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Chamber Directors Approve Vote on Fluoridation;
Decide to Ask Council for Election in November
O The Jackson County Chamber
of Commerce board of directors
yesterday went on record as ap
proving a public ballot in Med
ford on the question of adding
fluorides to the Medford water
supply.
At a luncheon meeting, the
board voted to ask the city
council to submit the proposal
to a vote of the people at the
general election next November.
It did so after receiving and
filing with approval a report
on the matter, prepared by a
special committee appointed to
make a study of the proposal.
Feeling of Members
The board did not express it
self one way or the other with
regard to the merits of fluorida
tion, members feeling that it
could not speak with authority
for its members on a subject
which has been engaged in con
troversy. But, as a proposal af
fecting the welfare of the citizens
of the city, it was indicated that
residents should have an op
portunity to vote on it.
O In accepting the report, it ask
ed that the report, which was
favorable to the addition of
fluorides to the water as a mea
sure for the control of dental
cavities, be studied by its mem
bers, and requested, that it be
published in the press.-
Text of the report follows:
TO: The Board of Directors,
Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce.
Your special committee ap
pointed to conduct a study of
the proposal to add controlled
amounts of sodium fluoride to
the water supply of Jackson
county municipalities, respect
fully makes the following re
ft port:
I ope Limited
jf The scope of our study was
necessarily limited. The mem
bers are not "technically quali
fied to present a scientific re
port, and were thus forced to
rely on secondary, rather than
primary, sources.
However, a vast amount of
material on the subject is avail
able, and much of it was scrut
inized and evaluated. Sources
consulted include the following:
1. Report of the Committee
of the St. Louis Medical So
ciety on Water Fluoridation,
as published in the February,
issue of Missouri Medicine.
This report is an exhaustive,
14-page study conducted by
three medical doctors, which
goes into great detail as to
the various aspects of the
proposal.
2. Report on , the Fluoridation
of the Public Water Supply,
made to the board of gov
ernors o the Portland City
Club, by a distinguished com
mittee of six Portland men.
This ois another exhaustive
study and report on the pro
posal, thoroughly document
ed. Membership of the com-
mittee was Dr. Arthur Scott,
head of the Department of
Chemistry, Reed college; Dr.
Frank B. Queen, professor of
pathology, University of Ore
gon medical school; Dr. Guy
A. Woods Sr., dentist; Mr.
R. Franklin Hart, pharmacist,
E. R. Squibb and son; Mr.
R F. Merry, attorney; and
. Mr. John C. Beatty Jr., at
torney. The study was con
ducted over a period of two
years, and the committee
called a large number of
competent witnesses as well
as consulting with the ex
tensive chemical, medical and
dental literature devoted to
to the subject.
Revival To Open
At Temple Baptist
The Rev. S. W. Hale, Albany,
Ore., will speak Sunday, March
25 at services at Temple Baptist
church, which will begin a ser
ies of revival services. The
meetings will consist of two
daily services, 10 a.m. and 7;30
p.m., and will continue until
April 8. '
Four special services also are
slated during the revival. They
will open next Sunday evening,
which will be "men's night" and
a mens' choir will be featured.
In the evening on Easter Sunday
will be a "womens' night"; Fri
day, April 6 will be "young peo
ple's night," and Sunday eve
ning, April 8 will be "boys and
girls' night."
The Rev. Mr. Hale has been
a pastor in New Mexico and
California and has been at Al
bany for the past several
months.
CEYLON ASKS FUNDS
Colombo, Ceylon (U.R)
Ceylon has asked the United
States for $1,000,000 to improve
the runway at Ratmalana air
port, it was disclosed today. The
reconstruction would be paid
for out of a $5,252,000 fund al
located by the United States for
Ceylon assistance.
TO TAKI? BRIDE'S NAME
Los Angeles (U.R) Lloyd
Allen Peterson, 55, asked Super
ior Court to change his surname
to Evans, the same as that of his
bridto-be, so she can carry on
her social and business activities
after they are married.
