The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-08-24
THURSDAY, AUGUST "a, 1916
Comparative Protection.

homely Kenosha problem that has been
forgotten for long time.
For the coming year Kenosha through
the aid of it's officials is going to spend
a per capita of two dollars for the pro-
lection of itself against crime through
the medium Of a police department; it
is going to spend two dollars per capita
for protection of its buildings against
fire and it is going to spend sixteen and
two-thirds cents per capita for protec
tion of the life and health of it's people.
This is another case where comparisons
are not only odius but decidedly inter
esting. 1t is just possible that life in
Kenosha is not nearly as valuable as
the barn on the back Of the lot or your
gold watch. Most people seem to think
that the value of human life and human
health is certain vague uncertainty.
In this they are true in a measure. The
value Of health and life is not vague
but infinite. 1t is easy enough to insure
your valuables against burglary, hun
dred insurance companies are willing
to write you policy to protect your
property against fire, if your conduct
is reasonably good you are reasonably
safe against some drunken loafer giving
you a black eye and necessitating the
calling of the police. Yet we appropri-
ate $4,000 year to increase this
form of insurance. You can reasonably
insure your life if you have the money
to pay the premiums; you can insure
your wages but you can not insure
against the tears of widowhood, the
neglect of orphaned children and the
loss of opportunity to those who feel
heaviest the hand Of DEATH You can
make it little easier but you can not
pay for the loss of human sympathy
and for the restitution that comes from
the loss of all that is held dearest in
life. You can not insure against the
hectic cheek Of the consumptive or the
blazing fever that attacks the child
when scarlet fever signs are on the
house. These must be guarded against.
We have no quarrel with efficient police
and fire protection. The city which
fails to provide them fails utterly in
doing its duty to the people living in
it but we do believe that there is field
wider by far for the protection of the
public health and the prolonging Of hui
man life. 1t is not featured by the
glittering stars of those in authority
but field in which trained men slip
about without noise building up fences
against disease and breaking down
barriers raised through lack Of santa
ton. We believe that the protection of
life and health is more important than
anything else. We believe that this
can be done for $4,000 a year We be-
lieve that we should have sanitary in
spectors and that the food sold in Ke-
nosha should have the care that is given
to food products in other cities There
is no reason why half spoiled or imma-
ture meats should be sold in the city.
There is no reason why decaying vege-
tables should be handed out to people
who are SO ignorant that they do not
know the good from the bad Of course
many of you have never come into con
tact with a lot of these abuses of the
food laws but there is duty that YOU
owe to the other fellow and that duty
demands that you give your support to
the proper inspection of food problems.
We do not believe in the creation Of
positions to give someone a job but we
believe that these positions are needed
for service to the greatest possible
number Of people in the city and that
they should be created with a salary
attached to them to make possible the
employment of men competent to take
care of the duties. The health depart
ment in Kenosha is crippled most of the
time because of lack of funds which
lack of funds brings a corresponding
lack of men to carry ON the work. No
man is overly anxious to pay taxes but
IT slight increase in taxes will bring
an infinite Improvement Of the com
paratlve protection that is given to the
public health the people can well afford
TO stand the burden. Right now the
council is considering the employment
OF a food inspector. Such an inspector
is necessary to the best interests Of the
people of Kenosha and the appropria-
tion should be made sufficiently large
to secure the employment of man COM
potent and honest in his work. 1t is
not job for some man who has failed
at everything else he has attempted but
of an expert who has succeeded in Just
this particular line of work. The study
OF comparative protection in Kenosha
should lead the people to see that the
city is failing to insure its most valu-
able asset-the lives and health Of its
people.