New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07

Mayor Mitchell "A Brief Account of Progress
Made by the Department Of Health OF the
City OF New Yor in the Year 1914" in which
he outlines the innovations which have per-
mitted the department to make such IA
vorable showing The Mayors reply will
serve as good introduction to a brief con-
siderston of these innovations. He wrote
under date of February 2:
II have read with interest and satisfaction
your summary of the progress made by the
Department Of Health during the last twelve
months. | hope that you are arranging to
give wide publicity to the facts embodied in
this report. The taxpayers ought to know
that out Of its appropriations for 1914 the
Department of Health turned back into the
City Treasury the sum of $4,000; that the
cty's milk supply is now protected by the
most complete municipal inspection system
in the country that the more important Off
Gals Of the department are now giving their
undivided time to its work; that the death
rate for 1914 was the lowest in the history Of
the city; that private physicians are now shar-
ing in the medical inspection of school chill
drcn, thus reducing the municipal cost Of this
work that Bureau Of Public Health Educa-
ton has been established; that the admins
tration has fulfilled its promise to put the
Bureau of Food Inspection on an effective
footing, and that the department is engaged
in numerous other activities which are di-
rectly and indirectly productive Of health and
welfare.
Your report indicates progress along near
hat
most significant about it is the new emphasis
which you have put upon education as the
sanitaran's chief weapon. hope you are
right in believing that by attacking your prob
lens in this way the health work OF the mu-
ncipality will be made constantly more ct
fective and less costly. The scheme OF inter
esting manufacturers and trade unions IN the
sanitary conditions of employment seems well
worth pushing to the limit.
You are to be congratulated on securing
the cooperation of able and public spirited
men and women in organizing the ADVISORY
Council, which took so important part in
the revision of the Sanitary Code.
You attribute the progress OF the year
partly to the fact that the Department OF
Health has been permitted by the Mayor to
conduct its efforts wholly untrammelled by
interests foreign to the fundamental purpose
Of conserving health and life That de-
partment which is engaged in scientific and
humanitarian work should be hampered by
interests or motives in conflict with the health
interests OF the community is to me ncon-
ceivable"
The Mayor, it will be noted, lays special
emphasis on the educational work OF the de-
partment. He recognizes, with DR.. Goldwater,
that in the matter of hygiene and sanitation,
as in that of morals legislative compulsion
will reach just so far and that to get really
basic results it is necessary to educate and
persuade Dr. Goldwater has established in
the department Bureau Of Public Health
Education The working staff Of this bureau
has been recruited within the department by
the transfer to it OF workers possessing spe-
cia talents as writers, compilcrs or lecturers,
thus causing the city no additional expense.
In his communication to the Mayor the Com
missioner describes the functions OF the bu-
reau briefly as follows;