Digest of Opinion
3. Digest of Opinions on Fluorid
ation, compiled by the Health
League of Canada. This listed
universities, preventive med
icine departments, public
health officials and other
groups and gave their opin
ions, and their reasons for
them, as to the proposal to
fluoridate municipal water
supplies.
4. Fluoridation Facts, published
by the Council of Dental
Health of the American Dent
al Association, in answer to
criticisms of fluoridation. This
is a 21-page pamphlet of brief
but thoroughly - documented
facts presented in opposition
to claims and allegations of
opponents to fluoridation.
A quantity of other materials
was reviewed by" your commit
tee, but it feels reference to
these four sources is sufficient
for the purpose at hand. Copies
of each are available to any
members of the board desiring to
inspect them. It is strongly urged
that any member having any
questions concerning the matter
take the time to do so.
Six Allegations
These four sources are docu
ments which, in summation, fav
or the fluoridation of water
supplies. The fact remains that
in each the objections put forth
by those opposed to fluoridation
are set forth in detail. These
resolve themselves to six prin
cipal allegations, as follows:
1. Fluorides are poison, which
accumulate in the bones; they
may cause cancer, nephritis,
heart disease, and a dozen
other ailments.
2. They do no good, in cutting
down on dental carries.
3. They are unconstitutional,
because they violate religious
liberty and civil rights.
4. Substitutes are available, so
that no good purpose is serv
ed by fluoridating the water.
Economically Wasteful
5. It is economically wasteful,
because only a small percent
age of the treated water is
' used for drinking or cooking.
6. The key to good dental health
is proper diet, 'and that fluo
ridation, even if effective, is
only a stop-gap measure.
There is a measure of truth
in each of these, which has
given some weight to the argu
ments by those who have had
no opportunity to look further
in to the matter. They should be
answered as briefly as possible,
point by point.
1. Fluorides, undiluted or in
fairly concentrated mixtures,
are poisonous. So are most
of the trace minerals found
necessary to human life. But
in the tiny portions in which
they are assimilated by the
body, they are not only non
poisonous but beneficial. So
" too with fluorides. A vast
body of scientific literature
attests to the safety of the
procedure. Not one case of
any disease has ever been
connected with the proper
fluoridation of municipal
water. Suggestions to the
contrary are pure speculation.
Carries Reduced
2. Extensive, long-range experi
ments in controlled situations,
both where controlled
amounts of fluorides are ad
ded to the water, and where
water is naturally fluoridat
ed in amounts far in excess
of the recommended dosages,
have proven conclusively that
dental caries in children are
decreased by percentages
varying up to 70 per cent.
The benefits remain through-
Russian Veterans
To Visit America
London (U.R) A group of
Soviet veterans has accepted an
invitation from Americans they
met in Germany in 1945 to visit
the United States, Moscow Radio
said today.
A Moscow broadcast moni
tored here said the "Soviet Com
mittee of the Elbe," an organi
zation of veterans of the historic
meeting with American troops in
the heart of Hitler's Germany,
will return the visit to the USSR
made by their American counter
parts last year.
HE SHOULD GET 'EM
Martinez, Calif. (U.R) Mrs.
Janice Gilkey, 20-year-old bride
of one year, was granted a di
vorce Thursday when she com
plained to Judge Harold Jacoby
that her husband kept the house
full of pet lizards, snakes and
frogs. Jacoby granted the hus
band, Douglas, 26, custody
the ' pets.
of
Dead line for Sunday Classified is
at noon Saturday.
f MARKET
av norm m Teniae
OPEN EVERY
NIGHT TIL :
.MIDNIGHT
hi
out life. This is no longer
successfully denied by op
ponents. 3. The Supreme Court of Ore
gon recently ruled, unanim
ously, that fluoridation is
constitutoinal, and does not
violate religious or civil
rights. The same verdict has
resulted in all court cases in
point but one, and it was
overruled in an appeal.
