The broad ax., 1916-11-25
CONSERVATION OF NEGRO
HEALTH
NATIONAL NEGRO HEALTH WEEK
TO BE OBSERVED APRIL 22-2s,
1917, OFFICIAL CALL ISSUED

The Executive Committee of the Ma
tional Negro Business League, at the
annual session held in Kansas City,
Missouri, August Is, II and Is, 1916,
passed a resolution ratifying the sug-
gestion of the secretary of the National
Organization that a Negro Health
Week be observed next year, as was
done during the year 1915 under the
general direction and supervision of DR..
Booker T. Washington, president, and
the Executive Committee of the Ma
tional Negro Business League. The sec
rotary was authorized to work out full
details of publicity in connection with
the observance of National Negro
Health Week, and announce same
through the public press.
Since the meeting of the National
Negro Business League, it has been de-
cided by the Tuskegee Normal and In
dustrial Institute to devote the COM
ing Tuskegee Negro Conference, to be
held January II and Is, 1917, to a dis
cussion mainly of Negro health. 1t has
thus been decided that these two in
fiuential organizations shall join hands
in a campaign for Negro health. The
week beginning Sunday, April %, 1917,
has been decided upon as the week to
be observed, and an invitation is here
by extended to each and every organi-
zation interested in Negro health to
join with them in the effort to improve
health conditions among the Negro peo-
pie, especially the daily and weekly
newspapers, health journals, the Ma
tional Medical Association, the Ma
tional Association of Graduate Nurses,
WOmen's Clubs, the National League
on Urban Conditions Among Negroes,
the National Association of Teachers in
COlored Schools, the National Negro
Press Association, the bishops and other
officers of Colored religious denomina-
tons, state medical associations, an
nual church conferences and associa
tiOns, secret society organizations, Col
ored insurance companies, farmers con-
ferences, farmers improvement socie
ties, churches, schools and other local
organizations, state health officers.
In the observance of this National
Negro Health Week, the organizations
already mentioned are exceedingly
fortunate in having the cooperation of
such an important agency for civic bet
terment as the National Clean Up and
Paint Up Campaign Bureau, with head
quarters in the Kinloch Building, st.
Louis, Missouri. Mr.. Allen w. Clark,
its chairman, has written to offer its
services to the National Negro Business
League and other organizations, to the
extent of supplying literature to any
and all organizations which may be
formed for the purpose of conducting
campaigns in the interest of better
health for Negroes, and which may
write to him for same.
According to the Negro Year Book,
100000 Negroes in the South are seri-
ously i'll all the time, at an annual cost
of $75,OOO,OOO; $4,000 Negro workers
in the South are sick continuously,
losing annual earnings of $4,000, 900;
225,O00 Negroes in the South die annu-
ally, paying a funeral expense bill of
$l5,OOO,OOO; 100000 of these deaths
could be prevented, saving annually
$6,500,o00 in funeral expenses alone,
and in potential earnings sl70, 1000, 900.
1t is thought that members of the
race will again welcome the opportu-
nifty to unite its efforts in one great
National Health Movement, and thus
gain the benefit of the momentum and
enthusiasm that viii come from another
great united effort for health improve
ment.
As the late Dr.. Booker T. Washing.
ton said in the 1915 call, "without
health, and until we reduce the high