Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1918-11-27
WHOLE CITY IS
To Be MASKED
THIS MORNING
Order Of Health Department
Makes Compulsory Wear
ing Of Influenza Masks
Goes Into Effect 6 4. NJ.

Life time friends may pass each
other on the streets of Phoenix today |
unrecogniZed. Husbands and wives
may become separated. Children may
lose their parents. Dogs may follow
the wrong person home.
All this because
Beginning at o'clock this morning,
no person may appear on the streets, !
in business houses or other public
places in Phoenix without wearing an
influenza mask. The new regulation
of the health department making the
wearing of masks compulsory goes
into effect at that hour.
Health Departments Order
A notice of the regulation was is
sued yesterday by the city board of
health, signed by DR.. H. X. Beau
champ, city health officer. The no
tice reads that after o'clock this
morning, during the present epidemic
of influenza and until further orders
no person shall frequent the streets
business houses or other public and
semi-public places within the city of
Phoenix, unless a gauZe or cloth mask
is worn over the nose and mouth in
such a manner that the act of breath
The boards notice calls attention to
the fact that the order is made in sc-
cordance with the provisions of para
graph 1886, Revised Statutes of Ari-
iona, which provides that violation OF
the order be punished as a misdemean-
or, with a fine not to exceed 500 or
thirty days in Jail or both.
Doctors Favor 1t
The health boards ruling that every
one must wear an influenza mask was
made after thorough discussion. The
regulation was emphatically recon-
mended by the physicians committee
appointed to, help fight the epidemic,
and is endorsed by practically every
physician in the city. The citizens
committee chosen to enforce the ply
sicians' committees rulings announced
yesterday that it would enforce to the
letter the new mask regulation.
The wearing of masks is not only
necessary in the streets, as many sup
posed, but in offices and business
places as well. Individual homes are
the only places left where a person
may leave off his or her mask and es-
| cape a fine.
Rush For Masks
With the time of enforcement only
a few hours away, all Phoenix was
| talking Of the order last night and yes
terday. Drug stores and other stores
reported a heavy demand for gauze
and ready made masks. Dry goods
and drug store people said the general
| impression was that the new regulation
| was all right, and that the people were
| glad to obey it. Everyone expressed
! hope it would do some good in break
/ ing the force Of the disease.
/ The definite purpose of the regula-
/ ton, it was pointed out again and
/ again, was to wipe out the epidemic
and make possible a general resump-
| ton of business, and that the end more
| than justified the means.
Mostly Ready Made
1t is certain, however, that most of
the masks which appear for the first
time this morning will be home made
| A shortage of ready made masks was
| apparent yesterday. The committee
| urged that the masks be made at home
| whenever possible to relieve the short
age. Although gauze was recommend
ed as the material for masks, the com
mittee stated it was not absolutely
| necessary
A further satisfactory decrease in
the number of influenza cases was
| contained in the report of the citizens
committee yesterday, which had 2
grand total of 59S cases. Of this nun
Der, lis were in hospitals, and $50 in