1916] OF THE SENATE. 417

economical to have all bacteriological work done in one labora-
tory. But it is not fair to tax these Bureaus in an amount
exceeding their proportionate part of the total work done by
the laboratory. The taxed Bureaus probably do pay more
than their proportionate part, for the demands upon the
laboratory are not increased by the internal requirements of
the department anything like so much by demands of the
State at large.

The services of the bacteriological laboratory are at the
service of physicians in all parts of the State for the diag-
nosis of certain infectious diseases. By this means, the sick
people in Maryland can command certain scientific resources
which otherwise would be far beyond the means of the aver-
age citizen.

The people in Maryland are, in these days, very much con-
cerned about the purity of water and ice supplies, the sani-
tary quality of milk and milk products, the purification of
sewage and the other subjects which cannot be properly
studied without well-equipped laboratories and skilled work-
ers. Nor are such demands confined to the State. We are
required to certify to the Federal Government several times
a year as to the sanitary condition of water and ice supplied
to the traveling public. This certification requires us to make
sanitary surveys, to collect samples and to make hundreds of
chemical and bacteriological examinations for interstate
carriers.

The State does not carry the whole or the greater part of
the expense incurred on account of such certifications: The
City of Baltimore has a very well equipped laboratory. With
in a year the counties of Allegany and Garrett have appro-
priated money and have furnished space for a branch labora-
tory at Cumberland, performing for these counties all the
services formerly performed by the laboratory in Baltimore.
The economy of time and cost has developed a much wider
use of these advantages than was made when materials had
to be sent to Baltimore. The appropriation asked for will
not allow any extension of the work of the laboratory. Its
main effect will be to somewhat relieve the economic strin-
gency now falling upon other Bureaus of the Department of
Health.

[Which was read and referred to the Committee on Fi-
nance. ]

2'7