Messages of Pat M. Neff, Governor of Texas to the thirty-seventh legislature Page: 11 of 36
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vision of Markets, maintained and controlled by the Department of
Agriculture. I stand aggressively for a great marketing system for
the people of Texas, and shall, within the next few days, have a special
message dealing with this question. This one consolidation,
which will not in any way impair the efficiency of the work, will be
an annual saving of approximately $28,000.00. This consolidation
will do away with a number of officeholders who are now duplicating
work done by others. The combining of these two departments will
save, in the aggregate, in tax money, approximately $56,000.00 a year.
There is no sound reason for operating these two departments sepa.
rately, except to keep tax-eating employes on the pay roll of the
State. These officeholders of course object to the consolidation.
"When self the wavering balance shake, 'tis rarely right adjusted."
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND FOOD AND DRUG DEPARTMENT
As a matter of economy and efficiency, the Pure Food and Drug
Department should be consolidated with the State Health Department
and placed under the direction of the State Health Officer. The
reasons for so recommending are as follows:
First. The purpose of the Pure Food Department is to eliminate
fraud in the sale of food and drugs and to conserve the health of
the people generally. The Department of Health also has for its
object the conservation of health, and one of the means thereto is
to prevent; in food and drugs, mixtures injurious to health. The two
departments deal with the same commodity. As it is now, the
agents of these two departments sometime visit the same places in the
same town on the same day. It is obvious that the co-ordination and
co-operation of all these agents under one head would not only be.
more economical, but far more efficient.
Second. The numerous inspectors now used by the Health Departmnent
and the more than two hundred county and municipal
health officers now under the direction of the Health Department
could all be effectively and economically used for the enforcement of
the pure food law.
Third. The Pure Food Department has a splendid, well-equipped
laboratory. The Health Department is desperately in need of a better
one than it now has. They are expensive. To have an up-todate
one for the Health Department would be duplication. The
consolidation of the two laboratories would be greatly beneficial to
the work that is now being done by the two departments.
Fourth. The inspection of food and drugs, as carried on by the
pure food agents, properly comes under the jurisdiction of the
Health Department.
Page Eleven
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Neff, Pat M. Messages of Pat M. Neff, Governor of Texas to the thirty-seventh legislature, book, 1921; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5871/m1/11/?rotate=270: accessed April 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .