Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1955-04-01
To The Polls

When woman says, "WeI, 1 voted,
he has reason for bit of pride. He or she has ex-
ercised the right of citizen.
We hope that lot of people will say just that
next Saturday at the school elections and Monday
at city elections
Most candidates at the city election are unop-
posed, but there two questions of public inter
est where the council has asked the public for their
opinion One is parallel angle parking in the
business district, and the other, the contro-
versia topic of fluoridation of the municipal water
system
We are proud of the manner in which Column
ba Falls has approached the controversial subject
of fluoridation, except that wish those opposing
the project would have presented information at
public meetings or sent few letters quoting
sources of information People here disagree on
fluoridation, but they haven't forgotten courtesy
Personally we favor fluoridation on the basis
of U. S. Public Health Service reports, the Unver-
sity of Michigan Public Health Service survey st.
Louis Medical Society study and stand of the Am
ercan Dental Society. We have printed two editor
ials using these sources and have avoide- consd-
erng ourselves an authority. Definitely are not.
Yet fluOridation is nothing new to u.s. We wrote
series of news stories fluoridaton 18 years ago
concerning chemistry professors finding in COM
munities where there were better teeth a result
of fluorides being in the water. In home we've
been using sodium fuoride tablets for several years
Our thought is that Columbia Falls has a num-
Der of problems in its growing that are of more
tors include lack of sewers, condition of streets
sidewalks and the dump ground situation.
We hope people aren't being swept off their
feet by such arguments "fluoride is poison
So is iodine, but who goes down to the grocery
store, and objects to the package of salt because
it iodzed. This additve is health measure and we
take it for granted. There number of similar
cases.
Looking over the community it appears that
people raising youngsters for the most part will be
favorng fluoridaton, and older people in many in
stances will vote against it.
We're voting for it the basis of the follow
ing three paragraphs from U. S. Public Health
Service report
SIN over 1000 communities (of the United
States) than 18 million people drink fluori-
dated water every day. These communities are US
ing in precise manner the fluoride which nature
has distributed irregularly The children in these
towns will have as much IS per cent less tooth
decay for life"
"For many years about 4, 500 900 people in more
than 1000 communities have been drinking natur-
ally fluoridated water with close to above the
recommended concentration of fluoride Il part pei
million). An additional 100000 have been drink
ing water with some natural fuoride-less than
ideal-but still measurable. The drinking of fluor-
ide-bearing water was never, therefore, uncom-
mon.'
Federal government studies compare mortality
rates for heart disease cancer ntracrania LESSONS
nephritis and cirrohss of the liver in 80 cities in
the United States with fluoride and 80 without flu
oride Conclusion is "No significant different ex-
lists between the mortality rates in these two groups
of cities" number of other studies on various
ailments bear out this finding.
Here in Columbia Falls at least the fluoride
question will be decided Monday We doubt that il
will be approved Whether it is approved or dis
approved hope szeable number of citizens
express their sentiments. MR