The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-06
END OF FLU DANGER
EXPECTED In WEEK
DR.. Copeland Not Afraid of
Any Further Spread of
Mild Epidemic.
CASES DECLINE FOR DAY
Conditions Held Not to Justi-
fy Shifting of Hours of
Subway Travel.
CASES DECLINE FOR DAY

UT. Royal 5. Copeland Commission r
OF Health, said yesterday he felt that
within week The Influenza and pneu-
monia epidemic would be at an end. He
again expressed himself as optimistic
over the mildness of influenza and its
low death rate, and said he could see no
signs Of any increase.
There was decline in the number
OF cases of both diseases reported yes
terday, but a slight rise in fatalities.
Cases of influenza reported by the Health
Department were 1913, compared to
1,2s7 Saturday; new cases Of pneumo-
MIA were ia. as against 222. There
were fourteen deaths from influenza.
five more than Saturday, and sixty
three deaths from pneumonia, an in
crease of five over those of the pre-
ceding day.
In commenting on the mildness Of the
epidemic DR.. Copeland recalled that dur
ing the same period Of the 1918 cpl
demic hundreds OF persons were dying
of the two diseases every day. Asked
IL he was considering the ACCESSIBILITY
OF requesting employers to arrange for
opening and closing business places at
different times to eliminate crowding in
the subways, he said:
Present conditions do not justify the
upsettlng of business by the temporary
adoption of the 'stagger' system. If
had my way the plan would be in oper-
alton all the time. We used it very
successfully during the severe epidemics
of 1918 and 1920. 1t was so well re-
ceived then that the transportation COM
panies and various merchants assocla-
nently retained.
But the present situation regarding
the epidemic indicates that it is confined
largely to Manhattan. The transporta-
ton distances are short here, and on
that account we feel the time has not
arrived for staggering the hours of
travel to and from work.
Dr. Copeland referred to a statement
that the Health Department considered
requesting the public to refrain from
talking in subways as ridiculous" 1t
is true, the Commissioner said, that
loud. emphatic talking tends to spray
saliva from the throat but the Health
Department does not feel justified In in
The Commissioner touched briefly on
the recent scarlet fever alarm in Flush
ing. He termed 1t tempest in tea
pot az statistics showed that there was
only one case of scarlet fever a week
for each 10000 OF population.
Theater CIea nliness Praised.
Speaking last night at elmer In
the Greenroom Club DIR. Copeland APP
pealed to theater owners and managers
10 help fight influenza and other dis
eases. With a large number OF school
children coming from tenement houses
and relatively small percentage OF
population well housed ANY one of our
we'll regulated and sanitary theaters is
a marked Improvement on the Tome of
the average citizen" he said. He Is
better off i'm the theater than he is in his
own domicile.
ut should be the ambition OF every
theater owner to have his place spicls
and span as regards cleanliness. His
program should carry warning against
sneezing and coughing without protec-
ton of the handkerchief. ITO screen
should carry g. similar warning. little
added effort on the part of the average
theater owner could increase the safety
and promote the longevity OF our popu-
lation.
Let every theater owner and manager
determine that his institution shall be
a clean, well ventilated, properly heated
building. not ovcrcrowded, with multi
tudes standing in the foyer, bat with a
seating confined to the prope- limit OF
the building and every fire and health
regulation observed. When this is done
the health official won't have to take
into consideration whether the theater
iAgoing to be closed during the Epidemic.
ne will know and will announce at once
that the theater is the safest place a
man can go and take his family"