Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-03

Public Welfare Committees
Statement Followed by Live
IY Argument.

The report of the Public Welfare
COMMITTEE which was read at the
meeting of the Board of Health last
night caused lively tilt. Along with
the report, the committee. which is
carrying on the infant hygiene work
in the city, presented bills which the
board finally passed.
Proposed appointments of two
nurses were referred to the Public
Welfare Committee for investigation.
Miss Amelia Al. Raccpsta and Miss
c. I. Clafiin are the two young ladies
named for the positions described in
the nomination of them as teachers
of infant hygiene. The salary at
tached to the positions is S65 a month.
| The motion to refer the appointments
| to the committee of the board was
with the idea of determining if they
have been residents of Newark suffl-
GENTLY long to justify their appoint
ment. While they are temporary ap-
pointments, they will eventually come
under the civil service law and must
conform to the requirements of the
Civil Service Commission.
+! DR.. Theodore w. Corwin read the
report of the work done by the Public
Welfare Committee during August,
| September and October, which aroused
the ire of some of the members, who
wanted to know why the report had
not been submitted to the Board of
Health DR.. Corwin said he under
| stood that it was to be rendered to
the board, but none was received.
The report contrasted the death rate
of babies under three months for all
| Newark of I'll per cent. and the death
rate of babies treated by the infant
| hygiene workers of s per cent.
! DR.. George L. Warren protested
| against such a report being read to
the board. saying that the COMPARE
son was not fair; that the public well
| fare committee is taking care of well
babies, not sickly ones. Commissioner
Timothy f. Foyle wanted to know
why the report had not been sent to
the board. 81 for one refuse to ac-
cept this report in any way" he said
| What kind of people are these? Do
| they have to be taught to conduct
their affairs property"
| A letter signed by DIR. Laban Den
mis-, Emily Hamblen, Jerome T.
| Congleton and Edward Blau. of the
| WSlldTc COillIliLltcj was ACdQ
at the meeting. 1t was not the
kind of letter to pacify some mem
bers OF the board. 1t complained
that the report of a subordinate had
| been accepted by the board rather
| than that of the members of the com
mittee and that the Board OF Health
criticised the work of the commit
tee on no better knowledge than that
| obtained from visit by two MEM
| bers to one of the stations maintained
by the committee The letter con-
| Guided:
"The Public Welfare Committee
consists of a body of people who are
giving unsparingly of time, strength
and money in order to accomplish
certain constructive work, without
which thousands of the children of
Newark must be born into q heritage
of human waste and disease.
"rhey sincerely wish to conform to
legal procedure, but they will not con-
sent to be INSTRUCTED in their deter
mination to have this work done eff
GENTLY by athe health authorities,
| whose failure to do it or even to see
| the necessity for it's being done has
| been declared by your Mayors own
investigator to be nothing short of a
| tragedy and crime"
Commissioner Foyle said the letter
sis not the kind of courteous letter
we have a right to expect" DR.. Cor
win said: "At the last meeting of
| the joint Public Welfare Committee
the work was directly attacked by
one member of this board. Some re-
joinder was to be expected. I know
I expected one. This is probably it,"
Health officer David Chandler ex-
planned that somebody else was prob
! ably referred to in that part of the
letter which asked the question
whether it was right for the health
officer to call meetings of the joint
committee when he chose, without
consulting the convenience of the
chairman of the Public Welfare Com
mittee. He had never called meet
ing without notifying DIR. Dennis, and
once had, been referred by him to
Miss Emily Hamblen, whom he tele-
phoned.
The letter was also referred to the
public welfare committee of the board.
The report of that committee on the
resignation of Miss Elish, whom DR..
Julius Levy told to take a vacation
| for life," was accepted. 1t ordered
the payment of Miss Elishs salary
up to the time she resigned.
Commissioner Charles L. Whitfield
| spoke in favor of the Public Welfare
Committee and it's work, and the tone
of the meeting was more amicable
| toward that committee and its work
than any yet held. DR.. Frank s.
| Meeker, to whose criticisms at a
meeting of the joint committee some
of the members of the city committee
| took exception in a visit to Mayor
Haussling, was not present last night.
|