San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-24
|EALTH TOPIC
|UP At LEAGUE
| CONVENTION
r. W. H. Beazley. State
Health Officer,
Present.
EAR ABOUT BABIES
b. H. Garst o. State Bu-
| reau of Chilli We'sare
Explains Work.
EAR ABOUT BABIES

The Wednesday morning session of
League of Women Voters was de-
ted to educational problems in pub
health. child-hygiene. and prison
Fvey. Mrs. Jessie Danile Ames pre-
led.
DIR. W. H. Beazley, head of the state
hlth department, was the first speak
He presented the problems of the
tie board, not the least of which is
OF sufficient funds appropriated to
Fry on the work, and suggested plans
organizing a board that would func-
n without regard to political con-
eration.
As it is. the governor appoints the
&c board of.health. from among his
itical friends, and when these
ends happen to be the best d tors in
state, it works all right, but that
Puld not be the principal coasidera-
H.. ilE. Dt.lLipy Sj.u.
Texas pays too small salary to get
best men for such a job longer than
ew months at time" DIR. Bea7ley
d. "They go into office for just
2 enough to get the name of being
bd of the state health department.
then resign. There have been four
18th officers in the last three years,
Texas" ..
DR.. Beazley contrasted the salary
d by Texas with that paid Lv other
ties of similar population. showing
" far below them in expenditure OF
blic money to safeguard public
tlth, Texas is. He concluded his
K by speaking of the prevalence OF
ltagious diseases in Texas peniten-
ries, which he estimated afflicted
but % per cent of the prisoners.
any iails are not better than hog
bs," he says.
Statistics on Babies.
DR.. II. Garst. director of the state
teau of child-hygiene. made a re-
It OF the work of the Sheppard
wner act in Texas. He prefers to
it the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. bill" in
lad. he says. and adds that it can
y'be unpopular. because peonlP do
know how badly it is needed in
Eas.
Statistics place the United States
enth in infant mortality in the civil
i countries of the world. and 10 out
every 1000 that are horn. de before
v are a month old. tOne-third of the
bies who. die in the first year. die
m prenatal causes. DR.. Garst said.
h showed charts Indicating that four
es as mduy babies die who are fed
ificially as those who are fed in the
ural way. ...
AT present there are four itinerant
18th nurses employed in the state"
Garst said. ''of which two are ne
es. They do fine work n in the
ton and sawmill districts, and /
b we had more OF them" Sixteen
mites in the state have health
ses. who are doing splendid work.
ne of the schools funds have been
ned over to the health service for
work, which is largely educational.
bat use is the health nursing service
the schools and how can it function
GENTLY when the trouble begins so
oh further back than children of
DOL ages. It is babies that must
made healthy. and to do that moth
must be cared for during the pre-
al period.
Prison Reform Report.
Three things must be dose to in
p healthy children. DIR. Garst said
st. 10 locate all prenatal cases. for
cb he must depend on the women of
state: second. to control mid-wif-
by efficient state laws. which will
cate the best ones, eliminate the
.st. and license every one: and third
work for government birth registra
Texas has only g. per cent of
Estered births and 90 per cent is
essary for government considera-
Irs. Elizabeth NJ. Speer Of Austin.
-etary of the Texas division of the
ional Survey for Prison Reform.
IL speech on the work that is be-
planned. in a survey that will in
le every one Of the 1000 state w =
RS. and classify them. mentally.
Fsically and industrially by the best
erts obtainable. The work will be
without one cent of expense to
state. and why it should have met
opposition il has is inconceivable,
I. Speer said. ~t4
The prison system has been n
rked failure. in every country. so
economically as well as sociolog-
w. We kill very few of our pris-
81 thntN 1tn
are faced with the problem of hav-
them absorbed back into the popu-
on after short time, either as an
1t or a liability. So far. | think
MS been proved that they have been
liability. On n mans ability to
and hold a lob, depends his abil-
to go straight.
Pay Him For Work.
IRIS. Speer believes that every
oner should be 60 'sified industr-
!, and trained to do the work he
pest fitted for and paid regular
Ees for all the work be does. The
ense of the state of keeping him.
hid be deducted from the money
Farms. and any that is left over. of
wages. should either be paid to
family. or banked for his own
when he comes out of prison at
end of his term.
10 scientific examination has ever
made of the economic resources
he prisoners. but the state is con
ally asked for large sums of
lev to meet expenses of maintain,
:. The prisons. can and should
Entirely self-supporting. Mrs. Speer
eyes. She gave some striking
s in regard to Florida's honor
or system. which has worked so
there where three-quarters of the
cners are negroes. i.
[iss A. Louise Dietrich. bead OF
state nurses association spoke on
recent bill that had been pissed
the Texas Legislature TO standard
= =. Ia