Here are a few examples: Providence, R. I., spent for health conservation, 11 cents; for fire prevention, $1.99 per capita; Portland, Ore., health, 13 cents; fire, $1.91; Minneapolis, health, 14 cents; fire, $1.67; Louisville, health, 12 cents; fire, $1.36.
In 1910, 184 American cities could spare but two per cent. of their total public appropriations for the public health service. The average for all expenses was $16.54 per capita. Of this but 33 cents was for the public health. Seventy-one of these 184 cities spent less than 15 cents per capita for the public health, and among these are such cities as Quincy, Ill., 2 cents; Lansing, Mich., 5 cents; Rockford, Ill., 6 cents; Scranton, Pa., 7 cents; Bridgeport, Conn., 9 cents; Portland, Ore., 10 cents; Harrisburg, Pa., 12 cents; Jersey City, N. J., 13 cents; Springfield, Ill., 14 cents.
There are many of our largest cities that are well below the average of 33 cents per capita. Among them: Toledo, 15 cents; St. Paul, 17 cents; Minneapolis, 18 cents; Indianapolis, 20 cents; Kansas City, Mo., 20 cents; Milwaukee, 20 cents; Cincinnati, 21 cents; Chicago, 22 cents; St. Louis, Mo., 26 cents; Buffalo, 27 cents; San Francisco, 28 cents.
The natural result of this sort of economy is that the health laws we have are not properly enforced.
How can we benefit from the pure food laws, for example, while we refuse to provide the means of enforcing them?
The great city of New York has an ably administered health department, but it has only thirty inspectors to supervise over 27,000 food dispensing establishments. The request of the health officer for an inspection force of 209 men has been steadily ignored for years.
How do you suppose the meat ordinances of Philadelphia are enforced where the people allow the health department but seven inspectors to watch over 8,000 meat shops and slaughter houses?
How can the eight pure food inspectors in Kansas be expected to enforce the pure food laws in the drug and grocery stores, the meat shops, bakeries, etc., in 800 towns? These inspections must be made frequently to be of any value.
These are not exceptions, they are examples.
Could anything be more absurd from a business point of view than this record of “economy” in providing for the public life-saving service?