The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-04
Talks on aus. Public|
Health ServiceI
FOOD SHOPS FIND
THAT SANATlON PAYS

AS part Of its work to help safe
guard the health OF soldiers in the
various army camps throughout The
country and large groups of work
men on war work industrial plants,
the United States Public Health Ser
vice has carried on intensive health
work in definite area around each
camp or Industrial community. Among
the activities embraced in this work
was the supervision and control of es-
adjustments handling foods, such as
restaurants. cafes, sodawater stands,
butcher shops, markets and the like
1t was perhaps natural that the inaug-
uration of these measures should
arouse antagonism on the part Of the
establishments regulated. Sooner or
later. however, the discovery was
made that the general public quickly
shows its appreciation of improved
sanitary condition and patroniZes
by preference. the establishments
where such conditions prevail.
In this connection we reproduce a
letter recently addressed to the sur
geon general of the Public Health Ser
vice by the proprietors of cafes, res
taurants and lunch rooms in Tacoma,
Wash:
'It is the opinion of the restaurant
proprietors of the city of Tacoma. of
which the undersigned represent The
better class. and which enjoy very
large proportion of the soldiers trade.
that some recognition of appreciation
be shown the inspection given by the
United States Public Health Service
for the help given and patience shown
in bringing our establishments up ~
a higher standard of sanitation and
of the care Of food.
We are free to state that at first
we thought a great many of their re-
quests were little harsh and Unjust.
as it meant in a great many cases. the
reconstruction of our places and like
wise equipment, but in a short time
we realized it was for our own good
as well as financial gain. FOR prior to
these inspections we had practically
no one to show us corrections that
were to our own advantage"
This is not an exceptional state
ment and was not obtained by the
methods sometimes used in securing
advertising testimonials. These pro-
prietors realize that clean business
is good business The writer hap
pens to have been acquainted with the
conditions in Tacoma through living
near there in pre-war days. 1t is a
city of about 100000 people and as the
largest community near Camp Lewis
out in the state of Washington, 1t was
the place where the soldiers sought ra-
creation when off duty. There We're
shipyards there also. The surprising
part OF it is, however, that the city
health department had not been more
diligent in helping the establishments
up to a higher standard Of sanitation
and care of food. There existed, no
doubt, a corps of sanitary inspectors
60. 4
ton. Either they had no reasonable
regulations to enforce. or else incom-
potency was shown in enforcing what
they had. Furthermore why should
ordinary civilians not have as cleanly
eating conditions as were obtained for
soldiers without wuch difficulty onca
the way was pointed out. This issnot
to criticize the city of Tacoma, be-
cause they were doing the best they
knew how Under the circumstances of
having a part time health officer
busy doctor who has to attend to 50
many personal affairs. His whole
mind could not be on his city duties.
Tacoma is rather to be congratulated
in that she saw the sanitary light in
regard to the food situation at least
Our personal experience as far as
camp cities has been is with Waco
and Houston, Texas, and then Jack
sonville, Fla. FROM the many per-
sonal remarks that have been made
to us by restaurant men the above
letter is no exaggeration. The men
who had to make extensive repairs
and alterations in order to come up
to standard would say, Yes, it is cost
ing me none ybut why should / have
"a business that is not run right
Others would say. THE government
men know what is needed and then
they would back up this assertion by
doing their best to follow all instruc-
tons. Even proprietors who had had
the misfortune to have NJ. P.'s placed
at their door to keep out everybody in
uniform, came around later to ac-
knowledge that they had been fol-
lowing a short sighted policy in not
cleaning up.
1t is believed that anyone who
knows anything of conditions in
any of the cities near camps or other
military reservations realize that our
statements and assertions very
mild compared to what could be found
out if one sought diligently for praise.
Restaurant men in Pensacola know
these to be facts and there seems TO
be a favorable opinion among them
to adopt such advanced views and
methods here.
L. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.