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NEWS-REVIEW - May 6, 1971,1 THE NEWS-REVIEW PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY 930 Gwinnett Street - Augusta, Georgia Mallory K. Millender Editor and Publisher Mailins Address: Box 953 Augusta, Ga. Phone 722-4555 Application to mail at Second Class postage rates is pending at Augusta, Ga. 30901 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Payable in Advance One Year in Richmond $2.50 tax inch One Year elsewhere $3.00 tax inch ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Classified Advertising Deadline 12 noon On Tuesday Display Advertising Deadline 12 noon On Tuesday Office Hours -10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon, thru. Fri. Responsibility To The Public The prime responsibility of any newspaper is to report the news accurately and objectively. In order to do that, one assumes that public officials recognize their responsibility to the media so that the public may be well informed. Most officials would agree that they have this responsibility to the public, and most people would agree that properly authorized reporters with proper identification should be permitted to investigate a news story. It is now common knowledge that a controversy developed at North Augusta High School when Black students became angry over the fact that no Black cheerleaders were elected to the cheering squad. Duly authorized reporters from NEWS-REVIEW and Radio Station W.R.D.W. went to North Augusta High School to investigate that report. Other reporters from local news media went to the scene and got their stories. According to the reporters from the NEWS-REVIEW and Radio Station W.R.D.W. they were not allowed to get the story. Instead, they were asked to leave the premises and never return. No explanation was given. We feel that the school official responsible for asking these reporters to leave the premises without getting a story not only denied the reporters the right to perform their duty, but also denied the public its right to know what is going on in public schools. We feel that suppression of the news is a very serious offense, particularly when the constitution guarantees freedom of the press. It becomes even more serious when officials arbitrarily decide who has the right to report the news. Part 6 URBAN LEAGUE REPORT As a community service the News-Review will print the entire text of the report and recommendations of the National Urban League concerning the causes of the events of May 11,1970. It should be made perfectly clear that the text of this report has not been edited or otherwise altered in anyway. Since the report is too lengthy to be printed in one issue, we will print it in a weekly series. We urge you to read it and carefully consider the information found therein so that we may begin to work seriously toward meaningful progress in race relations and human dignity. HEALTH INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The overall view of a community in terms of its health indices is indicative of the overall level of life. Without healthy people, a community cannot be economically viable. Even though Augusta is a medical center, there is a shortage of trained medical personnel within the city. In 1968, there were 144 physicians in private practice, which is a ratio of one physician per 1,041 (*1), or in terms of the black community, one physician per '.2,000 people. There were 55 non-salaried dentists in 1968 with a ratio of one to every 2,725 residents (*2), with one dentist to every 12,050 black residents. To June 30,1969, there were 1,025 infants medically admitted for health services to the local health department and 1,301 by nursing admissions. The local health department provided from July 1, 1968, until July 30, 1969, health services to preschoolers which included 400 medical admissions and 655 nursing admissions. Talmadge Hospital’s Out-Patient Psychiatric Clinic had, from July 1, 1968, to June 30, 1969, a total caseload of 2,552. A breakdown of the total caseload is as follows: Active Caseload 1,276 Aftercare 23 Diagnosis without Service 620 Evaluation for Other Agencies 205 Treatment Service 414 Applications Only 14 Total Caseload 2,552 (*1) Annual Statistical Report, 1969, Georgia Department of Public Health, page 8. (*2) ibid., Page 12 There is a sliding pay scale psychiatric clinic operative out of University Hospital which is open two days per week. There are only ten non-salaried psychiatrists who man this clinic. To compensate for this glaring lace of mental health facilities, application has been made for a Comprehensive Mental Health Center which was scheduled to become operational in November, 1969. The overall view of the birth and death rates of Richmond County and Augusta in comparison to the State as a whole are good. But, obviously one must consider that Georgia’s