Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-02
WRIGHT SCORES
HEALTH SERVICE
MEASUREMENTS
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
by THEODORE TILLER

| WASHINGTON, July 30.-Joining
other southern members of congress
! in the opinion that reports of the
public health service concerning an
epidemic" of pellagra il. the south
are exaggerated and misleading, Rep
| resentative William C.. Wright,
Fourth Georgia district, yesterday
read on the floor of the house tele-
gram which he received from Com
| missioner Abercrombie, of the Geor-
gia board of public health, concern
ing pellagra conditions in that state.
The telegram said:
Deaths from pellagra first six
months, 1920, totaled 1873; first six
months of 1921, totaled 1876, an in
crease of three over corresponding
period of last year. kilograms re-
ceIved this morning from all sections
of Georgia not only show there is no
increase but in many cases health
officials who are in position to know,
state there is a decrease both in
cases reported and deaths"
Notwithstanding this telegram, Mr..
Wright pointed out, the federal pub
lie health service report estimates
100000 cases of the disease in the
suit.
after this report became public"
said Mr.. Wright, II inquired of the
pellagra division of the public health
service for facts and statistics as
to Georgia, but was informed they
had none and that detailed statistics
from Georgia are not received by the
bureau. 1t is impossible to ascertain
from the bureau the number of cases
of pellagra in Georgia, the number
of deaths resulting from it, or Wheth-
err the disease is on the increase. And
yet the startling report is given pub
licity that there are in the south, OF
which Georgia is an important part,
some hundred thousand cases of pei
lagra."
Mr. Wright said that the public
health service report attributed the
alleged increase of pellagra to insult
ficient and improper nourishment OF
the people, resulting from their in
ability to purchase food on account
of the heavy decline in the price OF
cotton"
How is famine possible" he con-
tinued, lin a state of practically three
million people with about 100000
head of cattle, over 100000 head OF
hogs, and with an annual productlon
of over 100000 bushels of wheat,
about 81, 100000 bushels of corn, over
100000 bushels of sweet potatoes,
about 100000 bushels of peanuts,
more than 100000 bushels of dry
peas, about 100000 gallons of syrup,
over 23,O00,000 dozens of eggs, about
100000 chickens, nearly. l,OOO,oo0
turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas and
pigeons, beside immenst quantltles
of rich AMI wholesome Dairy prod
uctS, gtrl- Var:et!f Of vegetables
and fruits, as we'll as immense guam
titles of o'tcr fCod-1rlfs? .ao,,
Georgia mas reaped $1O,OOO,00O
FROM, the sale of melons and peaches
alone the present season. In addl-
ton IT, all this, she receives many
millions from her natural resources,
such as timber, granite, marble, lron'
coal and other minerals, and from her
various manufactured products"
"Candor and truth require me 10
admit" said Mr. Wright, that the
full crisis brought about by the after
math of the World war and the
blighting effects of the unprecedent-
ed slump in the price OF cotton, TO-
gether with the great damage Wnlch
has and is being wrought by the Doll
weevil But famine and hunger are
not stalking abroad in Georgia, ana
| it's people are not asking aims. Ihey
simply demand just and wholesome
laws under which to live and a fair
| market for the fruits of their tolls.
In concluding, Mr.. Wright express
ed appreciation of the preslaenI ;
anxious solicitude and deep interest
| in the matter under discussion.
But" he added, we G"e at a loss
| to know from what source ana III
what manner the ALLEGED information
which so arouSeS and toucheS MN
could have been gathered ny the
public health service and why the ap-
parent suddenness with which thlx
| bureau gathered and gave publicity
| to this So-called information.