The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-03-13
Education and Health.

Education and Health.
A city does not give much to its
boys and girls. Usually the officials
are too busy thinking about police pro-
lection and fire protection and the lay
ing Of pavements and other things of
a strictly material nature to think a
great deal Of moral and physical devel-
opment of children
just now there is a pertinent pro-
blem before the common council. 1t
is a problem that is going to enter into
the homes Of lot Of people in the city
and problem that is going to mean
q great deal to these homes.
The city spends a lot Of money an
nually to protect the homes Of the city
against fire, lot more to have them
protected against the criminally mind
cd man who believes in Lying at the
expense Of his fellow men, and there is
no reason why these same homes should
not be protected against disease or I'M
sanitary manner Of living.
The Health Board has been busy
working out system Of visiting
nurses for the city. A lot Of people
think that a visiting nurse is a sort
Of a "'fad There are lot of people
who know different. The people who
know different have happy healthy
childen about the family table. They
have had the visiting nurse tell them
how to better take care Of the chill
dren, they have had her in their home
when death was near to the bed side
of the little children and they have
seen the interest she took when the
fever begun to 60 down and the baby
began to take on the blush Of health
again. These people know what the
visiting nurse means.
OF course the visiting nurse has not
been at your house except to inquire
why the small boy or the little daugh-
ter was not in school. Her work has
not been among the members of your
family but she has been most active
in protecting your children against the
contagion which may have been dis
covered in that other family.
The system Of having visiting
nurses is the finest health insurance
that any city can write for its peo
pie.
Kenosha should have a staff Of at
least six visitir~ nurses who gave their
whole time to the work of caring for
the people Of the city who must be
taught the need Of proper care in sick
ness and nr2~or modes Of living. This
service is one which is to go espe-
cially into the homes Of the poorer
people of the city. Into homes where
the pay envelope is SO lean that it
would not make it possible to hire
nurses to take care of the sick. These
people are entitled TO this considera-
tion from the city. The children are
entitled every chance to live and
the other people are entitled to have
these children properly cared for in or
der to protect the general health of all
The children of the community IT is
one case where it pays you and me to
be our brothers keeper and the keeper
Of the children of that brother.
Members Of the council should not
look only at the dollars and cents ex-
penditure Of the plan proposed by the
health board. They should look be-
yond dollars and leok at lives saved
'hd lives protected. The cost Of this
plan to the individual tax payer is
very small, probably few cents year
for the maintenance Of force Of six
nurses. The great industrial plants
who pay the bulk of the taxes will be
the first to urge upon the city the
adoption Of he nlan because these men
know that better conditions. more
healthful conditions in the homes
means better workers and more con
tented workers Tho council should go
the limit 70 protect the homes of Ke-
nosba.