overall average compared nationally are not good and one could, hopefully, expect much lower figures since Augusta is a medical center. In tables 20, and 21, one sees the glaring ratio of immature births for the black population. In the county, as a whole, it is 138.0 and for Augusta, it is 142.7 per 1,000 Page 2 sir, Ua l tZ w -A \ \ v" 1-- - I —N / / TOB TMTEWIEW population, which are equal and greater than the State’s ratio. However, one notices that the fetal death rate for the black population is lower than that of the white population. In persuing the death rates, it is obvious that blacks die at a greater rate than whites and to note that the rate for children under one year of age is greater for blacks, also. This rate of 40.1 for the county and 44.0 for the city both exceed the State’s rate. This can only lead to the conclusion that greater preventive and supportive medical services need to be available. In table 22, in only three categories is the rate of death by cause greater for whites than blacks. One would expect this since the overall death rate is higher for blacks than whites. These differences can lead to sever J conclusions: (1) Health services are less readily utilized by non-white for various reasons; (2) Non-white cannot afford proper medical services; (3) Reduced payment services are not numerous enough . . . and so on. Interviews were held with both private and public health agency directors to more fully ascertain the quantity of health service rendered. * 4 TABLE 20 LIVE BIRTHS, FETAL DEATHS, DEATHS BY RACE FOR , RICHMOND COUNTY, GEORGIA - 1968 i Number Rate or Ratio Total White Non-White Total White Non-White Estimated Population *9,900 101,700 48,200 1 • I've Births : Total 3,133 2.053 1,080 20 9 20.2 22.4 Delivered in Hospital 3.123 2,052 1,071 99-7% 100.0% 99 2% Delivered in Home by Physician 8 I 7 0-3% 0.0% 0.6% Delivered by Midwife 2 - 2 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% Other Deliveries - " " 00% 00% mature Births: 294 145 *9 93-8 70.6 138.0 Live Births to Unwed Mothers: 320 78 242 102.1 38.0 224.1 U. Fetal Deaths: '79 5“ 57-1 60.9 50.0 HI- Deaths: Tota , 1,434 876 558 956.6 861.4 1,157-7 Under One Year 88 44 44 28. I 21.4 40.1 One to Four Years 13 7 6 Maternal TABLE 21 LIVE BIRTHS, FETAL DEATHS, DEATHS BY RACE FOR AUGUSTA, Georgia - Number Rate or Ratio Tota IWh i teNon-wni teTota IWh i teNon-Whi te Live B iiths : Tot-1 ’1,827 972 855 Dell e ed ir. Hospital 1,822 972 850 99-7% 100.0% 99-4% Delivered in Home by Physician 4 4 0.2% 0.0% 0.5% Delivered by Midwife 1— 1 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% Other Deliveries Inmature Births: 195 73 122 106.7 75.1 142.7 Lire Bi-tns to unwed Mothers: 270 57 213 147.8 58.6 24g.l I- Feta I Deaths: 110 66 44 60.2 67.9 51.5 l i. Deaths: Total 1,104 624 480 Under One Year 72 34 38 39.4 35.0 44,0 One to Four Years 94 5 „ Maternal TABLE 22 MAJOR CAUSES OF DEATH RICHMOND COUNTY - Number Rate or Ratio Disease Total White Non-White Total White Non-Whif Ischaemic Heart Disease 412 297 115 274.8 292.0 238.6 Malignant Neoplasms 193 134 59 128.8 131.8 122.4 Other Forms of Heart Disease 191 111 80 127-4 109.1 166.0 Pneumonia 73 36 37 48.7 35-4 76.8 Al! Other Diseases (Residual) 72 37 35 48.0 36.4 72.6 Al I Other Accidents 57 36 21 38.0 35-4 43.6 Motor Vehicle Accidents 47 32 15 31-4 33-5 31.1 General Arteriosclerosis 47 10 37 9.8 76.8 Hypertensive Disease 44 ’ II 33 10.8 68.5 Birth Injuries 29 14 15 19-3 >3-8 31.1 East Central Health District VII Richmond County is part of the East Central Health District VII whose headquarters is governed by a nine-member voting board. They receive their positions as follows: (a) Mayor of city (or his city council appointee.) (b) Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenue (or his appointee). (c) President of the Board of Education. (d) One physician appointed for four years by the Grand Jury. (e) Two physicians appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Roads and Revenue from list submitted by the Richmond County Medical Society (three years). (f) Three lay persons appointed by the Board of Commissioners and Roads and Revenue (three years). (g) One non-voting member appointed by the Board of Health. The present board is: (1) Mayor Millard Beckum. (2) Mr. Matthew Mulherin, Chairman, County Commission. (3) Dr. Hal Holmes, President, Board of Education. (4) Medical Profession Representatives: (a) Dr. C.G. Luther - Surgeon (Chairman of Board). (b) Dr. William A. Fuller - Internist. (c) Dr. J.W. Holder, Jr. - Dentist (d) Dr. A. Joseph Green - Pediatrics. (5) Lay Representatives: (a) Mr. Peter Franklin - Real Estate. (b) Mr. Charles Pressley - Vice-President, Georgia Railroad Bank. (6) Non-Voting: (a) Dr. H.D. Blalock - Retired This list is not congruent with the regulations which state there should be three lay representatives and there are only