Evening journal., 1915-12-09
THE FACTORY
AND TUBERCULOSIS

Factory infection takes its place
with other forms of tuberculosis IN
fection by reason OF the factory Deing
nlace where men and women live
foeether. The factory is part OF
our system OF indoor living ihe
workers sleep indoors all night, arise
and eat indoors, then board a crowd
ed closed. ill-ventilated car, alight at
The factory door or corner, and spend
~ hours or more indoors at work
and return at night to their indoor
home mass the evening there or in
some other indoor place-and thus II
goes through life. We pay great
nrice for the comfort" which the ex-
clusion OF fresh air is supposed TO
bring us.
But with the factory, as with the
school there are many hopeful things
TO be said And the grouping of these
two institutions, the public and the
semi-public, together, has a signihc-
ance to which we shall return pres
emily. The modern factory, as we see
II In scores OF cases in this city, is
far more healthful place to live in
than the old-time factory used to be-
And this is so not because the factory
owners are more careful than others
of the health OF the people, but be-
cause certain conditions have been
found 10 be of great economic value
to business. Without once considering
the matter OF health, factory design
ers and managers discovered that
plenty OF light meant better work,
less eye-strain on the part OF the
workers, and a consequent larger out
put Fatigue was measured as power
Is measured and when Il was found
that fatigue came early TO the worker
and so impaired his productive ability,
some way was sought 10 prevent use
less fatigue. IL was discovered that
plenty of light plenty OF room, plenty
OF air had the effect OF decreasing
fatigue. And so. for their economic
values alone, air and light and room
mess were provided With these
came, as a natural consequence, great
er cleanliness.
No business Of consequence would
dream today OF instituting Sweat
shop" methods. Because the cheaper
methods cost more, They cost more
in quality OF labor and in amount of
production Dark, damp. crowded
worlSrooms are now as much a part
OF the past as the dungeons OF the
Inquisition. The whole policy Of
society is TO get rid of them And yet.
in so getting rid o. them, the principal
Indictment against them is almost
never mentioned, namely, that they
are disease breeders.
OF course. light and air and roomi-
ness and sanitary conditions would
have no economic value at all-in
themselves no business value-save
as these values are indirectly pro-
duced in the worker And these values
are produced by the worker for the
sole and simple reason that the new
conditions keep them in better health.
The healthy man is always the eff
cient man. The man who is required
to work in unhealthful surroundings
becomes increasingly inefficient. so
you see, il is a matter of health after
all. Health is business" and tho
very first requirement OF any business
or work is health. This principle ap
plies to schools, streets cars, theaters
factories. churches, or whereve
people live together for longer o.
shorter periods.
II as much could be said for tn,
noAiCc bl tue DtNIlt as Abi in0uolAAo
and public institutions. the problem
OF infection--and OF tuberculosis in
fectlon in particular-would be
practically solved.
The principal danger remaining In
the modern factory or workshop or
office or store-mark you. we say 'in
the modern" forms OF these work
shops-is the human disease carrier
himself. It is a most encouraging
sign that many factories and shops
have sanitary committees and rules
the purpose OF which is to prevent
anyone so conducting himself as to
become a menace TO the health OF his
workmates. The bane of the factory
heretofore has been promiscuous
splitting and dry-sweeping. In many
factories the workers themselves hav,
abolished these dangers Cuspidorl
are provided. and sweeping is don'
on the prilciple OF removing the dirt
not scattering il into the air. Con
sumptiye workmen are required 4
use sputum cups, or strips of gauz