The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-25
MAYOR ACTS
FOR RELIEF IN
MILK CRISIS
City and County Officials
Move to Save 10000
Suffering Children.
PERILS HEALTH, LIVES
Many at Hospital Are III
Because Proper Food
Is Lacking.

emergency faced by the city, with
10000 children below school age
lacking milk, imperiling their health,
were made over the weekend by
city and county officials.
Mayor Reginald H. Sullivan, who
called series Of conferences last
week, after Dr. Herman G. Morgan,
city health officers, and Dr. Charles
Myers, superintendent of the city
hospital, presented him with start
ling facts of intense suffering in the
city through lack of milk, stepped
farther when he called in state off,
Gals for advice.
Mayor Sullivan has called a meet
ing for this afternoon at 4 in his
Office, which will be attended by
city and county officials dealing
with poor relief and those individu-
ais vitality interested in the milk
situation. 1t is believed the meet
ing today will reach a decision as
to who is responsible.
A meeting of the milk producers
and distributors, originally called for
tonight, has been set over until
Tuesday, when DR.. Morgan will
meet with them and outline the
city crisis.
Aid was offered today in letters
written to Mayor Sullivan and DR..
Morgan by Carl Hedges, manager of
the Central Dairymens Association,
Inc, the milk pool sponsored by the
Indiana Farm Bureau.
Offer Milk Below Cost
"The price committee of our or
ganization has met today with our
distributors, and has agreed for the
immediate relief of the situation, to
furnish the milk for this charity
work at price really below COST"
the letters say.
We feel sure you will have the
cooperation Of all distributors US
ing milk of our association. on a
basis that will make the milk avail
able; and they gladly will distribute
any part of which may be assigned
to them on basis that will be less
than cost.
This is made possible by cooper
alton of the farmers, dealers, and
their employees, inasmuch as they
have agreed unanimously to make
the necessary sacrifice to meet all
or part of the emergency
Whether the city government le-
gally can appropriate money to be
used in buying milk for the poor, is
the problem. Poor relief by law is
entirely up to the township trustees,
some officials say.
Action Is Demanded
Others declare that the situation,
one of grave emergency to the pres
ent and future health of the city,
must be met at once. DR.. Morgan
declares that children neglected now
will be afflicted with tuberculosis
and other ailments later in life, and
that the situation is serious
menace to future generations.
DR.. Myers declares that so per
cent of the children being admitted
at the city hospital clinics reveal
nothing wrong with them except
improper feeding.
There were $500 such patients at
the hospital in 1881, an increase of
LOO over 1890.
Many Babies Ill
Babies in the wards today at the
hospital are afflicted with skin dis
eases, suffering from intestinal all
mentS, undernourished and fight
ing for their lives because they
have not been fed properly with
milk.
Some have had to live on heavy
cereals and food supplied their par
ents, already dependent on charity,
by the county and city relief or
CARNATIONS thereby seriously en-
dangering their health and lives,
doctors say.
Such conditions are a public
health emergency and as such
many feel the city would be Justified
in floating a bond issue to meet the
need, city officials were told.
This involves state law and state
officials must approve this bond
issue, city officials were told.
Urge Daily Distribution.
Or. Morgan and his aids feel that
milk distribution should be daily.
direct from dairy to home, and not
one where delay in delivery might
cause the milk to reach the child
at indefinite times and perhaps sour.
With nurses in every section of
the city conducting child hygiene
clinics. DR.. Morgan believes his or
ganization could dispense the milk
Systematically, in such manner that
only the needy would receive it.