Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-05

tive that It shall hold meetings at least
every three months, and one OF them
must be held at the capital during the
session OF the Legislature. II is re-
qulred to make h the Governor report
OF It's acts and Investigations, on or be-
fore the first day Of December preceding
each regular session OF the Legislature.
The secretary Is to- provide for a
course OF lectures, to be delivered by a
competent person each year at the capi-
tai OF the state. on sanitary science.
hygiene and nursing" He Is also 10
furnish to the Legislature when IN SEES
sion, such information relative to the
work OF the State board as may be from
time to time required, He Is not en-
lowed with any other than executive
powers. that Is, to carry into effect the
decisions Of the board. Nor Is he au-
thori2ed to send agents through the
state for any purpose whatever.
It ls not known TO the public how Of.
ten this board has endcavored TO hold
meetings. It Is generally believed that
the law has not been compiled with
In this and other particulars. II Is
popularity understood that the secretary
has acted as the whole board. and has
assumed It's functions with the expec-
tation that the board would endorse his
dolngs when II should actually hold n
meeting The public has not been fay
ored with any Information from that
body as to vital statistics, or reports Of
Its Inquiries and efforts on sanitation,
the causes Of diseases. or anything in
relation to the disorders among domes-
tic animals II would be Interesting
perhaps to know what the board has
to impart on these subjects. and wheth-
or the Governor has received It's reports
The series Of free lectures. which the
secretary is required by law to provide
at the capital every year. have been
conspicuous by their absence. IL he
has obeyed the law In this particular
1t ought to be known. A report on this
matter would be timely and should be
submitted. Perhaps II the board sue
ceeds in It's "endeayors" during the
present week, the people Of the State
may be favored with some light in re-
gard TO all these questions.
II is the duty of the Legislature 10
call for this information At the last
session a law was enacted comforting
needful powers on local boards Of
health, with the view and intent Of
making them responsible in matters re-
lating to the public health, There is
nothing in that law. nor in the law Of
1898. which makes the local boards sub
ordinate TO the State board And GER
tainy neither Of those laws places the
local boards under the dctaton and
domination Of the secretary No such
-man-power as that functlonary has
assumed can be found in any act of the
Legislature.
The people want a full report OF all
the doings Of the State board Of health
and of It's executive officer, and now
VIII be an opportune time for the Legs-
lature to demand It. seeing that the
board will "endeavor" to hold meeting.
The people also want the powers Of
the respective health boards defined.
They believe that If each local board Is
properly organized and authorized, the
state board will be totally unnecessary,
particularly after what It has NOT
Done up to the present date, VIII
he Legislature please take up this
matter and call for full report while
there is an opportunity TO do so II the
state board aocomplishes It's worthy
'endeavor?'