Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-09-05
RECOGNIZE NEED,
HAS No MONEY
GOV. HALL TELLS WHY STATE
CANNOT AID IN THE
CAMPAIGN.
AGAINST BUBONIC PLAGUE
The Mere Fact That There is a Pub
tic Necessity for Money Does
Not Provide II.
western w.v-rrp-r Union Now. servie.

western Sev-rrD~r Union Neus Service
New OrlDaus.-A conference called
by the state Board of Health in the
St Charles Hotel to consider the sit
uation i'm respect to the bubouir
plague. as result of the statement
of Governor Hail that the state cou d
cXpend no more money in the prose
Cution Of the campaign.
Dr. Bowling made brief state
ment Of the conference of Saturday.
and explained the position of Cover
nor Han. He said besides the money
expended by the state through the
Public Health Service il had paid out
Sl,053S1 through other channels in
the fight against the plague. During
the course of his remarks he read the
following prepared paper which had
been adopted at a meeting of the
state board preceding the conference:
The statement that the state
Board of Health has withdrawn its
help in the cleanup campaign Of New
Orleans is entirely erroneous. There
is no disposition on the part Of the
board not to assist i'm every way pos
sible, hut. according to the law. its
powers are limited. The law is eX-
plicit it is as follows:
The state Board of Health shall
render to the local boards OF health
all the assistance in their power. and
which the condition of their finances
will permit
The appropriation for the entire
state is $4,000 year. n the cam
paign continued for nine months, and
the board gave $l1. 600 a month, it is
clear that it would have no resour-
ces for other work of any kind.
The good faith of the board has
been shown in giving its emergency
fund for this purpose, and also by go
ing on record, through its executive
officer. in recommending to the gov
ernor the pro rata of one-fifth in the
event that the state finances would
permit.
Further, in giving every assistance
possible in the city campaign, in the
help of its employees, and in the aid
rendered by the members of the
board and heads of departments
ITO the limit Of its possibilities the
State Board of Health will continue
to give aid in every way possible"
Governor Hall, the next speaker,
said he could not shut his eyes to the
fact that a large sum was necessary
for the campaign. He was inclined
to think that the state's proportion of
the one-fifth OF the expense would go
beyond the $4,000 authorized to be
borrowed. However much IL desired
TO assist in the work, the fact remain
ed that the state did not have the
money The mere fact that there was
a public necessity for money did not
provide IL. Persons might say It
could he borrowed. but a pay day
would roll around. The state had I'M
dertaken certain obligations. such as
charities and education, relieving the
people of these burdens. II had new
er undertaken the work Of sanitation.
at least in respect to the expense Of
the work The burden of stamping
out disease rested on the communi-
ties. The state was confronted by a
deficit for the next two years of $780,
900. which meant that state institu-
tions would have to be cut to meet
the deficit uTtler the constitution.
The addition of s15O,00O would bring
the deficit up close to a million, and
there was no provision of law to bind
the state to the payment OF such a
debt. When the Federal government
found the people of California were
unable to meet the situation there, 1t
met the full expense. The state of
Louisiana was not able to meet the
expense OF the work. and there was
an end OF that matter. II was a mat
ter for the citizens of New Orleans
and the Federal authorities to deter
mine what to do.