
ence to public health matters. The
average individual is willing to take
q chance of contracting q disease
| when it seems long way on, and it
Is only when 1t IL close upon him and
in spectacular form that he >appre-
ciates it's danger. A single case of
leprosy in city will create wide
spread excitement, while q thousand
case of measles, which in their final
results are infinitely more dangerous,
are permitted to occur without re-
mark.
Results of the past decade Of sani-
tary activity have been to prove that
| practicable, and this prolongation has
i; been largely brought about by Inn
provement In sanitary administration.
The time s-a1s not long st6Oe paa6ed
! when the public health official who
| boldly pointed out the needs for sani-
tary Improvement in the factories of
! a wealthy corporation endangered his
| position. To-Day, such criticisms are
| &ldOly received ana promptly acted
upon. The efficiency Of human ma
chinery is quite as important as the
! efficiency Of the other machinery Of
| the factories. and the realization of
| this fact has resulted in an extension
| OF the powers and duties OF the pub
lie health authorities.
The Sanitary Machine.
The sanitary machine of this coun-
] try is vast organization, reaching
| from the White House to the hum
| blest cottage in the United States The
| day has passed when by individual
brilliancy battle against disease foes
may be won without regard to the en-
gagements which are going on all
| about us. We live in an age in which
efficiency is the slogan. We have
learned from oft-repeated failure and
| sore disappointment that in sanitary
work as in all the other efforts of the
human race, the greatest good can be
| accomplished In the shortest space of
time and with g. minimum expenditure
| of funds and labor by q concentrated,
| cooperative effort
| ''It is the great glory Of the period
| in which we live that we have recog-
| nized our responsibility as our BROTH
ers' keeper. That public official who
brings physical salvation to his fell
| low man has gone q long way toward
the promotion of the moral welfare
| and general happiness of the COM
! munity. The worker in the field of
| sanitation does more for the moral
| uplift of the nation than any other
official agency"