The Palatka news and advertiser., 1917-01-26
FIorida's Health Laws.

There is no reason to believe that
FIoridians are much below-or above
the average in their disregard OF
law Most of US would be grieved
perhaps angry-to be told that we
are habitual law breakers, but It's
fact We don't commit murder, we
are not highwaymen, we don't steal,
we nav the grocer and the tailor, we
are toierably regular in attendance on
Sunday church services, and we pflde
ourselves that we are pretty decent
citizens. E, -.
It's all right so far as it goes, but
there are some other debts we don't
nav. some very important laws we
break regularly and often, and the
worst of it is that when it's proved
to US, we smile and, in fact, we don't
care. ,.
Every intelligent citizen knows that
GOOD health. personal and community,
is the basic fact of individual and
community prosperity In other
words. if we are weak and slckly, II
we don't have physical health and
strength, all the rest is hardly worth
the while. =,
The statute books of Florida carry
some very important enactments,
which were put there to conserve the
nrhlic health of Florida citizens, and
as the public is made up Of individ-
mails, they are intended to protect the
Individual in his inalienable right to
health and to be protected from the
results of his neighbor's sins of sell
fshness, neglect and wilfulness.
These laws are the concrete express
sions of long experience, observation
and study not by Florida doctors and
sanitarians alone. but the aggregated
wisdom of leading scientific men ev-
ervwhere. They are not the "whlms
and foolishness of doctors" but they
are the results Of the combined wis
dom of doctors, than whom no body
of men has accomplished more for
the welfare Of mankind. Only the
ignorant and narrow-minded Will
question the statement.
Why aren't the health laws of Flor
ida enforced universally instead OF
snasmodicsllv or not at all? One
reason is that, excepting under eX-
treme and unusual conditions, when
we can't help the personal applica-
ton. most of US apply them to the
other fellow and not to ourselves,
We don't and won't recognize our
lo ,ool oHar 1prS
Another reason is that because we
can't Immediately see the why and
the importance Of this or that enact
ment for the protection Of health. we
conclude that it isn't worth while any
way and promptly forget it.
Still another reason of the failure
to enforce these laws is the personal
relationships of public officials.
| (sworn to enforce these as we'll as all
ether laws) to proven offenders
There's the fear of weakening politi-
cal pull Take an example. It's
based on facts, only the names are
| fictitious. A representative of the
State Board of Health sees on Tom
Jones' fruitstand a lot of fruit and
vegetables. "intended TO be eaten
without being washed" unscreened
and surrounded by swarms of flies
He protests. hears an excuse and gets
promise that the conditions shall
be remedied, which of course isn't
done. because Tom doesn't have to.
Gathering evidence and witnesses
the complaint formally written out is
handed to Bill Smith, the iovial public
prosecutor and the comnlainant as
citizen of the state demands that the
fruit he covered and that Tom Jones
he punished, Now Tom has beer
hnen doing This same thing for wears
hnt Ril knows Tom nersonallv anG
knows that he's a nrettv decent fel.
low and when the Board representa-.
five goes the memoranda are prompt
Iv stuffed into a nigeon hole 70 oath.
er the dust of weeks or months per.