Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-11-16
WANTING
ONE THING WE
PAY FOR ANOTHER

Civilization progresses linpingly
and lopsidedly always. One of the
worst limps it exhibits is shown in
the contradiction between what we ask
our professional men and women to
do and what we pay them for doing.
For instance, what do we want Of
a physician except to give us health?
And yet we do not call him nor pay
him until we are too i'll to get along
without him. His profession. and
therefore his professional duty, urge
him to promote health and to cut down
the amount of sickness among his
patients. But if all the doctors did
their best in that line for short time
they would soon reach the point where
they would not be earning a living in
come.
We pay the quack who sells pc.
sonous or useless patent medicine
better than we do the physician who
keeps US we'll The organizations
which are trying to prevent the spread
of tuberculosis have to beg for INSULT
cient funds to keep up their work.
They are inadequately supported.
The State of Wisconsin in its Health
Department, is recognizing this fact
and is going as far as possible in sup
porting preventive work against the
most dangerous diseases. But the pub
lie is slow to take hold of this work
and take advantage of it. We pay
thousands in fees and taxes to take
care of the RESULTS of i'll health,
where, by paying hundreds we could
do away with many of the CAUSES,
and have better health cheaper.
There is here and there a communi-
ty where doctor could not afford to
go under the old system. They nave
Clipped in and paid a competent ply
stefan to come and keep them we'll
The Chinese people have had this
custom for centuries. With our better
knowledge of the causes and means Of
prevention of diseases, it would seem
that his system would work even
better among civilized people.
Again, take our law enforcement sy3
tenn. Our Justices of the Peace, Shar-
ifs and Constables and Attorneys are
supposed to help keep the peace. And
yet they are paid only when there are
breaches of the peace. They are Off
GERS whose professional duty is ID
uphold the law. But we pay them
only after the law has been broken.
If some way could be devised to pay
such officers a regular and sufficient
salary for PREVENTING trouble. and
docking them for every case they al
lowed to get into the higher courts,
the public expense of maintaining
courts, jails and prisons would soon
be much less than it is now.
Newspaper editors are supposed to
publish the truths which the public is
entitled to know. But for the distinct
~ news service the papers are very IN
adequately paid. They are paid for
printing such matter as carries with
it some outside interest. 1t is only
as they color and accommodate the
matter they print to the interests that
pay for it that they can be published
at all
The same consideration governs
most professions. The preachers are
bound by economic chains which keen
them from preaching the truths which
are vital to the extension of the Cos
pei to ALL MEN, as they are enjoined
to do.
Teachers in the public schools and
the workers in public welfare and Elk
tension Division work under the State
and the University are far freer from
this sort of restraint than other pro-
fessional people. And it is in those
professions and by those people that
the most progressive and forward
looking accomplishments are being
outlined and chieved.
For the public, this transition period
from the cumbersome and contradic-
tory system which at best is relic
of barbarism, to the really civilized
plan Of dealing with causes instead of
trying to cure devastating effects, is
an expensive one. For this reason, It
ought to be made as short as possible
The Social welfare legislation, such
as the Sheppard-Towner Law, Wiscon-
sins Rehabilitation and Vocational
Training Acts, the introduction of ele-
mentary religious education into the
public school curriculum, ETC., ought
to receive the active support Of every
citizen. And everyone should take adj
vantage of it as it comes.