Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-17
AN OPEN PROTEST TO THE
PRESENT FORM OF CLOSING.

One of the most damnable outrages
ever perpetrated on a small percent
age of the business public in the city
OF Wausau took place on Wednesday,
December IL, through the action of the
board of health.
The above statement is occasioned
by the Influenza Epidemic and what
has transpired because of this malady.
| want to preface the following re-
marks by saying that each family that
has suffered because of this epidemic.
either in sickness or the loss of loved
ones, has my deepest sympathy. Let
me say further that no person exists
in this city who would not make the
greatest possible sacrifice either in a
business or social way to save single
life.
The Epidemic.
The epidemic seems to be general
on all parts of the earth, in the trop-
les and frigid zones alike. The med
cal fraternity has been and is unable
to cope with the situation. This was
firmly established III the Chicago
convention. The great majority
OF doctors in their fair dis
cussions say they can do nothing for
you except to give yourself the best of
care and treat you for the general
conditions of the body. Nature must
do the rest. The spread of the malady
is problematical-some say it is gin
the air." others say it is spread by
lack OF good ventilation, crowded
rooms, etc. However, the consensus of
opinion is that reasonably close con-
tact with an effected person is the
most plausible reason assigned.
Official Organization.
Past experience has taught CITY gov
ernments to have a board of health
with unimpeachable power to take any
necessary action in the care of public
safety. In the city of Wausau this
board is composed of clean, whole
some lot OF fair-minded business men.
ANY action taken because of their own
initiative has been done for the gem
eral welfare of the public Have these
good fellow citizens acting on this
board been treated with the respect
that they should be treated? Let us
see! They have made an exhaustive
careful study of the present epidemic,
They have honestly tried to be fair
with all. Make one trip to the health
office or what is better, one of the
business places conducted by one of
the members of this board-the tele-
phone rings and an excited mind. far
from normal in judgment and business
etiquette, unloads in vehement tones
all the ridicule the public can think
or or imagine. The advice" is filled
with profanity, derfhnciation, and. the
seVerest criticism possible. In a short
time the phone rings again, the dose
is repeated with the clamorous talk
That something must be DONE" public
sentiment demands it. Public safety"
must be guarded. I'VE must set an
example" The phone rings again and
again, first by some personal friend
with prestige" then by some woman.
followed by others. Mr.. Board of
Health Member is harassed so much
by this wild and excited clamor that
his best judgment does not play the
part it really should. They are after
hlm day after day. The fact is that
these clamorists, these personal
friends with prestige" these public
sentiment creators" have actually re-
established the pillory of the Colonial
days. Good, wholesome, innocent
people were then compelled to con
Tess" to crimes and depredations by
the same mental process which has
been made to prevail at the present
time
Reverse Action.
On Monday forenoon, December 9.
the city board of health in its unmo-
Tested deliberations unanimously de-
clded to give the quarantine a fair
trial before closing the town" again.
1t was unanimously agreed also to
1t was unanimously agreed also that
closing the town" does not do one
bit of good except to "appease
public conscience" 1t was firmly
resolved to stick by their de-
cision. Another meeting was held in
the afternoon. Several citizens repre-
senting the business interests of the
city and a strong representation from
the school board were present. Dur
ing the discussion it was plainly
shown that it was better to keep stud
ents in school and maintain the strict
medical inspection, than to turn them
loose on the streets. At the National
Convention of the Health Officers, the
members established this fact and
agreed upon it without one dissenting
vote. The school board had only the
welfare of the public and the future of
the students in mind. Their financial
interests were not involved The
Board of Health confirmed the decis-
ion of the morning meeting. What
happened: The clamorists, these
self-appointed guardians, these per-
sonal friends, got busy again. A has
tily summoned meeting was called, at
one place or another (of course there
was no danger of the spread of the
malady in these meetings) and the
Board of Health finally acquiesced it
reversed its decision and closed the
public schools and a limited number
OF business institutions. Notice | use
the word Limited" with the full mean
ing. BY reversing, they made an
error.
The something" has been done.
The public sentiment bunch have been
appeased. If there is any self-gratifi-
cation for this bunch of self-appointed
public health preservers let us hope
they have it.
The Business College has been clos
ed twice. Students were assembled
in the college under the best of condi-
tions. The public schools as we'll as
the Business College, in this city are
provided with ventilation. An unnec-
essary and needless expense has been
unloaded on the students by compell-
ing them to travel to distant parts of
the state on crowded trains or stay in
the city and pay board while doing
nothing. Many of them were forced
from the wholesome, healthful condi-
tinns to travel on crowded trains and
many actually ran into "flu" cases at
home aud suffered with the disease be-
fore returning to school, when the
epidemic was pronounced under con-
troll. This same foolish and needless
expense has been imposed upon the
student body of the Wausau Business