Baxter Springs news., 1918-08-23
To ERADICATE IN
FECT|OUS DISEASES
Citizens Of Baxter Through the
Chamber Of Commerce En-
dOrse Federal Control
Of Health Here

the Chamber Of Commerce assembly
room Monday afternoon, the citizens
Of Baxter Springs, through the Cham.
Der Of Commerce, has endorsed fed.
eral control of health in this entire
mining district, with an expert in
charge designated by the United
States government. This is The same
plan that is being enforced at Kan
sas City, Mo-, in order to make clean
from health standpoint, that big in
dustrial district, including both the
Missouri and Kansas sides, and SIM
liar district is to be established with
Wichita as headquarters.
The meeting Monday was held for
the purpose Of discussing this federal
control subject, and the audience was
addressed by Capt. Millard Knowlton,
U. S. A., who is acting under the in
struction of Surgeon-G General Gorgas,
Capt. Knowlton outlined his mission
in full, particularly regarding the pre-
vention of and control Of venereal dis
eases in order to insure q cleared bill
of health for the boys who join the
army,
Many of the boys, who were taken
in the first draft, were found to be so
afflicted, and the aim Of the govern
ment Is to have q clean army. It is
for this reason that q campaign
against such diseases is being launch
ed nationwide and that the experts
of the government are being placed
in charge.
Capt. Knowlton was accompanied
to Baxter by DR.. Dale Graham, uOun-
ty health officer, and Sheriff Bob
Frazier.
The citizens, including physicians,
attorneys, dentists, directors Of the
Chamber Of Commerce and others,
who attended Mondays meeting,
voted unanimously for Secretary c.
M. Sarchet to urge upon the commits
sioners of Cherokee County the impor-
tance of doing all that is possible to
make federal health control here a
certainty. The following letter was
sent by Secretary Sarchet to County
Commissioner Ira C. Perkins Monday
night:
August 10, 1918.
Hon. Ira C. Perkins,
County Commissioner,
Galena, Kansas.
Dear Mr.. Perkins:-
There was a meeting held at the
Chamber of Commerce here today, Of
physicians, druggists, directors of the
Chamber of Commerce and business
men in general Of this city, to take up
the matter which is now being pre-
sented through the Army Medical De-
partment Of the United States, to con-
troll and to prevent the spread of dis
eases especially venereal diseases.
The men attending this meeting
were representative Of the business
CIRCLES of this locality and were fully
Representative of the opinion Of the
people here and they voted unanimous
ly for a district organization headed
| by an expert designated by the United
States government, and with power to
cross the state line into Missouri and
Oklahoma and thus control the disease
proposition in this entire district. The
vote was also unanimous asking the
Commissioners of Cherokee county to
request the detail Of such an expert by
the government and to appropriate the
necessary funds for this work. We
understand that anything less than
S5, 900 would no doubt be inadequate
and that all money appropriated over
that sum would only make the work
more successful,
This is of far greater Importance to
this locality and to all Of Cherokee
county, because Of similar work now
being carried on in Jasper county
Mo-, and in ottawa county, Oklahoma
With these two outside counties en-
forcing health regulations, you can
readily understand how easy it will be
for this county to be Overrun by the
dissolute men and women who will
come here from the two outside coun-
ties unless there is protection here al
so against them. The Chamber Of
Commerce of Baxter desires to i'm
press upon your honorable body the
great Importance Of this work and
trust that you viii be able to make the
necessary arrangements.
Yours very truly,
Baxter Springs Chamber Of Com.
C. N. Sarchet, Ssc.-Agr