The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-10-23

thrown into alleys houses fumigated the sick were
taken from nosome rooms into clean hospital beds and
force Of men and worked all day in the Red Cross
headquarters in the Carnegie library in their efforts to
relieve a critical situation.
Better late than never is about all the consolation
take unto ourselves under present conditions We can
only be thankful that the things that should have been
done weeks ago are actually being done today For weeks
past the streets should hav, been flooded and scrubbed
daily Alleys should have been serupulousy inspected and
dsinfected The very first cases OF influenza should have
been isolated and the people at large should have been
instructed by the health department in the most efficient
methods of preventing conagor work that has just
been undertaken within the last few days by the Red Cross
Several weeks ago not few of citizens up in
the discharge Of sewer gas from almost every
corner in the downtown dstfct Visitors to the city
overheard commenting upon it, To be sure, superficial
flushing Of the streets nightly beered the condition
though by means effected cure And we are con-
strained to feel under existing circumstances that this
work had been done thoroughly and ntelligeny in the
first place number of the good and valuable citizens
who have gone from among might be living and labor
ing with us today II we had inaugurated a system Of
daily street cleaning such prevails in Denver DeS
Moines and other cities, and had taken few other pre-
been held down TO minimum.
We have been spending approximately $4,000 year
in this city result OF neglect OF health conditions
and that is conservative estimate that unquestiona
bly, will be doubled or trebled when we to the
cost Of illness and death within the last month or two
Until the first Of this year the city government had appro
priated in the arrangement of its budget 5000 annually
for the use Of the health department Early in the year
5000 of that diverted for other uses and il
only after pressure had been brought to bear by the civic
council that the health budget increased to the
Of 5000
What is 5000 for health in a city Of 10000 peo-
pie? Merely drop in the bucket expenditure OF the
large and influential sum of per capita for pre-
ventye health measures.
At the very eas, this city should be spending 50 cents
per capita per to insure the pubcS health That
is the average amount appropriated in cities of size
and cass Seattle which boasts Of being the cleanest and
the healthest city in the world with the lowest rate OF
morbdiy and mortality spends less than 90 cents per
capita per annum And Seattle declares that il is worth
the money Seattle asserts that il is actually economical
to spend oS cents per capita to say nothing Of the guar
antee she gives her citizenship in the form OF security
from illness and death.
Mr. Business Man what do you really think about this
matterl Do you realize that every sick worker entails
large economic oss Do you not know that every sick child
whdraws adult from needed effort that every case OF
serious illness increases the pressure upon DOCTORS
and hospitals not taking into the increased hal
ards Of oontagonr
Is your life and your health, and that Of your family
worth only cents per capita in yearl Do you actually
place SO trivial valuation your saety2 Would yo
not be willing to spend cents good many times ant
demand that other should spend the same you eou
know that you living in one Of the eeanes ant
whoesomest cities in the souhwestl When hi, epidemic
will be safely over, when we begin to settle back com
fortaby in old inches you going to permit the in
consistency Of spending only 5000 for health depart
ment while at the same time lose the shocking sum
$4,000 annually Is not this the accepted time for th
citizenship Of Oklahoma City to consider these questions
seriouslyi