Milford chronicle., 1958-08-01
AN EDITORIAL FOR CHILDREN

AN EDITORIAL FOR CHILDREN
ItsSnot often we address an editorial ex-
cusively to the younger generation. But
right now we have an urgent message for
your parents and we thought you youngsters
and teenagers could help.
Sure, we know you're occupied with the
long summer vacation, the swimming and
ball games and camp and all the rest. But
this also happens to be the iavorite season
for POLIOl
Chances are most of you have started
your Salk shots. Maybe you've completed
the full series for top protection against the
crippler.
But what about your Nom and Dad? The
odds are they haven't even thought about
getting the vaccine for themselves. At least
80 million adults between 20 and 40 years
haven't had a single shot yet. So-heres
where you can help. Tonight at dinner, or any
time you get chance, ask your parents if
they've started the anti-polio shots.
Maybe they'll say that polio is a kids
disease. Well, you tell them it isn't so. Last
year, for example, one out of every five
persons who went to the hospital with polio
was over 20.
You can also tell them that polio hits
hardest at adults. Of all patients using iron
lungs and other respiratory aids last year,
81 per cent, or three out Of five, were over
20 wher they got the disease. A lot of these
patients were parents. They had children
they loved, chiiSrcn to take care of. But you
can't do much abort that from an iron lung,
can you?'
Maybe your parents think THEY'RE safe
because YOU got the shots. 1t doesn't work
that way The .taccine doesn't kill the virus.
There is no evidence that it stops the chain
of infection, from one person to another.
What Salk shots 10 is help create immunity
in the person z no gets them-and no one
else.
ed yet, tell them it takes only few minutes
but paralysis from polio can last lifetime.
<~~@~~~
USEFUL PAST so
Sir William Osler was famous and dis
tinguished physician who died in 1919 at the
age of 70. His influence through research
and teaching was felt on both sides of the
Atlantic. Not little of this influence was
due to his striking way of expressing his
thoughts.
Like many men who express themselves
well, Sir William became over-fond of GER
tain ideas. In his case, one Of these was the
notion that when man got to be go years
of age his usefulness was about ended. He
wrote of the ''incalculable benefit it would
be in commercial, political and in profession
al life if, as matter of course, men stopped
work at this age"
Sir William had many good and noble
thoughts, but on this one he was dead wrong.
AT least he was wrong so far as our own era
is concerned, though at the turn of the CEN
tury it may have been true that most men
were no longer much good for work after
they had lived through six decades.
The years since Sir William wrote about
the uSelessneSS of men past so have wit
messed tremendous medical advances. One
effect has been to improve general health
and Increase the life span so much that great
numbers of men can do good work far be-
yond their 60th year. This is true in such
measure that the whole concept of retire
ment at 65 is undergoing re-evaluation.
Many men now continue as useful en-
ployees even beyond their 10th year. In this,
as in many other things, we have taken long
steps since Sir Williams CAV
YOU ARE HOLDING THE BAG
Government corporations, competing with
private business, sometimes show a paper
profit. This lulIs the taxpayers into feeling
that things are all right
But their balance sheets are different
from the balance sheets for businesses. A
business indicates profits" in two ways.
The first is profit before taxes The second
is the profit after taxes.
These taxes paid by business doing the
same job as Government corporation lessen
the burden that must be carried by the in
dividual taxpayer. The Government oper-
alton increases that burden, even if it is in
the black.
Government corporations pay no taxes to
the state and local communities Private
companies which could do the same work
must pay these taxes. Thus the growth of
government corporations in many areas has
made for big revenue problems for the local
governments.
The claimed profit of government enter
prise actually may conceal hidden loss.
That loss is yours