Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-19


tests, in the Senate Chamber, and
measurements. Pittsburgh; Super
intendent S. e. Weber. Scranton;
Superintendent c. Il. Stone, Munhali
and Thomas A. Book, Chester county
and others discussed organization
and subjects for educational tests.
States Health Plans
Speaking in the section on health
education, Colonel Edward Martin,
the State Comm ssioner of Health,
gave an outline of the plans of the
Commonwealth to bring about O
scheme of cooperation between the
public and the health authorities.
Colonel Martin said in part:
In that period of life between
birth and school age, the State has
no direct control. None the less
it has a large responsibility, and
must suffer in its manhood and
womanhood of the future, from
neglect.
I'm every municipality of the
State there has been established or
is being. established q health COM
mittee of the leading and active cit
iZens of that municipality, part of
the Department OF Health of the
State, the duty of which is to take
| cogniZance of all local conditions in
terferins with the right of each
| child to the maintenance of its
| health, and to remedy those condi-
tions. This implies not merely in
| spections and reports, but close con-
| tact and intimate association with
! the people who either through
| ignorance or inadequacy, or poverty,
are unable to insure to the children
| under their care a fair chance of u
| fruitful life. Such a committee will
| discover and remedy bad housing,
and bad food, and bad water; they
will take measures to see that the
! health officers whose duty st iif to
act, protect these children against
transmissible disease, stressing in
particular, perhaps, the removal of
the young from close house contact
| with those suffering froin tuber-
| cu;osis
'WEca children reach the school
| age. they then come within the jur-
| isdiction of the State. The State re-
| uuires them to go to school; the
! fact of their ging to school ex-
poses them to certain dangers. par
| ticularly those incident to the tIans-
missible diseases. 1t is. therefore,
| the States duty to take every meas
ure by which this danger may ne
lessened; nor should expense count
largely in the fulfillment of this
oI legation.
These school children will be
given a thorough course of health
training, both theoretical and prac,
tical, beginning with the youngest
and terminating only upon gradua-
ton from high and normal schools;
a graded course ranking with
mathematics, grammar and the 9TH
er recognized standard subjects
These children must be given and
will be given the habits of health.
Americanization that will make the
foreigner feel that he is part of th'
country and some effort to better hi!
home conditions must go kand II
hand with proper health education
improvement of rural school facili
ties and specific training of teachers
for their work, according to speak
crs at the sectional meetings of th'
second day Of the State educationa
congress. This evening days dis
cussion will culminate in an oper
meeting with citizenship as th'
theme and Albert Bushnell Hart, o.
Harvard and c.. r. Mann, of the
War Department, as tie speakers
The Pittsburgh program for Amer
icanization figure extensively in the
discussion of the subject at a meet
ing held in the late afternoon
George w. Gerwig, secretary of thu
Pittsburgh School Board, and ]. NJ
Berkey, director of the Pittsburgh
special schools, outlined it and vari
GUS speakers discussed it. Presi
dent e. E. Sparks, of State College
declared that Americanization is tn
biggest thing in education to-da,
and that Pennsylvania, with IL
large alien population, must rise t
the occasion. The root of tie trou
BILE was declaNd to be the surround
ings of the foreign workman. Bet
ter housing was urged as a means
of bringing to him the blessings o
speakers said that as long as mel
lived in such squalor ,as picturet
they would not be fertile soil fo
implanting principles of American
! freedom. Mr.. Gerwig asserted tha
the foreigners must also be taugh
obligations of citizenship and tina
a traveller between Philadelphia ant
Pittsburgh could see the need foI
community work in steel and Goa
districts. Mr.. Berkey gave in de
tail the program for Pittsburgh
which has been thought out by mer
who have studied the foreigne,
problem where the aliens ar,
thickest.
Eugene Bernardo, of Easton
Charles A. Wagner and John Butter
worth, of Chester. and Thomas Fran
els. of Scranton. also took part il
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