Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-22

laws OF Utah OF 1899 supersede those
of preyious date, wherein they In any
way conflict. But 10 any event, The
movers conferred ON boards Of health
are NOT intended TO be conferred In
single individual as now assumed by
me secretary of the State board who
issues his edicts as though ne were
the whole thing" as he Is named by
a number OF officials IN different parts
OF the state
In section ll02. laws Of 1898. the secre'
tary As authorized TO perform and SUI
perln,end the work prescribed In this
'rue and perform such other duties
MS the board may require THE work
preseubel relates TO lhe several du'
Ties which ,he secretary is required 20
psrtorr. and which are proper and suit
able TO his office. He Is also made the
executive officer OF the board, and is the
only paid member He receives "a
thousand dollars O. year ana necessary
oxuenses' as bis compensation. BUT
,bsra ls nothing in the law that gives
him legislative functions or that auto.
cratic authority chat he has assumed
It ls NOT FOR him 20 issue an ipse dlxit
that particular disease is epidemic
That is FOR the whole board 10 deter
mine after proper investigation.
It viii be found ON close scrutiny that
even taking the decision Of the
majority Of the Supreme court Cthe
fauacy Of which was clearly shown IN
the minority opnion) and the Views Of
the attorney general there is nothing
that jusuAes the exercise OF arbitrary
mower which the secretary of the state
hoard Of health arrogates to himself
and TO which some OF the local boards
and health officers bow In humble
reverence The local boards OF health
have original jurisdiction over matters
pertaining to the health Of the schools
and are not placed under the dictation
Of any one man power, but simply have
to report to the state board the ny
slenie conditions Of the schools under
their supervision, on forms furnished to
them by that board.
The secretary Of the State board has
exhibited such incompetency and AFRO
gance as have raised general indigna-
tlon in the State, sending his orders
here and there with limitations as to
what he viii do II they are not COM
nled with. And his noted announce
ment as TO the Teachers convention in
This city. shows that he IS either gross
1v ignorant OF scientific conclusions and
the lessons Of experience, or he does
not know the meaning Of his own Ian
euage. In answer to an inquiry from
superintendent Cooper as to danger
from the attendance Of teachers at the
convention to be held in this city, he
replied:
.Tn my opinion there would be no
danger to be anticipated from the at
tendance Of teachers at the state
Teachers convention, provided they
shall have been successfully Vacclnat-
ed: otherwise there would be great
danger. Thev would not be liable 10
carry the disease to others unless they
themselves should first have contracted
It."
Such a declaration as that in the
last sentence OF the paragraph is more
dangerous to the public health than
the presence Of pestilence that is
properly quarantned. That persons
who have been In the company OF the
infected may unwittingly convey the
disease in their clothing to others with
out contracting It themselves, has been
demonstrated to the satisfaction Of the
faculty as well as the general pub
llc, and legislation has embodied the
conclusion In laws that forbid the use
or importation Of clothing and other
things that have been exposed to In
lection
II is frequently reported that 1uaran-
uueQ patients are NAolANh ~ P~'''~
who come and 90 without disinfection,
and It Is believed that this is doing
more TO spread contagion than any
other means. This is, naturally, en-
couraged by the pronunciamento Of the
official who is regarded as embodying
IN his personality the whole State board
OF health, and exercising prerogatiyes
that careful reading Of the law does
not disclose as being vested In that
body itself
II the laws in relation to the legiu-
mate powers Of the State board Of
health were carried into effect, and
public nulsanoes were abated, sources
Of sickness removed. diligence used to
secure sanitation. and greater eau
ton as TO professional visits to the af-
nicted, an Of which are under the legal
supervision Of the State board, there
would be much more likelihood Of
stamping out contagious disorders, than
by the compulsory methods which
amount TO a monomanla with the Of
/ A.. ,,.ts avergfesr th{a ono man noWar