The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-07-08
HAS NATIONAL REPUTATION.
DE-. Bowling Recognized as Leader in
Public Health Work.
f.ditoriai in Chicago Tribune. MAY q.

!
Public Health Work.
Editorial in Chicago Tribune May %.
Dir. Charles V. Chapin, health com
missioner of Providence, Rhode Is
land, and sanitarian of recognized
ability and long experience, has re
Gently conducted an investigation OF
the various state departments Of
health.
His conclusions are embodied in {
report Of state public health work is
sued within the last few weeks
Judged by this report some Of the
states are very much alive to the ne
cessity Of conserving the health of ths
people, while certain others leave
such matters very largely to indi
vidual initiative.
Speaking generally, the Older
states have developed the best depart
ments Of health. Again, it is notice
able that also speaking generally
the best departments are III those
states in which, by reason Of the de-
velopment of great manufacturing
and commercial enterprises, q large
proportion Of The people live in cities
In rural communities the conservation
of health can be left to individual in
itiative without causing such disas
trous results or disastrous results sc
easily appreciated.
Ey reason Of this we find that
again speaking generally, the agricul.
tural states have not kept pace in the
development of their state depart
ments of health.
Another deterring influence in near.
ly every state, but much more ia some
than in others, is the tendency to dis
miss trained health officers and to re.
place them with green, unframed
men tfor they are not sanitarians)
with every change of administration
Speaking Of one state, DIR. Chapin
says:
Politics are said to dictate ap-
pointments to the state board OF
health. If this is SO permanency OF
tenure for the executive, and perhaps
his subordiiiates, can never be secure,
and no matter how efficient an Of
iicial may be, the whirligig of politics
may displace him in q moment and
reverse the policy Of the department
and destroy its influence. CThe IN
cubus OF easily preventable disease
lies so heavy OH the south that no
southern state can afford to allow
party or personal politics to exist in
the department. Of health.) The peo'
pie should demand that no governor
a apa.oiiiar te ezn belship in tbs. board
7of health any man who does not fola
himself above ali petty politics.
This criticism applies TO every sec
ton OF the country. 1t is as true In
the north as iii the south. The state
nea1s quoted were in the chapter de
voted to the Louisiana health depart
ment.
Within d year after they were writ
ten Louisiana elected a new governor.
Powerful political interests are exert
ing themselves to dlsplace the present
efficient president Of the state board
OF health and TO replace him with i
man without training IN sanitation or
experience il protesting !. people
against disease.
The reputation Of Louisiana as q
:.tate where proper health work is be-
ing done has greatly enhanced since
DR.. Oscar Dowling became the state
health officer.
AS such heshas national reputa-
ton, and the state has capitalized and
is capitalizing on that reputation.
People from other sections OF the
country feel a little more tempted to
move to Louisiana when they know OF
the good reputation borne by Dr.
Bowling and the other members of
the state board
Naturally the people OF the state
would be expected TO visit their ven
ge.nce on any officer who would turn
the state board Of health oNel to IN
trained and untried men.