The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-22
STRONG ARGUMENTS
FOR COUNTY "CURES"
FOR TUBERCULOSIS
Vermont Urged to Pass Bill Permitting
Counties to Bond for Erection Of
Hospitals, the State to Main
tain Institutions.

I
Physicians, representatives of trade or
CARNATIONS and various other persons in
terested in the prevention of tuberculosi
and the care of persons afflicted with thu
dread disease, appeared last evening be
fore the committee on public health al
the State House and as one earnestl,
urged the committee favorably to consid
er and report H. 272, to establish county
institutions for the care of tuberculosis
patients.
The bill, which was introduced by Mr.
Rowland OF Barre City, provides foI
counties to vote on the question of ap'
propriating money for the erection OF
| buildings the sum not to exceed $4,000
and the state TO maintain the institu-
tions.
Mr.. Howland explained in brief his rea-
sons for the introduction Of the measure,
having framed the bill after he had
| found that the state boara of health con
CURED with him In his ideas He said
the Pittsford sanatorium is a credit to
the state, but it is unable to care for
persons in the advanced stages of the
disease, thus making necessary the es-
tablishment of hospitals to be used exciu-
sively for the caresof such persons. The
tuberculosis commission, said Mr.. How
land, had suggested that such hospitals
might be located In several sections of
the state, perhaps one at Barre or Mont
pelier. another at Burlington and third
at Rutland The objection to that sug-
gestion. Mr.. Rowland believed, is that
many of the persons affected by the dis
ease are unable to travel far from home
and relatives desire, to have them near
by, where they may visit them frequent
ly. Because of that, he had decided upon
the county unit system as the better way
to cope with the situation.
According TO statement made to him
at st. Louis recently by a Red Cross
worker. Mr. Howland said, stoneeutters
of all trades are most affected by tuher-
cular trouble, with shoemakers and stem
ographers next In order
City Clerk James Mackay of Barre
said the only arguments that could pos
sibly be made against the bin were the
questions Of expectancy and cost. He
of both of them by saying that
anyone acquainted Intimately with the
ravages OF the disease knows the urgency
of some measure being adopted TO care
for these unfortunates
DR. Blodgett of Bellows Falls, chair
man of the state tuberculosis commits
sion, said the $4,000 appropriation had
been exhausted, with 40 cases uneared !
for, due for the most part to the fact
that the commission mas been unable to |
place the persons applying for aid in
proper institutions without excessive /
sost The commission is handicapped in |
spending the money by lack Of place |
N which to place persons suffering from 1
.he advanced stages of the disease.
He urged legislation for those persons
n the advanced stages of the disease, the /
pittsford sanatorium being a 'equate and
Wiling to care for the incipient cases He
aid that, with the single exception of
he Mary Fletcher hospital at Burling-
on, the commission had been unable to
ecure the aid of local hospitals, none
Iaving facilities to handle the advanced
ases
DIR. Blodgett said that Barre furnishes
bout ten per cent of all the deaths in
he state from tuberculosis, and that
'arre. Montpelier and Hardwick have
at the expense of their resi-.
ents.
Alexander fronside of Barre, represent
ng the granitecutters' organization, said
fell to the worker to show the neces.
ity for such legislation as proposed by
he bill under consideration, and he pro.
eeded to give many convincing reasons.
lie described the conditions among the
ranite workers, where the persons af.
icted with the disease work as long as
ossible, knowing that il is short time !
-om the time they are forced to stop I
ork until they die.
He quoted statistics to show that % I
er cent. of the whole number of deaths G
/ the city of Barre for 1916 was caused c
Y tuberculosis. The bill, he considered 7
next in Importance TO the complete !
imination of granite dust, the principal y
,ason for stonecutters consumption.
Because of the danger incurred in b
orking in the granite plants and unless a
'mething is done to prevent and care for
iooHS dihlcleu Win tuDeFCuioslS, one OF
&c states greatest industries is threat
led. Mr.. Ironside ended by saving the L
usage of the bill would probably save I
e granite industry and Barre would re. I
in its title of the granite center OF the =
orld. j
s. Hollister Jackson of Barre said the Z
lestion to be considered is how to ac- I
mplish the end desired, namely, the Z
re of advanced cases, the need of such o.
yislation being plain. G
Among others who spoke were Senator OF
'octor of Proctor, +. p. Magner of Bur +
lgton, DIR. Rogers of the Pittsford sana- b.
rum, DIR. Bailey of Graniteville, DIR. =
S. Brown, superintendent of the Mary y
etcher hospital, and DIR. C. F. Dalton of II
e state board of health. All urged the hi
to report the bill favorably. "
d DIR. Brown said the hospital would SO
rnish the site for an institution for ad fit
need cases, provided ways and means OF
ould be devised to construct such n
ilding in
Pl
STAR HAD SERVICE ~
X,