New-York tribune., 1920-01-17
Quick Action Urged
On Bill Providing
For Health Survey
Measure Creating Federal
Department Is Held Up
Pending Report ON Activ-
tiles of Various Bureaus
NeU York Tribune
WdSh;n0tOn Bureau

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-House lead
ers will be urged within few days to
bring up the resolution of Senator
France, of Maryland, providing for a
joint committee of three members each
of the Senate and House to make a
survey of the activities of the various
government departments relating to
public health. The resolution already
has been adopted by the Senate, and
Senator France said to-day he is
anxious to put it through the House so
that the committee may be appointed
and begin work.
Pending completion of the survey,
Senator France said he will not press
his bill creating department of pub
lie health, but hopes that the joint
committee will report before the pres
ent session ends, and that the public
health department. measure can be
passed.
In discussing his resolution Senator
France pointed out that five govern
ment dcpa artments are active in matters
relating to public health-the Army,
the Navy, the Treasury through the
present Public Health Service, the De
partment OF the Interior with its In
dian hospitals, and the Department of
Agriculture, which enforces the purc
food law.
The Department Of Labor also is in
terested through the Bureau of Edu-
cation and the collection of vital sta
tistics.
Bill Provides for Secretary
The joint committee would investi-
gate the possibility of cooperating
many Of these activities and make
recommendation for the improvement
of the public health work of the gov
crnment.
Senator Frances bill would create q
distinct department of public health
with Cabinet officer at it's head to be
called the Secretary of Public Health
This department would take over health
activities of the government except the
medical department of the Army and
the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
of the Navy.
"The bill provides" said Senator
France, "in great detail Tor ali ofgani-
zation Of the department of public
health to reach every state. Congress
sional district, county and precinct
throughout the United States. 1t is
drawn Oil the theory that there can be
no efficient department of public health
without some provision for the exten-
sion of the activities Of that depart
ment throughout the vide confines Of
the country and close cooperation
between the Federal government and
the states in the simrlifcation and CO.
ordination Of all % the varied govern
ment activities which have to do with
the health of the nation
with Federal department. of pub
lie health organized in accordance with
the provisions of this bill we would
have, without any greater total eXpen-
diture of money, governmental agency
operating with such scientific precision
and so comprehensively as to insure
ultimately the elimination of those pre-
ventable injuries and diseases which
annually take such heavy toll not
only of money but of suffering, misery
and bereavement.
State and Federal Cooperation
"Under my bill there would be in
every county and precinct of the United
States public health officer who would
be at once the local and Federal health
officer, and there would be coopera tion