The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-19
TENEMENTS MUST
co. Says Dixon
Continued From First Page.

'oiio ICING IcpIeseHleu. MANY prOml-
nent labor officials were on hand.
The Welfare Section of the confer
ence held its session in the House eau
Gus room this morning, the big room
being crowded to hear DR.. Samuel G..
Dixon. Commissioner of Health, make
an address on "Housing Condition. !"
This is subject to which DR.. Dixon
has devoted great deal of study.
DIR. Dixon said in part: 1.-The term
Housing Conditions must have been
a broad definition. If our labors are to
be thorough we must follow the man,
woman and child through the twenty
four hours of the day, where they sleep,
where they eat, where they play, in the
school room, in the church, in the work
room and in the hospitals
All Need Health Education
have found little wooden shacks
loosely constructed with plenty of knot
holes and furnished with large sashes
that have been more sanitary than some
of the large houses. Our people in all
circles of life want to be educated in
health measures. In the last few years
small houses have been much improved
In appearance, which has It's moral eff
feet, yet, these small dwellings are too
often heated with direct steam or hot
water plants. The old shacks when kept
clean were often more healthful. Some
of the foreigners who come to this coun-
try for short time with the idea of
saving all they make so that they NAV
return home with their little fortunes,
will have to be deprived of the miser.
able tenement house accommodations as
they are breeders of disease. In some
of these places the mattresses never oct
cold as one shift follows close on the
heels of the other. Such housing will
have to be broken up and better homes
| built.
In facing this broad problem. one
of our greatest aids is education. Peo-
pie must be taught to use the homes
which they have to the best possible ad-
vantage and they must in turn become
missionaries to teach others.
This is great work and the efforts
of the State must not be too paternal
1t will not do to say that the people
must build certain type of house. We
| can, however, say that certain things
must be avoided which would iniure the
health of the individual in the com
munity. individuals, municipalities and
nations must be their Brothers keep
ers. 1t is a mistake to discourage
initiative. Permit everyone to build
with only the limitation of that which
will directly or Indirectly reflect upon
some one else.
Housing Problems of the Poor
Our tuberculosis nurses working in
every community in the State have be-
come familiar with the housing prob.
lens and needs of the poor people The
work of our health officers in the rural
districts and boroughs lead them to
those places where there is a need for
| Improvement. Our school inspectors
have under their supervision the struc-
tures in which our children spend so
large portion of their time.
Tine work of the Housing Bureau
has dovetailed in with the other work
which is being done by our little army
of workers throughout the State. I'm
der this growing system it offers an
economical and effective method of
handling the work with practically the
same overhead charges and saves du-
pllcation of machinery and the over
| lapping of responsibilities.
The safety section of the confer
ence met in the Senate Chamber. 9. L.
Close, of the United States Steel Cor
poration, presiding, and the following
program was carried out:
Discuss Safety Topics
'Uniform Boiler Code" Thomas
Durham, Erie City Iron Works, Erie; {;
Milton Snellings, vice president Inter
national Union of Steam and Operating
Engineers; discussion, c. F. LETTER. su-
pervising Inspector, Hartford Steam
Boiler Insurance Company; James A.
Meyer, professor of Mechanical En-
gineering, Pennsylvania State College.
Suggested Regulations for Blast Fur
mace Operation, f. H. Wilcox. Unit
ed States Bureau of Mines. Washing
ton, d. c. Discussion, l.. H. Burnett,
Carnegie Steel Company, Pittsburgh !;
"Propos@ Electrical Code" DR.. f. b.
Rosa, Bureau of Standards, Washing
ton, D. c.; +. J. McNulty, president
international Brotherhood of Electric
al Workers; discussion, Duncan Camp
bell, manager Scranton Electric Com
pany; Charles l.. Kinsloe, professor of
| electrical engineering, Pennsylvania
State College; "The Safe Use of Ex-
| plosives,' Harrison Souder, superin-
tendent Cornwall Ore Banks Company,
| Cornwall, Pa. discussion, H. G. Has,
kell, Dupont Powder Company, Will
mington, Del; Elton d. Walker, pro-
fessor of hydraulic and sanitary en- gin
eering, Pennsylvania State College.
The hygiene section met in the hall