4. Substitutes has not been prov
en effective. Even if they
were it stands to reason that
those with the greatest need
for them would be the ones
least likely to take advantage
of them. Dental disease, a
major health problem, is also
a major economic problem
.affecting the entire commun
ity, and is a reduction in" its
incidence would have a bene
o
o
o
o
o
Pep
ficial effect on everyonein
the long run.
Minimal Cost
5. Much of the fluorides added
to water do, indeed, go to
" waste. But the cost is so
minimal and the benefits so
. great, that this Is a minor
consideration.
6. Diet is one of the keys to
dental, as well as other types,
of health. Dental authorities
list four measures for dental
disease control, proper diet,
tooth brushing, adequate dent
al care, and addition of fluo
rides to water. Each is im
portant. Diet alone is not the
answer, particularly when it
is considered that a minority
of the citizens hav the know
ledge or motivation to eat
a scientifically chosen and
completely beneficial diet.
IT'S BIG!
IT'S SENSATIONAL!
IT'S EDUCATIONAL!
ft
IT'S FUN!
IT'S FASCI N ATI
IT'S F - n - E
AMAZING EXHIBITS IN HUGE SUPER FUTURLINERS PLUS BIG SCIENCl
STAGE SHOW-UNDER THE SILVER AERODOME
-GREATEST SCIENTIFIC EXPOSITION EVER PUT ON WHEELS!
... a Rang
Saturday, March 24 -
In summary, we paraphrase
from the finding of the Portland
City Club study.
Fluoridation of water supplies
as a public health measure has
been probably as thoroughly in
vestigated as any public health
measure ever proposed. It has
been proven to be a safe and
economic way of cutting the in
cidence of dental caries by at
least one-half. No competent
evidence is available to con
tradict these findings. The cost
is relatively low for the bene
fits derived. Fluoridation is not
a substitute for dental care, but
does achieve a substantial re
duction in caries unobtainable
by other means.
Respectfully submitted
Ray Johnson
George Flanagan
, Eric Allen, Jr.
- E!
7 to 10 P.M.
I Friday, March 23, 1956
County Appraisers
Attend SOC Course
Five men from Jackson coun
ty are among the 120 county
and deputy county tax appraisers
from Oregon and Washington
attending a five-day appraisal
short course this week at Ore
gon State college.
Attending from here are Thad
W. Hatten, Carl W. Miller, W.
B. McCulloch, John F. O'Hara
and Stewart Pennington.
The course, which ends March
23, is designed to bring ap
praisers abreast of latest devel
opments in property tax ap
praisal work. Subjects empha
size methods of appraising va
rious types of Oregon property
for tax purposes.
Oregon State college staff
members and representatives of
the Oregon state tax commis
sion provide the instruction.
! :
- ' .
N.G! . - iC,' $
. ... j ;'.'' '
- - 3 .....
J 0
BRING YOURSELF.
BRING YOUR FAMILY...
BRING YOUR FRIENDS
Not an Automobile Show
Nothing to Buy
Everything to See
ADMISSION FREE
park
O March 25
CANDIDATES TOO YOUNG
Des Moines, la. (U.R) The
Iowa Attorney General's office
told George Pettengill, 20,
Thursday that he could not run
for the Iowa Legislature because
he won't be 21 years old before
the closing date for filing his
candidacy.
Fl I
1 NE
W LOCATION
n
p
KIRBY CO.
HAS MOVED TO . . .
225 NO. RIVERSIDE
formerly at 115 North Oakdale
New and Used Vacuum Sales,
Repairs All Makes
PHONE 2-8821 s
thru 27- 2 to 10
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNS SEVE
URUGUAY GETS LOAN
Montevideo, Uruguay (U.R)
A group of American banks have
negotiated a $30,000,000 loan to
Uruguay, it was announced
Thursday. A delegation headed
by Alfred Vinton, vice president
of the First National City Bank
of New York, arranged the loan.
P.M.