The Farmington times., 1918-12-13
Influenza and the
Public Schools


fluenza throughout the country has
disturbed the work of the Public
Schools more seriously than any other
epidemic in their entire history. Prac-
tically every city in America has had
its schools entirely closed for weeks
or has had the attendance so greatly
reduced that only part of the school
population has been benefited BY them.
This will so seriously disturb the ed
ucational process of many children
that it's effect will be felt among our
people for the next fifty years. AS
an educational problem the influenza
constitutes the most serious menace
that our schools have ever faced. AS
a social and economic problem it is
even more serious. Thousands of our
people have met an untimely death.
Many more suffered serious sick
ness and prolonged physical disabil-
ity that has seriously affected the in
dustrial and business activities of ev-
cry community,
Surely such menace to the nor
NAL life and activities of our people
should receive the most serious con-
sideration. 1t should be met by the
most perfect organization possible in
every community. 1t should be
fought by the most sagacious busi-
ness management, and professional
skill that it is possible to muster. Ev-
cry Game individual should be willing
to make important' sacrifices of time,
conveniences, and comforts that the
disease may be controlled. No COM
munity without such earnest coop
Grafton, and skillful effort indefinitely
continued, can hope to escape its raw
ages. The problem of controlling the
influenza and stamping it out of our
country as an epidemic is the greatest
problem confronting every city and
every village in the land today. 1t is
a greater problem than any single one
thrust upon US by the great war. Fhe
manner in which we solve it will de-
termine largely our claim to social eff
ficiency and our fitness for local self
government.
Pennington is an average country
town, probably little more conserva-
tive than some others. What she has
done and is doing to combat the in
fuenza will approximate what has
taken place in like communities. Let
us examine into the efforts made here
to control the situation.
The official action taken has been
restricted to two official organizations,
viz: the City Government, represented
by the Board of Health with the May
or and Health Physician officiating;
and the Board of Education. Early in
Ia 81 I'D n
threatening the City Government on
the recommendation of the County
Health Physician issued proclama-
ton closing all schools, churches, pool
halls, and public gatherings of every
kind, and ordered children kept off
the streets, etc. The churches, Sunday
Schools, pool halls, lodges, etc,
complied with the order to the letter
and there was a fairly willing COM
pliance to the other features of the
closing order, except that there SEEM
ed to be no effort to avoid crowding
of people on the streets and in busi-
ness houses. BY the end of three
weeks the Mayor was harrassed by
numerous citizens to Gift the ban"
and allow conditions to take their
time any concerted action on the part
of the people to get behind the City
Government and support it in a rigid
enforcement of the closing order. Nor
was there anything like a universal
demand that rigid quarantine be
enforced against the members of fam
lilies where the disease existed. \ At
the end of the three weeks the Mayor
issued a proclamation revoking the
closing order, but demanded that
strict quarantine be exercised over the
homes where influenza was known to
exist. (This latter order has been re-
ligiously observed by a good many
families but many more who have had
the disease absolutely disregarded it,
often claiming that their attending
physician had permitted them to go
and come promiscuously.)
n When the ban was officially lifted
by the city authorities it did not seem
wise to the Board of Education to al
3ow the schools to open until the sit
Suation was more nearly cleared. There
Vas been much anxiety and some hes
Nation on the part of that body re-
harding the opening of school at sew
oral times since, but caution wisely
Prevailed and the schools have not
been in session single day for nine
Eeeks.
The lifting of the ban had hardly
xpne into effect until new emergency
Aeemed to threaten us by a material
Increase in the number of cases. The
losing order was again invoked by
The Mayor and stayed in force almost
three additional weeks when it was
finally lifted. Churches were opened
for services and the Sunday Schools
attempted to meet, with little sue
cess. The picture show was in opera
tion for a few nights with small at
tendance but closed by order of it's |
own management when an increase in
the epidemic was threatened,
During this period of nine weeks |