The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-05-20
TO CONSERVE LIVES
President Hackney Launches a
Nationwide Movement to
Better Mankind.
WOULD ERADICATE DISEAS ES
Plan to Have Government Establish
Research Stations in Connection
With All Universities.

Kansas again is first in launching
one of the most important nationwide
movements for the betterment of man
kind. President E. T. Hackney of
the board of educational administra-
ton, sent a letter to all state univer-
sites urging cooperation in an effort
to induce the government to establish
health experiment and research sta
ton or laboratory in connection with
each university school of medicine,
making it a cooperative agency of the
United States public health service
for the eradication Of communicable
diseases.
In his letter President Hackney
urges that the conservation of human
life should receive as much considera-
ton at the hands of the government
as does animal and plant life, the
protection of which has been a gov
eminent duty for years. The results
of this latter work has been easily
reducible to a dollar and cents stand
point while the value of human life
has not been so easily measured.
Sordid as it may seem to consider
human values from a financial base,
the figures secured by the Kansas
board prove that the subject is one
worthy of the greatest consideration.
1t is estimated that the economic loss
annually from deans in the United
States reaches the startling total of
$1.7OO, 100000 This is based upon an
estimate of $1,7O0 for each life. From
Al 20
the country as a result of diseases
which render the victims economic
burdens must reach into the millions.
The boards report shows that $780,
900 lives are snuffed out yearly in this
country by communicable diseases,
such as typhoid, tuberculosis, pneu-
monia, scarlet fever, whoOping cough,
measles and diphtheria, most of which
are preventive. The government has
succeeded in eradicatjng yellow fever,
and the plague and it is the plea of
the Kansas board that nationwide
campaign against these diseases would
prove a blessing, the value of which
could not be estimated. Through ex-
aminatiOns and investigations at the
state university laboratories and an
extensive education of the people, the
mitigation and eradication of commu-
nicabre diseases may be accomplished
and Kansas has started the ball roll
ing in the right direction.
The campaign, if undertaken, would
fill long needed want and the field
covered would be a vast one. In a
country where more than 100000 per
sons die annually from diseases of
the kidney, heart and blood vessels,
some strenuous steps are necessary.
Again the subject of Venereal diseases
is an alarming one, and like others
would fall under the eye of the coun-
try's eminent specialists, thus bene-
fitting the nation at large. In addi-
ton to the enormous loss of life from
communicable diseases it is estimated
by the Kansas board that 100000
people yearly are incapacitated as a
result of infectious diseases. The
ready response from state universe
ties, will be submitted to congress.
x x
Killed by Eneine-Walter Wirtz, 81
years old, foundry laborer Of Leav
enworth, was struck by a Missouri Pa
cafic extra freight engine at Atchison.
He died in an ambulance on the way
to hospital.
Markham Heads Editors-Before
closing its session at Lawrence the
Kansas Editorial Association elected
W. c. Markham. Baldwin. president;
-
dent; o. W. Little, corresponding Sec
rotary; ]. Bryon Cain, Belle PLANE
vice president; Clark Conklin, Lyons,
treasurer. Election to vice president
virtually is equivalent to being elect
ed president next year, as the vice
president annually is promoted. Mrs.
E. D. Aldrich OF the Cawker City Her
a1d-Chronicle was awarded $25 for
writing the best story on eff 1 had to
Do It Over Again, Would I Marry a
Kansas Editor"
Former Cornoner Dead-Dr. Robert
Lee Tags. Sc years old, a practicing
physician many years, is dead at his
home in Herkimer. His wife, two
daughters and a son survive. He was
coroner several years.
X X x
Gave Shakespeare Playa Shake
spearean pageant, one of the commu.
nifty music and drama programs of
the season, was given by pupils of the
high school at Winfield recently.
x x K
Smallpox Scare at Goddard-The
town of Goddard. sixteen miles west
of Wichita, is in the throes of a small.
pox scare. At the request of the
mayor, Dr. W. G. Loomis, county ply
stefan, went to Goddard, closed one
store. quarantined a dozen houses and
fumigated the post office and every
church in town.
=
Neodesha Pioneer Dies-J. c. Lu
kens, 80 years old. resident of vii
son county since 1865, is dead at Neo
desha. Mr.. Lukens had not been out
of -Neodesha township in fifty years.
X
Drank Lye by Mistake-William J
Lynn, a farmer near Easton, is dead