Putnam patriot., 1916-12-08
State Health Association Formed
launching Campaign for q Better State
Health Board
Irving Fisher on Health Insurance

A largely attended meeting of health
officers, medical men and others Inter
ested in the cause of public health was
held In Chamber of Commerce hall,
New Haven, Dec. 9Th, to organize a
Connecticut Public Health AssocIs.
ton. DR.. Stephen J. :Maher of New
Haven presided.
After the formal organization of the
association and the adoption of a con.
stitution and bylaws prepared by the
Hon. Charles w. Evarts, Prof. Irving
Fisher of Yale urged the importance
of system of health insurance; par.
ticularly on account of its indirect in
huence as a stimulus to preventive
measures, which he compared to the
influence exerted on accident proven.
ton lin factories by Workmen's Com
pensstion Acts. He pointed out that
European nations have almost all
adopted this system, and that Massa.
chusetts and California now have spe
sial commissions considering it, while
bills for health insurance are likely to
be introduced in at least twenty state
legislatures next year.
DR.. E. B. Hooker of Hartford spoke
on the Tenement Problem, Miss Mary
g. Aills on Public Health Nursing in
Connecticut, Mrs. w. E. d. Scott of
Greenwich on The Connecticut Re
search Association and its work for
public health, Prof. e. J. Bartlett on
the Health Work of the New Haven
Civic Federation, Health Officer w. P.
3. Heating of Willimantic on the work
Of the Local Health Officer, Hor. CIV.
Evarts on the work of the County
Health Officer, DIR. T. N. Hepburn of
Hartford on Social Hygiene Problems
in Connecticut, DR.. w. N. Thompson
of Hartford on Mental Hygiene work
in the state, and DR.. s. J. Maher on
tuberculosis.
Special interest WAS excited by the
vivid presentation of the needs of the
state board of health by its secretary,
DIR. John T. Black. He pointed out
that during the epidemic OF the past
summer the state board of health had
been unable properly to respond to the
appeals FOR help that had come TO it
from many quarters.
alas a deaf ear been turned he
annaals haan
lightly-or, are there good reasons
why the state board has not actively
engaged the sforces that endsnger the
lives and health of the people?"
The answer is this the appeals
have been heard and they have been
seriously considered but with both
hands tied little or nothing can be ac
complished. Without the hand of au
thority and the hand of finance 1t can
merely shout advice and Kick at re-
straint.
1t is surprising to note the number
of people who are still under the inn.
preston that the state board of health
has almost unlimited powers and is
reasonably well equipped with funds.
Let US look at the situation as it
really is
The board has the authority to re-
quest information concerning diseases
prejudicial to public health but can
not institute an investigation nor In
troduce measures for control. Local
health officers can be advised but not
assisted. Indifference or neglect of
duty may be noted but cannot be cor
rected. Provision has been made for
the study of water and sewerage works
without the power to regulate. The
statutes require the dissemination of
information on health subjects with
out providing funds for the purpose.
Vital statistics which should be avail
able within a few weeks cannot be
tabulaled for over year because OF re-
strictions imposed.
These few examples should be suffi-
Gent to convince the most skeptical OF
the urgent necessity for granting the
state board regulating powers and fer
the reorganization of the health sys.
tenn of the state.
Figures show that the state is al
lowing fer the protection aud pfeser-
walton of the health of each OF It's eiti-
zens, through the state board OF health,
just two cents year.
The average per capita expenditure
for health by the state board Of hea4h
oil New England, outside OF Conneeti
cut, is II cents.