Ellsworth American., 1926-05-05

1t is but fair to the public that
some statement should be made con-
cerning the recent action of the
board of aldermen in voting to pay
the salary of the public health nurse
employed by the Ellsworth chapter
of the Red Cross. A certain amount
of criticism regarding this matter
was not unanticipated. 1t is right
that questions should be raised when
action of this sort is not thoroughly
understood, and it is the duty of
those of us who are responsible to
accept criticism cheerfully and to
make the issue clear if possible.
Probably no one who is reason
ably we'll acquainted with the work
of the public health nurse questions
the value of her work. 1t is, how
ever, thought by some Of the best
friends of this work that the nurse
should not have been put upon the
city's payroll without first giving
the voters the privilege of express
ing their wishes. The force of this
view is granted. The executive COM
mittee of the Red Cross did not re-
quest it without hesitation. Neither.
did the mayor and board of alder
men grant the request without even
greater hesitation.
But the executive committee of
the Red Cross had come to the
point where it seemed impossible to
carry on the work further without
the help of the city The causes ask
ing contributions from private in
dividuals are many, and we felt that
we could not again appeal, with any
hope of raising the required amount,
to the comparatively few who must
always be asked to support work
maintained by private organizations.
Our funds had become wholly made
uuate, and we could not let the work
of the public health nurse drop
without an effort to meet the situa-
ton.
We appealed to the mayor and
board of aldermen. The opportunity
for ascertaining the wishes of the
citizens had passed, and necessity
would not let us wait. The board of
aldermen thereupon came to the
rescue by agreeing to pay the salary
of the nurse. This arrangement
makes the nurse, in effect, city
employee, although she still re-
mains also a Red Cross nurse, and
the Red Cross carries the expense OF
car, office rent, heat, light, equip
ment, in short, all expenses except
the salary.
We are not expecting now to ask
for contributions from individuals
other than for the regular Red
Cross memberships at the usual
time. The fees collected by the
nurse for services where such can be
paid for will be applied to expenses.
For the rest we hope to raise - sui
ficient funds by means of an oc-
casional entertainment, and we ap-
preciate very much the cordial sup
port given to the community cabaret
held on April 80.
1t should be added that the board
of aldermen have agreed to pay the
nurses salary only from April l,
1926, to April 1, 1927. Therefore,
no permanent policy has yet been
established, and the citizens will
have ample opportunity to convey
their wishes in the matter before
any further action will be cons1d-
cred. An expression of their wishes
as to future policy in this matter is
cordially invited.
In the meantime, it is hoped that
the work of the public health nurse
will commend itself to the people OF
Ellsworth. Unfortunately, the work
is not fully known to the public. In
the nature of things, it cannot be
fully known. Necessarily, most OF
the work is done where only a few
can see it. Much of it is done in
private homes, and only those who
have been served can know and ap-
preciate the service. Even the
nurses work in the schools is OBJ
served practically only by the teach
ers and the pupils. The majority OF
the citizens have no occasion for
even meeting the nurse.
The work is invaluable, none the
less. 1t is boon to the poor, who
need the service ola nurse, but can
not pay for it. 1t is boon also to
many who can and do pay for the
service she renders. The public
health nurse is the one nurse avail
able when what is needed is not the
constant care of an employed nurse,
but merely such instructions as
public health nurse can come into
home and give in order that men,
Der of the family may give proper
care to the patient.
On the other hand, the nurses
work in the schools is a public SER
vice rendered in a most comprehen-
sive sense to all the children of the
community. The attention the nurse
gives to sanitation, the instruction
she gives in matters of health, the
interest she creates in the preserva-
ton of physical well-being, may
in certain exigencies ward off cpl
denies and save the community far
more money than the amount or
her salary Her work is to promote
community health. The service
rendered is, therefore, public SER
vice of high character. We are
well aware of other needs, the teach
ing of singing in the schools, i'm
,rouoJ coboo1 hui16inpc etc hut