The broad ax., 1916-12-02
STUDY THESE FIGURES.

In 1915 there were 1858 cases of
diphtheria reported in Chicago with
67S deaths. These cases and deaths of
this one disease cost the people of Chi
cago- So, 915, O54.OO, or an average cost
per ward of Sill, $500. Much of this
costly sickness and suffering, due to
this particular disease, could have been
prevented, if only the parents had been
intelIigently careful in the care of their
children.
Take for example, another disease
common to child life, that of measles,
which is usually regarded as a minor
ailment. In fact, many parents make
the mistake of deliberately exposing
their children to this disease in order
that "they may have it over with. !"
Last year there were 1894 cases of
measles in Chicago with 236 deaths.
And these measles cases and deaths
cost the parents of those measles cases,
1851, 423.00, or an average ward cost
of $47, $4,000. So it is easy to see that
it pays to avoid contagion of every kind.
1t pays in dollars and cents to heed the
warnings and advice of the Depart
ment of Health.
Then there is scarlet fever. Let US
see how big a money burden it laid on
the people of Chicago& Last year there
were 1866 cases with II deaths-really
a low mortality rate, but for all that
the total cost for the year of this dis
ease was $97S, $4,000, with an average
ward cost of $27 $4,000. Pity that this
money, totalling $3.50, 2O7.OO for the
three diseases named, could not have
been saved. The facts are, much of it
might have been saved, had only the
people given their best cooperation to
the health officers in their efforts to
control the communicable diseases and
thus to prevent needless sickness, suf
fering and deaths.
It is generally conceded that habits
are hard to break. This is why stress
is laid by teachers of the young on the
Importance of forming right habits in
early life. 1t is taken for granted that
the child trained in the ways it should
60 will not depart from them in later
years.
Among the things that should be i'm
pressed early upon young and growing
minds is the habit of neatness and or
derliness. Slovenly habits mean waste,
inefficiency and carelessness. Slovenly
habits are expensive in many ways.
Especially is this true when applied to
conditions affecting community COM
fort and safety. Here is where care
lessness, thoughtlessness and slovenli-
ness, taken in their cumulative effects
made for ugliness and danger.
One of the most prominent of the
weekly publications in the country, dis
cussing community conditions from the
standpoints Of beauty and safety, says
that the litter habit is national char
acteristic. People will look carefully
after front yards and lawns and throw
their litter and waste in the alley or
the rear of their premises, and are ut
terly indifferent as to either appear
ances or consequences. This is why in
every town or city, and in almost every
community of the same, We find places
that could be called "swell fronts and
swill backs.'
During the Winter months, too, peo-
pie are inclined to permit the accumu-
lations of waste and rubbish on their
premises that they would not do during
the warm weather months. This is
why we have our Spring clean up cam
paigns. It means, when you think
about it little, we have been so dirty
and slovenly and careless in our habits
all Winter long, that when Spring
comes, largely as q matter of self-de-