The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-11
A LETTER OF REGRET.
The Chairman OF the Committee OH
Education of the Chamber OF COM
mercc Writes OF the Sanitary Survey
Editor The, Item:

". s"o S""ihpor VI Sohherce ih
its efforts 10 procure sanitary sur
vey and II was with genuine regret
that noticed that the Board of
County Commissioners found 1t neces-
snry to decline to make the needed
appropriation. These gentlemen are
just as conscientious as the members
Of the committee of the Chamber of
Commerce. just as Jealous for the we!
fare OF tie county. and in addition
to this they feel more keenly the bur-
den Of the responsibility of the ap-
preparation OF public funds. since to
them 10 entrusted the just and equf.
table disposal OF these funds.
Since this is true. II would be un.
just in me to offer any adverse criti.
cism OF the Boards action. They arp,
entitled to the same consideration o..
their rights and feelings as one il,
prone to demand for oneself.
The Board bases its ieclinatios,
purely upon it's financial inability an(,
u IL safe to assume that the members
of this Board are more familiar with
their financial needs and ability than
any outsider can possibly be. They
acknowiedse the great Importance o.
tho proposed sanitary survey, admir-
its claims upon the public attention,
and express regret that they a.
compelled BY financial inability and
BY the stress Of these extraordinary;
times to decline to sanction the leg
islative.- ,delesation's making next
January. the appropriation that has
been requested.
AS 1 understand 1t. this Is a reques
from the Chamber OF Commerce e,
the Board of County Commissioner
for an appropriation Of the sum oi,
$4,000, which will make immediate
ly available an additional sum Of
$1,000. and the total amount of Sc
goo will be expended in making
health survey OF Sumter county for
educational and International puri
poses. 49,, s
This should not. II seems to mo,
neccssitatc the subsequent employ
ment OF q. county health officer.
am aware that one Of the experts says
that thia should be done: but Is not
tho purpose of this survey education
nj and infogmationai? Is not Its pur-
pose to put into the possession of ev-
sry citi3sA .ef Sumter county. the ex-
act status Of the health conditions OF
the countya :. Is not its purpose to CO.
operate with the citizens OF the ru-
raj districts by letting them know
whether or not they arc endangerlng
tho health of their families by the
presence of certain unhealthful con-
ditions that could be easily removed?
II Its purpose Is education and en-
lightenment would not this purpose
have been served by the survey itself
Although realize that this action
of the Board is final. feel. as chain
man of the committee on Education of
the Chamber OF Commerce. that this
is propltious time for continuing n
health campaign in our county.
& 1 believe that the health record OF
our county Is good and / think that
the health conditions are not ex-
ceptionally uhfavorable; but realize
also that ignorance is remedy fo-
nothing and that. IL there is any con-
dition I'm our county that Is preju-
diciai to health we should know it. II
n survey should reveal any condition
that Is unfavorable to the health of
our people. we would congratulate
ourselves upon our prescience AMI
\ would take immediate steps to rec
tify this conditions: IL. on the othcr
hand. a survey should convince the
experts that no change is needed. We
should feel so happy because OF our
county's condition that we should
have no regret that we made the ex-
his life insurance premium falls due
because OF the fact that he is still
alive. No one regrets paying for q
physicians diagnosis that pronounccs
one perfectly sound.
We have long since reached tho
conclusion that there Is no earthly
blessing more to be desired than goo
health. without II tho will becomes
osciilating and mental alertness vain,
There can not bc "a sound mind In an
unsound body and our physical vi
tality determines our output i'm ev-
crything.
We know that today the health ot
the individual is determined largely
by the healthfulness OF the commun
ity md TINT tho healthfulncsS of an"