Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-19

dress.
DIR. Dlxon's Address
DIR. Dixon's address. which attracted
much attention, was headed by these
epigrams:
"Often the air in a hovel is purer
than that in pretentious mansion.
More people die from the improper
use of steam heat than freeze to death.
Wealth has no monopoly on clean
Illness.
Houses must not only be well built,
they must be well used"
In the course of his talk the COM
missioner said:
1.-THE term housing conditions must
have broad definition. If our labors
are to be thorough we must follow the
man, woman and child through the
twenty hours of the day, where
they sleep, where they eat. where they
play, in the schQolroom. in the church,
in the workroom and in the hospitals.
Il 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 edu-
Gated in health measures. In the last
few years small houses have been much
improved in appearance, which has its
moral effect, 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 country for a short time
with the idea of saving all they make
so that they may return home with
their little fortunes will have to be
deprived of the miserable tenement
house accommodations as they are
breeders of disease. In some of these
MI aff
as one shift follows close on the heels
of the other. Such housing Will have
to be broken up and better homes
built.
I'm facing this broad problem one
of our greatest aids is education.
People must be taught to use the
homes which they have to the best
possible advantage and they must in
turn become missionaries to teach
others.
This is a great work and the efforts
of the state must not be too paternal.
1t will not do to say that the people
must build a certain type of house.
We can, however, say that certain
things must be avoided which would
injure the health of the individual in
the community. individuals, munici-
palities and nations must be their
brothers keeper. 1t is a mistake to
discourage initiative. Permit everyone
to build with only the Limitation of
that which will directly or indirectly
reflect upon someone else.
"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 need
for improvement. Our school in
spectors have under their supervision
the structures in which our children
spend so large a portion of their time.
THE 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. Un-
! der this growing system 1t offers an
economical and effective method of
handling the work with practically the
| same overhead charges and saves
Implications OF machinery and the
overlapping of responsibilities.
The Governors Remarks
| One of the big features was the pres
entation of a certificate of honorary
membership in the Engineers Society
of Pennsylvania to Governor John K
Tener. The Governor in his re-
sponse said the State had gone for
ward in all departments in four years
| He praised the manner in which the
new Department of Labor and Indus
| try had secured results, the work oi
the Health Department, the military
highway, legal, insurance and other
departments, all of which had won
credit for doing some real practical
/ things that counted for the betterment
| of our citizenship, the conservation OF
| life, health and property"
The Governor said that he regret
ted that n workmen's compensation
act had not been passed. II regret
[Continued on Page 141