The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-10-23
4Laska To Put Up Fight On Freight Rates
Five Dc(fors, Making Survey Alaska Hea|fh Conditions,
 Have Recommends a tionS

stein. a.. of Chicago, reported to Secretary Krug of the Interior De- partment:
 tuberculosis is preventaple disease. It can be controlled in All aska and in a period of live to eight years the death rate and ln- cidence need not be greater than in the best areas in the United States
 Krue in making the report pubnc today said the Alaska investigation is the first of several the Medical Association is to make of territories and island possessions.
 The American people must pro vide sufficient money to eradicate the evils that are menacing the development of our great territory, Krug said "or be willing to accept the blame for failure to heed the warning that is contained ln the penetrating report of health and sanitary conditions in Alaska.
 Federal Aid Criticized
 The team of physicians criticized the lack of Federal aid to improve health conditions. in Alaska, saying the situation had existed for many years without even an effort being made toward a solution until l945. It said the Territorys funds are insufficient to meet needs for tu- bereulosis control.
 The war years and it's present eminence as the left flank of the North American Continent have brought Alaska into the national conscience the report said. The defense of Alaska would best be ac- complished with a healthy popula-
 Congress Censored
 Tn the face of the serious tuber- culosis problems in Alaska, Con eress has seen fit to reduce the al ready meager funds of the Alaska Native Service for care Of tubercu- losis. It must be emphasized to these who may be color or race conscious that the tubercle bacillus knows no color line. To those who measure in terms of tax dollars it must be evident that in the course of years inadequate attempts at control Of tuberculosis are waste full"
 The report said labor market grossly infected with tuberculosis is an economic liability" and to the military 1t is both direct imped- lment to the efficiency of their fore es as well as a demoralizing fac tor
 More Beds Needed
 The physicians recommended that a minimum of 1000 beds be pro vided at once for tuberculosis pa ticnts. including an increase to 22O in southeast Alaska by expansion of hospital service on Alice Island.
 For other areas they recommend ed:
 Anchorage 400 sanatorium beds, Arctic, JOG bed sanatorium at Falr- banks. and isolation units of 25 beds each fin Bethel, KotZebue, Un- alakleet. Fort Yukon and Nome.
 Hospital Replacements
 The report recommended replace ment of hospitals at Palmer and Valdez, destroyed by fire, construc- tion of a hospital at Sitka; increas- ed facilities at Fairbanks, Anchor age, Ketchikan and Juneau and re- placement of hospitals at Seward and Nome.
 The physicians said they found eye diseases prevelant among the natives, and added that venereal disease, alcoholism, sanitation, com municable diseases, housing ana mental health facilities are prob lems that must be solved.
 They said lack of housing hln- dered the building up Of a stable population and added that i'll addl- tion to being "appallingly insuffi- cient" fifty percent of the houses are c,lhctn ndard