The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-18
CITIZENS DOUbLY TAXED ID SUPPORT
 HEALTH OFFICERS
Dr. Gaston Urges Legisla- tors to Enact Modern Health Laws to Be
 Introduced
To the Editor of The Herald:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The proposed change in the public
 health laws of Alabama, and the re-
 duced appropriation given the Blrming-
 ham health department by the city com mission is stimulating abundant con- troversy, and should inspire the interest of all home-loving people, individually and collectively, for not only is health and the conservation thereof of deep and vital interest to human happiness, but of vast economic importance, especially to great industrial district like this
 This cut in our health department 8 funds shows concluslvely the inadequacy of our present health laws, and em- phasises forcefully the necessity for mod ernized health laws for Alabama Under the present system each municipality In the county has its own health officer and has to maintain It's own health de- partment; besides these various health de- partnents-the number depending upon the number of municipalities in a county there Is a county health officer who has who Is supposed to serve the people re- siding outside of incorporated towns
 Let us observe the practical application of this system. Jefferson county has a health officer; his salary is over s2OO per month; 1t Is his duty to establish stand ard of public health for the district out
 side of municipalities. He is the health guardian for approximately S1,0OO lives.
 This standard might be designated stand- ard Tho pitu of 0b han wit h a population over 133000, has a health
 officer, who, according to the proposed cut, is to receive a salary of s100 per month; his duties are those of the county
 health officer magnified. Let us call this standard No. 9. Bessemer with population of 1900, has health officer
 whose functions are those of Birming- hams officer greatly reduced. This is standard No. 3. These standards show existing a distinct wall around each municipality severing their public health systems In such a way that the health conditions of one-in theory-do not affect the health conditions of the others, or vice versa.
 In case of the existence of a health
 menace (bubonic plage, for instance) out SibN VI illuilltlpdHlleS the health OIf1cpfS Of Bessemer or of Birmingham must re- main inactive unless said menace were a person distributing milk or other article within the limits of one of said munich pa1tes. Then an act withdra wing license would be the limit of action according to the present system. It is the desire of the so-called progressives to have for Jeff ferson county q man trained in public 1 health administration who shall be the health officer DO1V ,,f Birmingham, but for those of the county as well. Then throughout Jefferson coun- ty we will have single standard of pub lie health governing all the people.
 Aside from this phase the people of Bir- mingham should be awakened when this city is not able to maintain a complete and adequate health department It is in deed a wretched and lamentable condi- tion of affairs for which neither the city commission nor the present rate of taxa ton are responsible. It is purely a re- flection over our city of the present sys- tenn of administration of public health under the existing laws.
 The people of Birmingham pay state county and city taxes. They pay the same rate of county tax that the citizen of Toadvine pays. and from this tax the county health departmen Is maintained. Therefore. one residing in Birmingham Is paying a tax to maintain a public health department for Toadvine, over which he has neither voice nor interest Besides this, he pays a city tax to the city of 1 Birmingham, and from this city tax comes the maintenance for another health de-
 partment So 1t is evident that two taxes are paid for the administration of what is supposed to be public health. If the proper proportion of the county taxes paid by him were given to the administration of the public health of the city of Bir- mngham, there would not be necessity for reduction in the salaries and eff clency of our health department
 | I believe that the people of Jefferson county will memorialize their members in the legislature and senate, urging then, to support the modern health measure which will be presented, and in case of failure of its passSge urge them to pass l a special bill adopting system of health laws for Jefferson county, taking away from us the fossilized and mummified sys-
 tenn we now have, and giving to the peo- pie of this county an up-to-date admin istration of public health
 CECIL D. GASTON.
 Birmingham. July 1T, 1915.