The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-08

With the starting of the Health
Train" on it's wanderings up and
down the state, Florida has taken a
long step forward No other COM
monwealth in the entire country is
better equipped than this for the
work of educating it's people to high
er ideas of sanitation and to the pre-
vention of disease, according to the
most advanced scientific methods and
experience.
This train, consisting of three
Pullmans, is to start on it's initial
journey Monday morning. The first
stop will be made at St. Augustine
where it will be inspected by the Of
ficials of the Florida East Coast
Railway Company. The second will
be at Miami, and the terminus of the
trip will be Key West, where a stay
OF several days will be made. On
the return northward, stops will be
made at the various cities and towns
of the East Soast, and the subse-
quent itinerary will be arranged
later.
This train with it's splendid equip
ment is the realization of the pet
ambitions of DR.. Joseph Y Porter,
for more than twenty-five years the
pf1ioinnf I1n "a nc a.
Board of Health. 1t provides the
means by which the board may come
into closest touch with the people OF
Florida, may bring its campaign of
practical education on health and
sanitation to the people themselves
This campaign has been carried or
for years by correspondence, by
periodical and special publication.
and through the press of the state
which always has been most heart,
and liberal in its support of tn,
work of the board.
During the year past representa-
tives of the board have visited va
rious sections and cities of the State
carrying with them panels, model
and other equipment to bring to tn
people practical instruction for bet
ter living. The splendid success tina
attended this effort suggested it
elaboration and extension, and tn,
health train is the result.
This has been accomplished with
out any special appropriation of Stat,
funds. The initial cost of the trair
and its equipment and its operation
will add not one cent to the bur
dens already resting upon the tax
payers of Florida.
Prior to the gathering of the Leg
islature of 1915, the board preached
to the various railroad companie.
operating in the State the matter o
free passage for the necessary rep
resentatives of the State board and OF
the attendants and servants required
hoAi thC ohiSCAo VI thCoc u dAopOl
tation lines came a willingness tc
furnish such service without cost tC
the State or the board if it could be
done within the legal provisions OF
the statute books of the State.
Next, appeal was made to the
State Railroad Commission, which
expressed the opinion that it had not
the authority to grant such permits
sion to the railroad companies under
the then existing laws. 1t was con-
sidered that special enactment by
the Legislature would be needed to
give such authority. This was adopt
ed by the Legislature in May, 1915,
which, in effect, gave the commits
sion authority to give the railroads
permission to do what they had al
ready promised to do, and so the COM
plicated problem was solved and all
was well, so far.
The Pullman Company was most
liberal in its bargain with the board,
by which the latter secured three
standard sleeping cars for its use.
These were remodeled to meet the re-
Quirments of the new and some
what novel service and they were
brought to Jacksonville some weeks
ago. The intervening time has been
occupied in preparing and installing
the equipment for the great work.
The cooperation of the railroads