The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-05-12
C. ofC. Holds Busy,
Interesting Session

merce held an unusually active and
important session at their regular
monthly meeting Monday evening,
with President M. P. Cayce presiding.
That aggregation of community
boosters were fortunate in having
with them at that meeting Messrs. w.
e. Lapping and c. E. Atkinson, who
had come here expecting to open the
former Carleton property as gov
ernment vocational school for disabl-
Farran, of Jefferson City, who is con-
nected with the State Board of Health
was present, and all made interesting
talks along their particular lines of
work.
DR.. Farran was first introduced and
stated that the last Legislature had
made small appropriation for the
introduction of Health Boards in a
few counties in the State. Since that
time the State Health Board has also
secured assistance from the Carnegie
Foundation Fund, so that with both
such funds merged they felt safe in
inaugurating the work in eight or ten
counties in different parts of the
State. st. Francois county evidently
made special appeal to them on ac-
count of its large population, hence
his offer to the Commercial Club Mon
day evening to establish such a de-
partment here.
In reciting the good that such
health departments can accomplish,
and already are accomplishing where
they have been installed. ne went in
to details that were altogether inter-
esting to all present. He proved by
| statistics that it is much cheaper to
throw out guards to health than it is
to care for he afflicted after they
have absorbed the germs of disease.
At one time its was supposed there
was a far less percentage of deaths
in the country than there was in the
congested districts, which was doubt
less fact. But now, with improved
sanitary conditions in the cities, health
conditions had been reversed, until
now, with the lack of health precau-
tions and sanitary conditions in many
country districts, there is greater
percentage of deaths in the country
than in congested districts.
His proposition was to have the
county court appropriate $4,000 year
for this work, which would be dupli-
Gated, dollar for dollar, by the State
Board of Health, for the establish
ment of this work. For such an
amount Q resident health physician
and three nurses would be furnished
for this county, all of whom would put
In their time, together with their ex-
perience in such work, in looking af-
ter the health conditions in the en-
tire county. This local Health Board
would be accountable to the State
Health Board for results, which they
invariably secured. He personally
thought that a better investment
could not be offered, the results of
which would strongly tend to the
making of useful citizens of many who
without the assistance that would
thus be given them, might be serious
ly impaired for life, possibly bur-
den on the community.
The members of the Chamber en-
Enthusiastically voted to lend DR.. Par
ran every assistance in their power to
help him in such an establishment.
W. E. Lapping. whose headquarters
are in Poplar Bluff, is in charge of
the work of looking after disabled and
incompetent ex-service men in this dis
trict, and he came here thinking that
the governments approval of the op-
ening Of vocational school in the
Carleton property had already been
received He found, however, that the
proposition was still being held up in
| Washington over some minor details.
But he was sure there was no doubt
that the governmental o. k. would soon
be received, as this was the best open
ing for such school to be found in
the whole of Southeast Missouri. He
also touched on the great advantage
such an institution would be to this
community, as well as positive bless
ing to all ex-service men who would
be fortunate enough to get into the
proposed school here, where they will
equip themselves to become producers
and useful citizens.
Prof. C. E. Atkinson, who accom-
panied Mr.. Lapping, and who will
have charge of the vocational train
ing school for ex-service men when it
is opened here, followed with an in
structive talk on the purposes of such
an institution and what it is hoped to
accomplish for the disabled soldiers of
the world war who are TOO seriously
shattered to become useful and pro-
ducing citizens. While the work is
still in its experimental stages, he
told of the splendid results that had
already been produced In equipping
these men for making an independent
living for themselves and families. He
also went into considerable detail in
regard to the equipment that will be
needed on the school premises, and
was pleased to learn on his arrival
here that Farmington's enterprising
citizens had already made arrange
ments for turning over the Carleton
College property Immediately on re-
ceiving the governments approval of
the project; also that they had provid-
ed funds for necessary equipment.
! He indicated that he is both heart
/ and soul in this work, which he desig-
mated as one of the best that human
/, ity could engage in. While he had not
yet seen the property, he had been
informed that it was practically ideal
for the purposes intended, and he hop
ed, with his staff of instructors, toFbe
/ able to perform big work here of re-