The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-23
JEFFERSON SHERIFF MAKES $1800 EACH MONTH ON FEEDING
 -DR. W. H. OATES
State Inspector of Prison Speaks Before Mobile Medical SOciety-Rec-
 Ommends Changes
-DR. W. H. OATES

Mobile, September 22.-tSpecial) )-"The state health department is allowed only s25.000 year, but the sheriff of Jeffer- feeding prisoners"
 This statement was made Saturday night before the Mobile Medical society when there were present representatives of the federal, state, county and city governments, by Dr. William H. Oates, state inspector of prisons
 You in Mobile" he continued, spend s7s.ooO year on your judicial system, but cannot give a small sum for sanitation. D
 The meeting of the medical society was called for the purpose of suggesting re- forms in sanitary legislation of the state From Montgomery to Mobile came State Health Officer w. H. Sanders, who said that the work of his department was sadly handicapped for lack of funds.
 Oats Could Save Money
 T have promised the incoming gover- nor.' said Dr. Oates, that I can save the state $150000 annually in one depart- ment of The penal system This will be in the feeding of prisoners. and they will be better fed at that. I would have the state pay for what they eat and not let the aheriffs get two-thirds of the money
 Dr. Oates also spoke of the limitations in power of the state factory inspector, which is one of his offices. You have in Mobile county" he said. "a cotton mill that needs attention, but I have no power to act and neither has the state health officer. Children there have hook worm. We know the cause of the dis ease and we know how to prevent it, but we can do nothing. The factory laws are inadequate.'
 It was decided at the meeting of the medical society to send copies of the address of State Representative Bart B. Chamberlain, delivered at the meeting, to every county medical society in the state. together with a letter from Presi- dent Ruffin A. Wright, stating that the local medical society had held Q meet ing to consider better health laws and that the meeting had been attended by the city and county officials of Mobile and by representatives of the judiciary and the democratic nominees for the coming legislature. Dr. & B. Grubbs. United States public health service, who is supervising Mobiles clean-up cam paign. was also present.
 No Medical Lobby
 There will be no medical lobby at Mont gomery if the expressed wishes of the fraternity in Mobile are carried out. wishes expressed following the meeting. State Senator-to-be Harry T. Hartwell, Representatives Claude A. Cray son, w. K. P. Wilson and Bart B. Cham berlain pledged their support to reforms to be decided upon by the medical socie- ties of the state, acting in harmony with the state health department and the de- partment of inspector of prisons fac tories and almshouses
 The sense of the meeting was that the offices of the health authorities were too much advisory and too little executive. County Solicitor Nbrborne R. Clarke summed up the situation when he said We want for our health officers auto .crats like Dr. Oates, who is able to say do this or do that or suffer the conse- quences. City Commissioner Lag Schwarz wants the laws so amended that a city or county health officer may remedy d nuisance and charge the costs to the owner of the offending property.
 Dr. Scale Harris, secretary of the South : ern Medical association. president of the Mobile Rotary club and chairman of the Chamber of Commerce committee on health and sanitation. said there should be more whole time officers and fewer who devote only their spare time to look ing after the health interests of their communities.
 The Mobile Medical society will make no suggestions as to what other societies of the state will do. The organization will merelyt make report of what ha been done in Mobile and allow the other associa tion to proceed without coercion oi advice toward what methodsrthey may deem expedient to secure a reform in the health laws of Alabama.