The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-02
Vigorous Protest Against Any Dis
turbance of Policies Be
Inaugurated
HEALTH COMES FIRST
Tampa Civic Association Starts A
Movement Which Will Be
Statewide

The Tampa Civic association OF
Tampa, of which Mrs. w. c. Rich
ards is president, is sending through
out the state to all kindred organiza-
lions a strong protest against the
anticipated removal by the governor
of DR.. Joseph Y. Porter. state health
officer, and making a plea for the
continuance in Florida of policies in
augurated by him.
The cooperation of all cigic so
cities is asked in the effort to have
DIR. Porter retained in the office.
The Tampa protest is as follows:
Conservation of human Life in
Florida.
Alarm and anxiety have stunned
recent announcement from Tallahas-
see that it is the intention to dis
turb the present policies of the state
board of health.
Not in a decade has an announce
ment from the state capital been
weighted with greater importance to
the people of the state. nor with
greater threat to their safety nor to
the growing prosperity of Florida
When the state board of health was
brought into existence in 1889 by the
legislature. called i'm special session
for the purpose, DR.. Joseph Y. Por-
ter was made its first executive of
ficer and the first state health Of
fcer. And there has been no other.
For more than twenty-seven years he
has stood at the helm. A generation
has been born and grown almost to
middle life while he has fought for
the betterment of the health condi-
tons in the state He has raised the
standards of sanitation and hygiene
from hose of a frontier settlement
to those of progressive common
wealth In this more than quarter
century the menace of infectious dis
ease from the West Indies and Carri-
bean ports has been controlled and
nullihed. The invasion of yellow fe-
and summer in Florida is as health
full as in any part of this country or
the world.
The board by its unvarying poll
cies and unwearying efforts has in
fluenced the investment of uncounted
millions of dollars in the development
of the state. because il redeemed
Florida from the reputation of being
unhealthful. The board has become
one of the leading organizations of
its kind in the United States.
The board has grown from an UNI
known and uncertain state-authorized
institution to be one of the leading
boards in the country. II has reached
n high degree of efficiency in its sew
eral departments. in its control of
disease in individual and epidemic
form its bacteriolofcal accom-
plishment of its laboratories. than
which none is more complete for
practical results in the diagnosis of
disease in its department of SAM.
tary engineering. in its facilities for
practical education of the people of
Florida. in its health train which is
the best equipped school on wheels
for sanitary teaching in the world
and i'm its adaptation to meet all
proper demands that are or can be.
made upon its resources
This splendid development of the
board of health has been due, more
than to any other one or to all other
Influences. to the personality of Dr.
Porter. He has been it's builder
from the beginning. He has put his
life, his soul into it's creation and
growth. II is the child of his brain
and no less of his untiring capacity
for work. of his ability and execu-
tive efficiency. Called from a life
position in the army of his country
to assume the place. he sacrificed a