institution, the American school
should represent at all times a maximum of general agreement.

To take _palliative measures to public schools_ not only _leaves undone
remedial_ work necessary for the health of public school children but
_neglects entirely the still large numbers who go to parochial, private
pay, and private free schools_; no one has had the temerity to suggest
that the public shall force upon nonpublic schools a system of free
operations, free eyeglasses, free meals.

Civilization has painstakingly developed a large number of agencies for
the education and protection of mankind. Of these agencies the school
is but one. Its first and peculiar function is _to teach and to train_.
This it can do better than any other agency or combination of agencies.
In attempting to "bring all life under the school roof," we use but a
small part of our resources. Instead of persuading each of the agencies
for the promotion of health to do its part for school children, we set
up the school in competition with them. Thus in trying to _do things_
for school children we are in danger of crippling agencies equipped to
do things for both school children and their parents, for babies before
they come to school, and for wage earners after they leave school.

_Getting things done_ will lead schools to study underlying causes;
_doing things_ has heretofore caused schools to confine themselves to
symptoms. _Getting things done_ will leave the school free to
concentrate its attention upon school problems; _doing things_ will
lead it afield into the problem of medicine, surgery, restaurant
keeping, and practical charity.

CHAPTER XX

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION FOR WORKING PAPERS

There is no sacred right to work when our work involves injury to
ourselves and to our neighbor. Work at the expense of health is an
unjustifiable tax upon the state. It is the duty of society to protect
itself against such depletion of national efficiency.

Three classes of workmen need special attention: (1) those who are
physically unfit to work; (2) those who are physically unfitted for the
work they are doing; (3) those who are subjected to unhealthful
surroundings while at work. Viewing these three classes from the
standpoint of their neighbors, we have three social rights that should
be enforced by law: (1) the right to freedom from unhealthy work; (2)
the right to work fitted to the body; (3) the right to healthy
surroundings at work.