The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-11

LILY TEL era I1EJJR
could be practically eliminated from
! Jour state.
The appropriation for our sanitary
/ department is So. 900. What amount
ioE health can So 600 buy for the clti-
szens of Clarksburg It Is true more
money than this Is spent for il we
have I'll patients who are not able to
poor Will pay FOR the visit But
1 prevention should be our slogan Tie
metropolitan Life Insurance Compa-
ny invests yearly $1,000, 900 In Its
health and welfare work. More than
ione-ha1f or this goes for the wori;
! done by nurses. Its management.
believes strongly in the movement
! for the prolongation Of life and lends
Its aid in every possible way, believing
that the final benefits will more thar
outweigh the immediate financial out
lay
| The city OF Clarksburg does not
| seem TO have any mon ey to invest. II
Isn't doing much business evidently
although many in our city seem to
know what good business is SO long
as it is personal and they do contrib
Ute to private health work.
What we need, first is an efficient
health department and liberal finan-
tcial and moral support from our citf-
zens. We should be careful to re-
frain from destructive criticism. If
/ we are not stoil1ng to help make it
better let us let it alone alone. But
a club with the standing our Civic
Club has can do a great deal both
individually and collectively. We
should keep the subject alive by agi-
tating it both by word Of mouth and
! In print, and we should cooperate
with all the other organized forces.
In Chicago the Woman's Club pub
fishes In one Of the daily papers-every
two or three days law, either one
/ which the citizen violates through ige
inorance, or one for his protection Of
| Y hlch he may be uniformed. Know1-
edge on the part of the public, espe-
/ cially that portion of the public which
has definitely undertaken TO improve
conditions, Is certainly the basis OF
I, defective action.
The Civic Club is making a liberal
investment for improved Health con.
Gitions, putting into the work
through their visiting nurses nearly
$4,000 last year bout the same as
1.-THE city.
It is true more than half of this has
been collected in fees from the Met
ropolitan Insurance Company and
from patients. but the Civic Club is
taking the respons. bility for Its ex-
/ penditure and lends its moral back
ling. This is a big first step and a
necessary one for the general Inn
4 provement and may the club find ii
4 possible to continue this service 1t
means individual suffering relieved
Tor made easier. Tt means educating
! the individual in personal and COM
lmunity health and prevention Of dis
case. The work may not show up as
well as clean streets or improved
sanitary conditions might but we are
reasonably sure of good results.
i What more can we do that would
add to the efficiency of our work in
this line? A very important work
and one we are making an effort to
bring about, Is the employing of a
nurse in the public schools. There
lis a great advantage In including in
our health crusade this great avenue
1 fofsa ccompHshingg God: he adyan-
4 tages Of instituting corFectiy work
through dem ocratic machinery such
las the public school is incalculabfo.
4 The test for home conditions is not
wealth. scholarship. dress. manners
or nationality but the physical condi
A ton of the school child. 81 y: s.i
We have visited edical4 inspec-
tor and superintendent Of schools
here in regard to the nurse and the-
are much In favor of It, We have
also visited each mem Der of the
school board separately and they
promised. to bring the matter up in
board meeting and letsu know tho
4 result, but we have heard nothing yet.
4 Perhaps we have not convinced them
that the investments in the nurses
i salary would more than be made up In
j less than year. Here In Clarks-
i Lurg it costs SIS month to keep q
child in school, or SIS for the school
.lyear. II twenty children are kept in
school and passed In their studies
who would have failed to do SO but
for the aid the school nurse had given
i in keeping heads clean, in agitating
i the removal Of physical defects and
i helping to keep the children well, the
nurses salary Of $500 would be more
than paid for. M 3.
There are many other develop
/ ments we might make but one thing
at time seems the best way. s
4 s.,.f.. -