The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-18

high school and its annexed agencies Again the veteran promoter of public wei | fsre proved adequate to the possibilities. | Ills past experience as mayor of his town 1 demonstrated the need and difficulty of combining the three cities in close co-op- l eration to promote public health among an immigrant and shifting population in- creasingly in need of sanitary safeguards The only legal provision was for a health officer in each city To increase the fa- cflities for their service beyond the re- l sources at the command of any of the cities, he established the Hygienic insti- tute along side the high school, equipped | with meteorological laboratory, a spe- cfalized library on medical and sanitary subjects, and a small staff of experts. Then he offered to furnish the salaries of the health officers of the three cities on condition that they should be appointed cn the nomination of the director of the Hygienic institute and should work in | cooperation under his direction.
 1 This offer was accepted, and. now one tri- city department of health serves the entire township under the direction of Dr. G. F. Ruediger, who after working with Dr. Hektoen in the Durand hospital of the Memorial Institute for Infectious ] Diseases in Chicago, was director of the i state Public Health Laboratry in North Dakota and professor of bacteriology in the state university. School nurses and the local health officers visit the schools once week to inspect the pupils for con- l ta gious or infectious diseases. Milk and , food supplies are tested. Dairy herds and plants are kept under surveillance. Stag nant water is drained off. Drains and toilets are inspected. Sanitary police of l fcers safeguard the streets and alleys. | Physicians and druggists are supplied with tubes and smears with directions for | taking cultures in cases suspected of diphtheria, typhoid fever and tuberculo- sis The results of laboratory tests are returned promptly to physicians. Posters and leaflets are circulated. containing 1 hints on fly extermination" and other 1 sanitary instructions A fifth cooperating agency in this remarkable affiliation of volunteer and public institutions is the infant welfare station. founded as a me- rrorial to Mrs. Emma Matthiessen Chan | cellor.
 All these undertakings have been at- tempted and achieved in private co-opera- ton with and under the, final authority of the public administration of the town ship high school and the city councils l Moreover, these ideals have been pursued and realized. not when and where there
 was an exceptionally high standard ot public administration, but when and Where partisan and personal political in.
 
 public welfare. While as rule local cit izens and officials, especially the late Mayor Doyle of La Salle. Mayor Mas sieon of Peru and Mayor Lindsay oi Oglesby, loyalty co-operated, yet all this time one of the most notorious party
 bosses in Illinois has held unbroker
 sway over the legislative and county constituencies in which this school town ship Is included. But notwithstanding the occasional interference of ruthless "politics'' sometimes temporarily success full but always unavailing in the end, and no withstanGing the over-hanging menace of exploitation this veteran private citi'
 zen has Loyalty proven his faith in hii town by working for it not only. but with 1t, by paying his full share of taxes moi only, but also entrusting large properties and still more precious interests to itI public ownership and administration. I The federal bureau of education hal signalized this achievement as uniquely significant. by telling the story of 1t ir eRural School Letter Number 21." under the title of "A Township Community Center in Illinois.'' To realize all Il means, however. one must not read abou, lit but see it in action and talk with the people who got together to do 1t. Tt sense 1t all one must feel the atmospheric pressure of the presence and personality or that silent. single-minded, simple hearted man who exemplifes the democ' racy of wealth.