The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-11
SCHOOL BOARD ACTS
All Teachers and Pupils Must
Be Vaccinated.
OR SUFFER EXCLUSION
THREE MEMBERS WANTED TO
CLOSE THE SCHOOLS.

The board Of education met yesterday
noon to canvass the returns of the late
election for members of the board for
the ensuing year, and to arrange for
putting into effect the order of the
city health department excluding from
the schools all teachers and pupils who
fail to present certificates of successful
vaccination from the medical inspector
of the board.
With the reading of the health de-
partment's order a letter was submit
ted by Secretary Joseph Hyrum Parry
Of the Anti-CompulsOry Vaccination
league, protesting against any action
bv the board of education toward the
exclusion of unvaccinated Ch1idren
from attendance at the public schools.
If an epidemic of smallpox exists IN
this city" continued the protest, there
is no more danger OF spreading the
cCntagion by unvaccinated than by
vaccinated children, and If real danger
of contagion exists the schools should
be closed to all and not TO certain
classes of children
We hold that the board has no right
or Just power to make vaccination
qualification to school attendance. Tlfne
alone prevents the obtaining of thou
sands of signatures of school patrons
to this protest"
Health Commissioner King, DR.. Beat
ty of the state board of health and DR..
E. w. Whitney were present ana an
swered numerous questions from the
board members.
Finally, Mr.. Bamberger moved Chat
when the public schools reopen after
the Christmas holidays on jan Z, II
be in accordance with the order OF the
health department.
Wanted Schools Closed.
Mr.. Noyle offered an amendment that
the schools be closed entirely 10 all
puDiIs at the beginning of the holidays
l,cn Dec, p. and that the term of clos
| ing be as long as the epidemic lasts.
The amendment was lost, only
| Giauque. Moyle and Newman voting
I in the affirmative. Both Giauque ana
| Moyle contended that the private
| school sessions. Sunday meetings and
| ali Dublic assemblies should be for
/ hidden before the public schools are
! required to close. Newman declared
( that he could not bring himself TO the
point of endorsing compulsory vac
| cination, and that was what ne thought
the boards action amounted TO.
| Bamberger made the point that the
/ law made it compulsory for children to
/ attend school, while il was optional
/ for persons TO attend church, sunday
| school and other like assemblies. He
did not wish to shfrk any responsible
/ ity.
Duty of the Board
/ NeIden's reason for supporting Bam-
| berger's motion was that the decision
| Of the supreme court last spring made
/ it the boards duty to exclude unvac-
! cinated persons from the schools dur
| ing a threatened epidemic of smallpox.
! President Wilson was of the opinion
! that the law left no option with the
! board but to heed the health depart
ment's mandate.
on the adoption of Bamberger's mo
ton. Critchlow, Nelden, Walker, VII
! son Young and Bamberger voted in
the affirmative, the other three mem
bers voting no. s5.c
A motion was then adopted devolving
upon DR.. Whitney, the school board 5
medical inspector, and Superintendent
Cooper the duty of enforcing the order.
Votes Canvassed.
The canvass of votes showed the fol-
First Precinct-L. Frank Branting,
| 1541: f. w. Wilson, 1.214.
Second PTecinct-rA. G. Giauque, GIL
Third sPrecirct-0sear W. Moyle, 265;
! scattering, 20.
Fourth Precinct-Joseph Geoghegan
947; H. P. Henderson, 749-
Fifth Precinct-W. A. Nelden, 252i
scattering, 8.
| Teachers May Attend
In response to a query from School
Superintendent Cooper as to whether
there would be any danger from teach
ers attending the State Teachers con-
vention in this city Christmas week
DR.. Beatty of the state board Of health
has replied as follows:
In my opinion there would be nc
! danger to be anticipated from the at
! tendance of teachers at the State
Teachers convention. provided they
shall have been successfully vaccinat-
I ed: otherwise there would be great
danger. They would not be liable t
[ carry the disease to others unless they
/ themselves should first have contracted
it"
APPLIES TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS