The Topeka state journal., 1900-06-14
COLE IS WOODY.
That Is What Member of State
Board of Health Says.
Exercised Because Claim of Sec
retary Was Turned Down.

The state board of health has ad !
journed after electing officers for the |
ensuing year. the members being very |
much excited at the action of George |
Cole, state auditor, in refusing to pay
the expenses of DR.. ". B. Swan, secre-
rary of the board. incurred while at
tending the annual meeting of the na-
tional and provincial boards of health
at Atlantic City.
The officers elected for the ensuing
year were as follows:
President-Dr. B. J. Alexander, Hia-
watha.
secretary-Dr. w. B. Swan. Topeka.
Sanitary advisors. W. Wiliiston,
Kansas university.
Sanitary engineer-F. o. Marvin. Kan
SaS university.
Chemist-G H. S. Bailey, Kansas uni
versity.
Bacteriologist-Pau Fischer, Kansas
agricultural college.
Wednesday evening when the board
had completed it's labors the members
went to draw their pay and among them
1 was DR.. Swan, the secretary who had
| attended the Atlantic City meeting, un-
1 der authority voted by the board.
He presented a bill of expenses, rail-
road fare, hotel bills, and Pullman fare
| amounting to $71.50.
The bill was Immediately turned down
| by Mr.. Cole and the members of the
| board were very indignant. The more
outspoken doctors criticised Mr.. Cole
| very freely.
It develops that before going to At
| lantlc City DR.. Swan asked Mr- Cole
| if he would allow the bill for such ex-
! pense and the auditor replied that he
would not However, DR.. Swan present
ed the claim and had it rejected.
I did not expect the bill TO be paid"
said DR.. Swan, because had been told
that l would be compelled to pay my
own expenses. was sent by order of
the board and will cheerfulIy pay the
expense myself. although 1 believe the
auditor is wrong
Mr.. Swan calls attention to the fact
that the auditor allowed a bill for ex-
penses created by the secretary in a
visit to Missouri to look after smallpox
cases. He claims the Atlantic City trip
| is parallel case. To this MIR. Cole
takes exceptions and thinks the AL
| lantic City excursion more of a jun5et
} than a necessary trip while he regards
the inquiry into smallpox cases. after
which quarantine was established
against Joplin and Springfield, as a ne
cessity.
The members of the board labored
with Mr.. Cole to induce him to change
) his mind but the auditor said:
I have followed the law as I believe
= it should be construed"
The members of the board threatened
dire consequences to which the auditor
replied by saying:
: 4 believe the law sustains my posi-
t consequences
r DR. J. NJ Minnich. of Wichita, was
especially put out by the action of the
= auditor. He said: The nine members
! of the board of health who voted to send
r | DR.. Swan to Atlantic City have suffi-
! cient financial standing to buy out the
= whole administration and not feel the
/ outlay. This action of Cole is little; its
e ! woozy; it's wrong"
] President Alexander called attentio.
/ | to the fact that the legislature ''appro-
pr1ated $500 for US to use as we see fl
) but it seems that the members of the
= | board have nothing to say about it,
The session of the board yesterday re
minded state house people of the gooC
] old days when the members were sum
= moned in by the secretary to divid,
c whatever money there was on hand
I that is, with special reference to the ex
e citement. The members of the boar(
2 were indignant but they were not Xix,
- those of the old days who "roared" be
= cause they did not get their share.