New-York tribune., 1918-04-30

evidence adduced at recent hearings a!
proof that the tentative recommends
tion Of the MacBride board should bt
ignored. In this he wrote:
April 20, 1918.
Hon. John F. Hylan,
Mayor Of the City of New York.
Dear Sir: l have reconsidered the
tentative conclusions announced in
the preliminary report submitted by
the commission appointed by you to
investigate the organization of the
Department of Health. l am now
firmly of the opinion that partcu-
larly at this time the abolition of
the Bureau of Public Health Educa-
ton would be serious menace not
only to the people of this city but
to those Of the whole country as
we'll.
The preliminary report which
recommended the abolition of the
Bureau Of Public Health Education
was signed by me in the belief that
the conclusion stated therein was
merely tentative and subject to
change after all the evidence and all
the expressions of competent opinion
had been received. If that conclusion
was not tentative, but was intended
to be final, despite the fact that pub
lie hearings were still to be held,
then such hearings were merely an
idle ceremony resulting in conclu-
sions in which | cannot conscien-
tiously participate.
Expert Opinion Unanimous
The tentative conclusion announced
in the preliminary report was based
merely on the testimony of the di-
rector of the Bureau of Public Health
Education, given in secret session
and under circumstances which
placed the witness at an obvious dis
advantage. The overwhelming weight
of well-informed and expert opinion,
as expressed at the public hearings,
was such that no one could avoid
the conviction that the Bureau of
Public Health Education not only
should not be abolished, but, on the
scope and activity. This conclusion
is confirmed by the unanimous ex-
preston of view received by you
and published in the press from san
itarians and public health educators
all over this country and in Canada,
men of recognized eminence in the
scientific world and in point of prac-
tical achievement.
The high degree of efficiency with
which the Health Department. Of this
city discharges its duties has made
1T model for corresponding depart
ments of government all over the
country. This enviable position has
been achieved after years of con-
scientious effort, far beyond the
stage of mere experimentation. To
disrupt this splendid branch of gov
ernmental service by so radical a
move as the abolition of the Bureau
Of Public Health Education would,
in my opinion, be step so re-
dictionary as to seriously impair, if
not permanently destroy, the respect
and prestige for effective service
which the department now enjoys
among kindred governmental agencies
throughout the nation.
Carries on Vital Work
The Bureal of Public Health Edu-
cation carries on vital educational
work, free to the medical profession
and to the public, informing both as
to the best methods of conserving
health and minimizing and prevent
gates valuable information relating
TO the varied activities of the other
bureaus of the department.
Conceding that certain matters
which have in the past been the sub
ject of publications by the bureau
would not commend themselves as
matters of policy or of opinion to
this administration or to the present
Commissioner of Health, the fact re-
mains that as a broad general ques-
tion, viewed from the standpoint of
public welfare and necessity the
activities of the Bureau of Public
Health Education must be carried on
along all the lines of publicity that
can be devised. Lectures, exhib-
its, motion pictures, pamphlets.
ences with mothers, with nurses, and
other aspects of the work, too numer-
Gus to mention, are essential to the
conduct of the effective health de-
partment organized along liberal and
constructive lines.
Would Menace Whole Country
In this time of war, when thou
sands of physicians have been with
drawn from private practice, when
all the usual safeguards of public
health for the civilian population
are in danger of relaxation by rea-
son of the concentration of effort in
war work, when the peril is greatest
to those members of our population
who can least afford to pay for COM
petent medical advice, the termina-
ton of that activity Of the Health
Department which teaches the check
ing and prevention of disease would
be particularly serious menace, af-
fecting not only this city, but the
country as whole.
1t is no answer in this situation
to concede the value or necessity of
public health education, but to argue
that that function should be con-
Quoted either by the directors of the
other bureaus or by the assignment
of low-paid subordinates to the Of
flee of the commissioner or that Of
the secretary Of the department.
The scattering Of the work of pub
lie health education among other