Evening star., 1937-12-11
NATIONAL HEALTH
DRIVE ASKED BY
SURGEON GENERAL
"FederaI Leadership and
Local Control" Advocated
for Campaign.
SICK POCKETBOOK HELD
"MAJOR DISEASE" IN U. S.
Miss Lenroot Appeals for New
Safeguards to Prevent In
FAINT Mortality.

Organization Of a national public
health program involving local con-
troll, State supervision and Federal
leadership" was proposed last night
by Dr. Thomas Parran, jr, surgeon
general of the United States, as a
means of improving the present
skeleton" service over the country.
In an address before members OF
the second annual round-table con-
ference of the American Public Well
fare Association at the Wardman
Park Hotel Dr. Parran pointed out
that administration OF public health
has not kept pace with progress made
in Federal and State laboratories in
finding means of combating diseases
prevalent in the United States.
He cited the growth Of social serv-
ice and a corresponding growth in
health service and stated that the
two have grown closer together.
Yardstick Inadequate.
But the yardstick you use to de-
termine eligibility for relief" he de-
clared, "is totally inadequate to de-
termine eligibility for medical care"
He stated further: Public health
may become great force in the
United States, but, like Christianity, 1t
has not been tried"
Calling attention to the fact that
disease and death rates are more than
twice as high in the lower-salaried
classes, DR.. Parran commented one Of
the major diseases affecting this
country is "a sick pocketbook
A real national health program"
must be inaugurated, he declared,
directed against such diseases as
syphilis, tuberculosis and pneumonia,
all of which can be brought to a
negligible position" within decade
The same fact applies to mental dis
eases and infant and mother mortal
ity rate accompanying childbirth, he
said
Miss Lenroot Deplores Deaths.
This death rate was deplored earlier
in the meeting by another speaker,
Miss Katharine Lenroot, chief Of the
United States Childrens Bureau, who
asked for cooperation Of health agen-
cies in providing safeguards in pro-
gram to stamp out ''the alarming NOR
tality rate among infants and moth
ers."
On the basis OF scientific knowl-
edge now in possession of the State
and Federal governments, she pointed
out, this rate can be cut by from a
half to two-thirds,
Representative Voorhis, Democrat,
of California, in discussing before the
group his views on planning for So
cial welfare" disagreed with the con-
tention that too much relief has
broken down the morale Of the Amer
ican people.
Il rather think" he said, that un-,
employment has sapped their morale"
He offered as a remedy for this
situation a public works program COM
pletely divorced from the relief issue,
to make benefited individuals feel they
are acting more in roles of public
servants than the recipients of hand
outs from the Government.
Aubrey williams Speaks.
Other speakers included J. Douglas
Brown, chairman of the Advisory
Council for the Social Security Board,
and Aubrey Williams, assistant works
progress administrator. A letter of
greeting to the conference from Presi-
dent Roosevelt was read.
Among the honor guests, who in
cluded welfare and governmental rep
resentatives from various sections of
the United States and its foreign ter
ritories, were Ambassador Don Fran
cisco Castillo Najero of Mexico and
| Arthur j. Altmeyer, chairman of the
Social Security Board
The conference is to continue
through tomorrow, with panel discus
sions on "The Administration of Pub
lie Assistance" and Financing Public
Welfare" included on today's program.
Charles F. Ernst, association president
and director Of the State Department
Of Social Security, Olympia, Wash,
presided at last nights dinner meet
ing.