The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-08
Want Authority of County Health Officers Vested in State Board of Health and Local Prosecuting Author ities Claim Cooperation is Lacking.
Fairfield Health Officers Resignation Due to His Belief That He Was Be ing Baked in Efforts To Rectify Insanitary Conditions.

On the ground that the system of health supervision in Connecticut Is absolutely ineffectual and antiquated. sphysicians and others will go before the legislature again al, the next ses- sion seeking a change.
 Supreme power in the matter of Connecticut's health will be asked for tho state health board and the ap- ,pofntment of sanitary supervisors for leach section or county, instead of the lawyer county health officers. will be urged.
 It became, known today that pr. tvalery Havard of Fairfield. who has lbeen succeeded as local health officer by Dr. William T. Nagle, resigned six weeks ago because he believed County Health Officer George B. Hill failed to ,co-operate in sanitation work.
 Dr. w. H. Donaldson, who preceded Dr. Havard as health officer of Fair leld, resigned for the same reason.
 Dr. Donaldson held the position of health officer in Fairfield for many years, doing excellent work along san- 1tation lines and taking much timo from his extensive private practice to work among the poor. Although he accomplished great things, he believed he was continually baked by th> fail- lure of the county health officer to act on his recommendations or to prose- tcute when necessary He wouldn't be quoted today, when questionel on the i matter, but 1t Is known that he re- Gtgned for this reason.
 His successor Dr. Havard, who re- tired from the United States army as assfstant surgeon general, in which he did e1celidnt work in sanitation, waa, prevailed upon to take the podtioR only after citizens of the town had urged him strenuously to give Fair- 1eld the benefit of his knowledge and experience. Dr. Havard admitted to- day sat he ran against the same shags.
 Moral suasion worked in most cases, but some persons were obdur- ate or oglectfuL The customary mo- tices to abate the nuisance within a certain time wero sent, after which it was necessary to resort to threats to 1 prosecute When nothing came of these the persons involved began to look on the health officer as a med dlesorne busybody. using discirimina- ltion.
 It is- known that Dr. Havard re- 3cently had an unpleasant experience with a moro or less prominent family that thought its members shouldn't be quarantined- Cases like these, in which the county health officer fails to lend his support, are said to be of frequent occurrence. Health officers in this county com plain also the county official will not take their word about insanitary con- ditions but must see them himself be- fore taking a step. It is their con- tention that his business Is merely to prosecute. The abolition of the lawyer system, with its attendant political features, and giving the prosecution into the hands of the local authorities, will be the aim of those who go before the legislature seeking form. Theypwant .preme in health matters They will suggest dividing the state into dis tr1cts and having a competent sani- tary supervisor in charge of each.
 At the town meeting of Fairfield tnext fall, an effort will be made to have the voters approve a system of local health supervision whereby two or three towns, Westport and Fair field, for instance, will hire a sani- ltary expert. Fairfield, it is pointed out by both former health officers, is crowded in sections and health is be- ing menaced by the methods of offa1 disposal.
 Abolition of privy vaults and col- lection of garbage either by the town or by individual subscription. will be urged.