Evening journal., 1915-12-29
Says More Power Should
Be GVeH TO the Health Board
Continned from First Page.

was not at all Interested IN TINS h'"f-
urc, and it is needless to say that IT met
the same fate as all other measures per-
tanning TO public health which this beard
and other boards have tried 20 nave
adopted. The Consumers League was
the only civic body enough interested tc
lend the Board OF Health all their as-
sistance to have this measure adopted.
Mr. Lands. ii he was a resident at that
time WAS conspicuous by his absence.
The persons whom this pure food meas
rre affected financially were always ON
hand. They were even represented Oyl
physician and these same people had
! enough iniuence TO have this measure
/ shelved.
/ "lhe board in the near future will
again make an effort to have this pure
4 food measure adopted. and ] hope Mr.
/ Iandis will lend his efforts To help us
accomplish our purpose ] also agree
with Mr. Landis that the Board OF
/ Health should be taken out of politics
The present board has made Efforts
along this line. but has never been sue
eessful Possibly Mr.. Landis could help
us along this line. Every member OF
this department stands ready to step
down and out aud will lend helping
hand towards making this department
permanent. eliminating politics. The
members arc certainly not holding on
to the positions for the cmoluments
they receive which is 500 per year.
"The Board of Health should GER
tainly be invested with legislative
power enabling it TO pass its own
health measures. AS it now stands
the powers are invested in City COUn-
Gil and the State Legislature. For in
stance the garbage collection has al
ways been unsatisfactory and further
more always will be under the pres
ent method of collection. The mem
bers of this department are well
aware of the faults After two years
investigations of garbage collection
methods in other cities this board pre-
pared and presented to the State Leg
. islature at Dover a measure which II
adopted would have saved the city
d considerable money and certainly
J would have improved the garbage col
lection. II is needless to say wha.
became of il. This is where politics
enter and affect health legislation
not in the Board of Health. Just
think of this condition that the city
of Wilmington must go to the legisla-
ture at Dover and ask the members
of that body. the majority of said
members coming from Kent and Sus
, sex counties, as to how garbage in
this city is to be collected.
I "The present board, while the mem
bers have received their appointments
from a Republican mayor, have direct
ed health matters along business lines
a and is the only board that ever ISSUED
, garbage contracts to persons not affl
lated in city politics. The presen
e board has been more progressive ant
y has adopted and had passed more
D. laws pertaining to public health thar
o any of its predecessors. especiall.
when consideration is given to thl
I handicaps which all Boards of healtl
n of this city have had to contend with
Is as no assistance has ever been give
n. by the medical profession, very littl
from the public. While the news
Z papers help some, at the same time
is more vigorous effort on their par
s. often times would materially assis
70 us in passing legislation.
"Just the moment that health legi
lation is tried the public immediatel
iy arises and cries. we we're raised III
e. der the present conditions, our pa
sy ents were. look at us. are we VI
is healthy A fair example of this
IA the criticism that this board has jus
n gone through in trying to have tn
es public schools placed in sanitar
condition. i'm order to safeguard tn
Id health of the children. There is on
o. thing certain, the sanitary condition
III of the schools we're bad and Will
a something will be done it will
n sometime before the schools will
n paced in a sanitary condition. Is th
he public interested? No.
On There is one thing certain, If tf
Mt persons who criticize the Board {
IL Health before they familiarize then
Id selves with conditions, would assis
il possibly the conditions cited migf
d be improved If it is the desire {
n the citizens of this city to eliminai
d. politics from the Board OF Healt
W they certainly will have to sec 20
an that more than $4,000 is spent to ri
nd this department, especially when th
amount includes the operating e,
TO- penses and the salaries OF eleven en-
I'D Moves and members. A board
.e- health is no different from any 9TH
as business. It's efficiency is limited
qe the amount of money which it has
in expend.
"Mr. Lands speaks of the milk col
is ditions. We are possibly more famili
ch with such conditions than he, and
m meet them this department has pr
pared milk rules and regulation
which cover just such condition
cited, but will the passing of the
rules make conditions better. It
to be hoped il will. as every effo
will be made to enforce them wi
limited means. If these rules a
TO be enforced properly there shou
be dairy inspector appointe
equipped with an automobile TO ma
- an inspection of all places where mi
is produced or sold Other plac
have such inspectors. The milk su
ply Of Wilmington is supposed to
inspected by State authorities, b
they are in the same fix as we are
uih lack of funds. The milk supply
rectly affects every citizen of w
UNI mington. The conditions are W
en' known. as it has been placed befo
the public time and time again
'n- this department. yet the public see
to be satisfied. II the milk supI
tny of this city is to be guarded it mi
w. be done from this city and suffici'
money appropriated to cover su
VS. costs. The Legislature cannot
am depended upon, as il is compOs
uiu principally Of members from
ieI- rural districts who see to it that
oiy legislation affects the farmer, es
um cially If it is matter of dollars q
lul- ..,4. Tho oa,no can no said ~