The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-11
Better Times
Coming

The signs of the times are for bet
ter things in Florida.
An educated public sentiment, the
result of quarter century of earn
est work by the State Board of
Health to bring the people of the
state to higher appreciation of the
fected in the progressive action Of
the Legislature now in session at
Tallahassee. Already the upper
branch of this body has given serious
heed to the suggestions for the legis-
lative betterment of Florida's health
laws, and there seems to be no
doubt that the lower house will con-
firm the action of the senatorial
lawmakers
For more than twenty-five years
the State Board of Health has stood
between the people of the state and
serious menaces. Originally the
Board came into existence by the act
of a special session of the leeisla-
ture, called together by Governor E.
p Fleming, following the yellow
fever epidemic of 1888. The guild
ing idea was that this Board should
lead and focaliZe the fight for tho
protection of the entire state against
this disease-iust how was not I'M
derstood. and the uncertainty Of the
proposition was the reason for
clothing it with extraordinary
authority.
In those days the agency of the
mosquito as carrier of the germ
of yellow fever was not understood,
but with the later discovery of this
fact and the stern applicatin of the
principle, involved, the problem be-
came simple, because it had been
robbed of its mystery.
With the solution of this prob
| lem, others became relatively more
important, for the world was ad-
vancing in it's knowledge of health
matters. and Florida was keeping
abreast of the times and in addition
it had it's own problems.
There is no greater obstacle to
progress than Indifference. The
preaching of men who are in earn
est, who know what they are talk.
ing about, is listened to and treated
as the vaporings of fanatics, but the
fanatics of today are the wise men
the leaders of tomorrow.
AS medical science has advanced
in it's knowledge of health and sanl-
tation and of their intimate rela-
ton, as prevention of disease has
been brought to par with its cure.
Florida's Health Board has urged
these ideas on the attention of the
people of Florida. 1t has argued, it
has offered proofs in numberless iu-
stances of the truth of its position,
and in the final result it has remov-
ed from Florida the unjust asper-
sion that a semi-tropical country IL
necessarily unhealthful, by proving
the contrary of the great Peninsular
State.
It's work has been that Of educa.
ton, illustrated by many object les.
sons. It has shown that typhoid fe.
yer and malaria and smallpox and
lhookworm are not necessary-that
tthey may be avoided and how. l,
has shown how the ravages of tuber-
culosis may be minimized. 1t has
demonstrated the relations between
clean bodies and clean surrounding
and the highest physical health
Yet, more than once in the past has
a bill to abolish the State Board OF
Health, or to make it an insignia.
can't branch of some other depart
ment of state government, receiy ed
serious consideration by state
Legislature.
Happily, those days are in the
past and the Legislature Of 1915 in
it's wisdom and appreciation of the
aims and ambitions and accomplish
ments of the Board, is providing il
with larger resources and powers t.,
do it's work. 1t is matter of con-
graduation that legislative body
has come into power in Florida with
the intelligence and the will to
hasten the progress Of the state
through the increased efficiency Of
the State Board Of Health.