two. Also, there are no black representatives. TABLE 23 STAFFING PATTERN OF THE EAST CENTRAL HEALTH DIST BY CATEGORY AND RACE -1970 TABLE 23 STAFFING PATTERN OF THE EAST CENTRAL HEALTH DISTRICT VII BY CATEGORY AND RACE -1970 TITLE TOTAL BLACK Medical Director 1 Administrator 1 District Chiefs 4 Typists 9 Clerks 4 Health Program Representatives 4 Stenographers 2 Accounting Clerks 2 Switchboard Worker 1 Health Promoters 9 9 Nursing Assistant 1 Student Nurses 19 1 Sanitary Supervisor 1 Sanitarians 6 Sanitarians’ Assistant 6 1 X-Ray Technicians 1 Dental Assistants 1 Nursing Supervisor 1 Medical Doctors 2 Licensed Practical Nurses 2 Utility Workers 2 2_ Total 80 14 The budget for 1970 was $571,000, of which $182,000 was provided by the State and the balance of $389,000 provided by the county. They do not receive any direct federal money. The East Central Health District VII has three categories of clinics operative. Below is given each type of clinic open by category and hour. TABLE 24 APPOINTMENT CLINICS CLINIC DAYS HOURS Family Hanning Clinic Tuesday 8:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Includes Early Pregnancy Thursday 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. -pasting 5. ijO p.m. - 8.00 p.m. Chest X-Ray Screening Clinic Thursday 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. -4:30 p.m. Adult Clinics Monday 8:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Screening for Pulmonary Diseases and Diabetes Well Child Clinic Friday 8:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. NON-APPOINTMENT CLINICS CLINIC DAYS HOURS General Clinic Daily Daily 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Immunizations PKU Tests T.B. Testing Food Handlers Clinic Tuesday 8:30 aon. -12:00 p.m Health Cards NR Welcomes Philip Waring Column The NEWS-REVIEW is happy to welcome J. Philip Waring’s “Going Places” as a regular bi-monthly column. Mr. Waring is a native Augustan and is now the Executive Director of the Urban League of Fairfield County, Connecticut. Recipient of a master of social work degree from Columbia University in 1947 with post-graduate training in human relations at New York University, Mr. Waring has also served on the field work faculties of Columbia, New York, Fordham, Washington, Atlanta and St. Louis Universities, helping to train graduate students in community development, race relations and social group work. Waring has had a long and eventful career in Urban League work, anti-poverty and civil rights. While serving as Executive Secretary of the Bronx County Office of the New York City Urban League in 1954 he was citec’ by the New York Age/-Defender Newspaper for improving the working and living conditions of Negroes and Puerto Ricans. In 1959 the St. Louis Federation of Block Units, Urban League affiliates, cited him for helping to expand that group into the nation’s largest neighborhood improvement self-help organization. An active Episcopal layman, the Bishop of Missouri cited him in 1964 for professional skill in planning anti-delinquency and anti-poverty proposals which brought millions of dollars in Federal funds into St. Louis. This was during the period when Waring served as Commissioner of Community Services for St. Louis, the first black to be selected for this position in the city’s 200-year history. After his assignment as Executive Director of the Springfield Illinois Urban League, the city council of that city cited Waring for his leadership in placing the first non-white employees in down town banks, insurance companies and department stores. This was in 1961. Mr. Waring organized and headed the War On Poverty program in St. Clair County, Illinois, adjacent to St. Louis. While in this position both Sergeant Shriver and U.S. Labor Department Secretary Willard Wirtz visited his installations and praised the program as an outstanding example of helping poor people to up-grade themselves. Upon completion of that duty tour, the Economic Opportunity Commission and the City of East St. Louis presented him with official citations for leadership service. Upon accepting the new Connecticut Urban League assignment, William E. Douthit, Executive Director of the 51-year-old St. Louis Urban League, praised Waring as a dedicated and hardworking Urban League professional. Services Department, significant progress had been made in advancing the agency's New Thrust social action programs, new educational and scholarship activities coupled with vast expansions of the Block-Unit Federation neighborhood betterment projects. He is married to the former Marian Johnson, a graduate of the University of Illinois, staff coordinator of inner-city activities for the St. Louis Girl Scout Council, and National Program Chairman for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. fSfrIOKEY' _Remember, only you can prevent forest fires. ■Register ■ S And ■ H Vote ■