The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-02-23
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.
If You Want Better Health, Then Pay
Price of Administration.

Ii YOU want better health, pay the
price. Money spent in protecting the
health and the lives of the people is the
hest of all investments. Don't be toe
eager to pass more health laws, but pro-
vide sufficient means to enforce those
already on the statute books. This Is
in brief the message sent by the United
States public health service to two states
separated by several thousand miles.
1t is well-known axiom that public
health is within certain limits a pur-
chasable commodity, and that each COM
munity practically fixes by its sanitary
policy its sickness and death rates from
such preventsble diseases as typhoid fe-
yer. malaria, tuberculosis, smallpox, etc
The best indication of the adequacy OF
inadequacy with which a community j.
handling its health problems if shown n
the ability Of the existing health organ
ization to lessen the prevalence OF sick
ness.
A great many states and cities have OF
late expressed desire to be made IA
miliar with their assets and deficiencies
in this respect. and in compliance witt
requests from the proper authorities, the
United States public health service has
been conducting a series of Investigations
of public health administration and leg
islation The most recent Of these m
yestigations have been made in the states
OF West Virginia and Washington, the
reports of which have just been pub
lished.
The studies in West Virginia were
made at the direct request OF the gov
crnor, the Honorable n. d. Hatfield, and
in Washington at the request OF the
state board OF health. The reports cover
i'm detail the requisites of efficient health
organization and point out certain re-
forms which should be- carried out in or.
der 10 obtain the best results. In the in
terests OF economy and efficiency, for in
stance, all sanitary work, be II child by
giene, industrial sanitation, school ny
giene, milk control, etc. should be cen
tralized and co-ordinated under properly
equipped state departments OF health
Local health administration must bt
strengthened by the employment OF
health officers giving their entire time
to their duty and fully responsible "a
the state department Of health.
While the merltOrious work accom-
plished by the recent authorities is rec
ognized. il is stated that the adoption
and enforcement of measures for the pro-
lection Of the public health in these
states have not kept pace with then
growth in wealth and population. Meth
er OF the two states has been sufficiently
liberal in its appropriations for healta
work. For example, in 1914, both Wash
ington, with land area Of 66s36 square
miles and a population OF about 100000
inhabitants. aud West Virginia, with an
area Of 24,022 square miles and popu-
lation OF over 100000 inhabitants. ap.
propriated only $4,000 each for the uss
Of the state board Of health. while Mary
land. with an area Of 9,94l square miles
and about the same population a. West
Virginia appropriated $4,000. and Flor.
ida. with much smaller area and popu.
lation than Washington appropriated
over ssnO0O for the same purpose. The
public health service holds that az least
, per cent. Of the public revenue should
b. spent for sanitary work. since from
no other expenditure j. 30 much profit
ultimately derived