Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-25
TROUBLES OF DOCTORS.
State Board Of Health Annoyed
as Much by Doctors as by
the Indians.
New Policy to Be Pursued in
Reference to the Complaints
Of Non.Reporting.
Work Done in the State Histor'
ical Observation-Disclosures
and Their Strike.

DeS Moines, Nov. 26.-If the SmallpoX
troubles of the state board of health of
Iowa grow with the advent of cold
weather as the samllpox is supposed
to increase, there will be few to envy
those who have places on the board.
kie Indians is not wholly clear as yet.
The board will proceed as if clothed with
full authority, but 1t is recognized that
much of the success of the board In
handling the epidemic must depend on
the voluntary acquiescence of the IN
dams themselves and the cooperation
of the people living near the reserVa-
ton. There is some contemplation OF
movement to have congressional actlon
placing the Indians directly under con-
troll Of some competent board In such
cases. The uncertainty as to the limits
Of authority is an embarrassment to the
board. but this trouble with the Indians
is as nothing compared to the worry
which some white men give to the state
board. One member talked frankly OF
this at the close Of the recent session.
he said. "are sufficient to make one sick.
Here we are asked to spend two or
three days making investigations, and
after all there is nothing in these fights
over smallpox but professional jealousy
or something incidental to political
fights. For instance, in the cases we
have had to pass on recently, we were
assured by one group OF persons that a
cetrain doctor was incompetent, that he
doesn't know smallpox when he sees IT,
that he deliberately sought to curry ia
vor with patrons by concealing the Dis
cage. that he defied the regularly con-
stituted health authorities, etc. On the
other hand it was charged that the
health officers didn't know smallpox,
that they sought to harass certain doc
tors and throw odium on them and there
wasn't any smallpox in the town, any
way. But when we got down to the bot
tom ne found it was one of those cnron-
lie fights between factions in a town, and
one that we ought not to settle.
1.-THE state board OF medical examin-
ers at it's recent session resolved upon
taking a new tack. We consulted with
the attorney general and found that the
medical examiners could not reprimand
or censure a doctor for playing fast and
loose with the smallpox situation. We
desired that the accused doctors should
be warned and be given to understand
that they were going all wrong, but the
board of medical examiners could do
nothing more nor less than revoke GER
tificate. We would not do that, because
it was shown that the accused doctors
were competent. So the matter was
turned over to the board Of health,
which board can take the proper ac-
tion, and reprlmand a doctor who fails
to do his duty, and in case he persists
can prosecute him under the criminal
statutes Of the state. This is the proper
Hereafter the board of
err than the medical examiners. We be-
lieve that it will be easier to reach the
cases of certain doctors in this way"
ss&
The settlement of the machinists'
strike at Oelwein and the ending of all
the troubles OF workmen there is cause
for congratulation among the labor un-
ion leaders of Des MoineS A. d. Pugh,
a lawyer of Des Moines, was employed
by the machinists to go to Oelwein and
see to 1t that certain accused members
of the union had fair show in court.
the situation there he said:
'I never in my life met more intelli-
gent and sensible lot of workingmen
than the machinists at Oelwein. They
are we'll behaved lot of men and fully
alive to their duties to their employers,
to themselves and to the public. The
strikers did not countenance violence at
any time. The strike was on account of
an offensive foreman and they only ask
ed that he be changed to some other
work. The company evidently failed to
man the shops with outsiders, for the
strike is settled and victory won for |
the workingmer. After it was over
there were few Of the men who could
not resist the temptation to get into
trouble. One of the men who had gone
back to work before the strike was over
got into quarrel with two strikers on
The street and fight followed. The
TWO were arrested and also two others
who had nothing to do with the fight.
They were indicted for felony, but
hey were not guilty and on the pre-
hey pleaded guilty to simple assault |
iHQ We're lluSQ %ou SaSi. az tiii
light The union was in no wise respon-
;ibule for the violence. Now the strike
S over and the men have gone back to
work. except those who indulged in vio-
ence. and the union does not ask that
hey be reinstated."
The eastern papers and plate syndi
,ates are after the pictures of Nose"
Jacobs and the story OF his life. His re-
,ent case in court, in which he sought
o recover part of his hard earnings of
i lifetime has brought him great noto-
'iety.
The magnitude of the work which has
,een done by Hon. Charles Aldrich in
he historical department of Iowa can
lot be understood without a careful
study of his work. According to his re-
,ort there are now on hand 2,7O4 bound
yolumes of newspapers, and 402 differ
mt papers and periodicals are now reg
llarly received by the department. The
lumber Of books and pamphlets which
lave been received to date is 10,20z.
During the past two years q very large