Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-02
STATE BOARD OF
HEALTH CRITICISED
Or. Newton, Member of Body,
Says Aims Are Con-
flicting.

THE chief trouble with the State
Board of Health at the present time
is that it aims to be legislative and
executive at the same time" says
DR.. Richard Cole Newton, of Mont
clair. member Of the board. He
criticises the efficiency of the board
as at present constituted.
DR.. Newton's fault-flnding is not
directed at the other members of the
board. The matter, he contends, is too
important to be subverted to a merS
personal controversy. The Montclair
physician believes the power to en-
force the health laws Of the State
should be delegated to a single man.
We ought to have health commits.
sioner, to whom we should pay a
salary of, say, 100000" the doctor
declared. you can't get a good man
for a position like that unless you pay
him what he Is worth" He claims
that the one-man idea in respect to
conserving the health of the country
has been carried out with great sue
cess in England. There the school
teachers are instructed in hygiene
and as they become proficient in this
work In the schools, as well as the
other ramiflcations of health super
vision, are under the direct super
vision Of a single responsible head,
DR.. Newton says.
He advocates the providing of
money to conduct an efficient health
department, not through the Legis-
lature, but by a per capita tax levied
1a11 fr.. HI
says that per capita tax of 80 cents,
which with a population of $500, 900,
would bring $1,250,000, would not be
too much to ask from the people to
promote the health of the common
wealth.
State Needs Cleaning Up.
New Jersey needs a cleaning up
and it needs it badly the doctor
says. Take the matter of the
slaughtering of cattle The abuses
in this business are appalling. At a
meeting of the State board and the
health officers of the various munich
palities last fall, it was stated that
there are 300 unlicensed slaughter
houses in the vicinity of Trenton. If
there are that many of these places
in one section, how many must there
be throughout the entire State. If
the health department had had suf-
fcient inspectors it might be able to
control the Strengthening of cattle, but
we need at least 100 for this purpose
Alone At present the total number
of State inspectors is six"
He claims that the hospitals for the
treatment of tuberculosis that are
being established in number of the
counties should be under the super
vision Of the State Health Depart
ment.
The doctors conclusions as to the
reforms needed are the employment
of a health commissioner, who should
be appointed for six years, his salary
$4,000 per annum; he should be either
a physician OF recognized authority
in public health work and should not
be permitted to practise medicine or
have any other occupation which
might interfere with his duties.
Urges Health Council.
There should be created a State
public health council of seven MEM
bers, including the State commission
er of health, the commissioner Of
education, one commissioner or other
officer of the health department of
a city of the first or second class, to
be designated by the Governor. The
council should have power to adopt
public health regulations, but should
not have executive, administrative or
appointive powers.
The commissioner of health should
be charged with the duty of super
vising the work of all local health
authorities, and should be charged
with the enforcement of the public
health law. He would also give this
council authority to establish quail
fications of eligibility and conditions
for appointment of health officers in
towns and boroughs and to specify
the specific duties of these officers;
the employment of trained nurses to
act as infant welfare nurses, tuber-
culosis nurses, and generally, at the
request of the physicians, or health
officers. to visit the sick who are
otherwise unable to secure adequate
care. and to instruct other members
OF the households in the care of the
sick, and in the prevention of in
lection and disease.
ut is going to cost whole lot of
money to clean up this State" says
DIR. Newton, but it has got to be
done. The elimination of the mosqui-
tos alone would warrant the expend-
iture of a sum larger than that which
I have mentioned as the figure which
should be appropriated annually"