Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING


Impressed by the fact that most OF
the male adults and many Of the women
and children OF
Health Of the United
| Industrial Worker. Su.t si work
lers-ao. 100000 persons in all-the fed
eral government, through the public
health service, has recently gathered
together the loose ends Of Independent
Investigations, has established special
headquarters in Pittsburgh and has set
itself the task, Of studying in compre-
Ihenstve way the whole matter of the
effect of various industries on the
health and well being OF those employ
ed in them.
The tremendous Importance Of the re-
lation between working conditions and
disease. it Is pointed out by experts Of
the public health service, IL realized
by an exceedingly small portion of the
general public, and receives little bet
ter recognition from the majority of
physicians, whether they are general
practitioners or are attached to hos
pital STATS. When 1t sought to obtain
information from hospital and private
records preliminary to its studies the
public health service found that such
records were practically worthless, the
medical men In most cases, seemingly,
rarely observing the symptoms Of the
patient and ignoring his industrial his
tory.
In regard to the real Importance Of
industrial factors in public health prob
some Of the physicians Of the service
that probably much more than half
the sickness of the 100000 industrial
workers is due to their particular en-
/ Wiz L. nj nv "
more sickness among such workers
than among better housed and more
comfortably situated classes OF society.
this means that more than one-third OF
Industrial employees and that more than
one-sixth Of all disease Is direct re-
suit Of conditions of employment. The
effects Of industry vary all the way
who performs strenuous labor for
twelve hours day In the glare OF a
steel furnace. to the deranged nerves
of the woman victim Of labor division
who sits day in and day out perform
Ing some simple movement that Is In
furious by its very monotony.
| The public health service officials be-
lieve that since much industrial ILL
ness results from a failure Of ply
sicians. employers and employees them
selves, to realize the true situation.
conditions can be immeasurably bet
tered by collecting the facts In the
| case and ascertaining the notifications
that can be made in Industrial prac-
less injurious methods for those now en-
ployed. The plan Of work, accord
ingly. 10 to study conditions In the
various Industries, to make intensive
workers and its relation to public well
| fare, and to formulate minimum n.y.
gienic standards for factories, shops
and other industrial establishments.
| technical studies in Laboratories Of
| lighting, heating. ventilation. and the
| effects of poisonous fumes and gases,
monotony and fatigue on individual
workers. In this way, 1t Is believed,
| two important things will be accom-
| plished; the most desirable general
practices will be discovered, and work.
| ers will be discovered who. because of
| their physical and mental character
istics, are fitted for tasks that would
prove injurious to the average worker.
In connection with its studies and
| experiments along specific lines the
! public health service will also collect,
tabulate and interpret statistics OF In
| lions and in various parts Of the world,
and will gather and publish fnforma-
ton as to laws in various 5urisdtc-
lions relating to hygienic equipment
| of factories and other protection OF
workers against disease.
Already the service through inde-
pendent Investigations has made inten-
sive studies In several localities and
| the data obtained will be used in con-
nection with that from the more COM
prehensive Investigations recently ar
ranged for. One Of the studies was made
among the garment workers OF New
York city in cooperation with the
| municipal authorities and committee
representing employers and employees.
More than a year has been consumed
| in this study and the data obtained 10
| about ready for publication.
The principal other completed inves-
was concerned chiefly with a study of
tuberculosis among workers. Alto
gether 10000 employees, engaged In
eighty different industries, were ex-
amined. In order that all factors
should be considered, the home sur
roundings of the workers as well AZ
| their conditions of employment were
examined.
since the establishment. in Pitts
burgh several weeks ago Of special
vestigations, work has been under way
I in that city of varied industries In
vestigations of the future will by no
| means be confined to Pittsburgh, but
will be made all over the country. Most
of the laboratory work. however. and
the formulation Of reports will be car
ried on at the Pittsburgh center.
Mining. to the average fastener.
means coal mining. because this Is the
dominant under
Metal Mining ground industry
in United States. 9th w,,c, =. !.
familiar. Mine accidents. therefore,
mean to him for the most part explo-
sions Of dust or fire damp.
AS matter of fact, however. metal
mining is of great Importance in the
United States. and loss of life in such
mines is greater per thousand employees
than in coal mines. Because Of this,
the federal bureau Of mines, In its cam
paign for mining safety, is giving much
attention to metalliferous mining, and
has Just issued the first comprehensive
body of rules and regulations for metal
| mines that has been prepared in the
United States.
The regulations are Incorporated IN
the draft of a law prepared by a COM
mittee Of expert mining engineers,
which. in addition to serving for the
government also acted as a committee
Of the American Mining Congress, the
American Institute of Mining Engineers
and the Mining and Metallurgical So
ciety of America The work Of the
committee has attracted the attention
of mining experts throughout the coun-