New-York tribune., 1903-02-28
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
APPEAL TO THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

To the Editor of The New-York Tribune:
Sir: 1t needs no argument to prove that the med
cal profession is deeply interested IN the question
of educational unihcation extensively agitated
in this State. If such unidcation is TO be accom-
pished it only be effected by vesting the pow
ers of the present Department of Public Instruc-
ton in the University of the State of New-York.
to be exercised and performed by its Regents, for
the simple reason that being embedded in the con-
stiuton, it cannot be eliminated by the legislature
The evils arising from the dual system of super
vision of the educational interests of the State.
which have been sc injurious in the past and have
entailed unnecessary expense, would thus be en-
tireiy eradicated. and the schools would forever be
taken out of politics
1t is hardly necessary to call the attention of
medical men to -h1 fact that at the time of the
initiation of the present admirable system of med
ical examinations the greatest solicitude felt
to the proper and most fitting place in which
to lodge the power for the administration of the
boards proposed to be created, and only when the
proposition made to place them under the con-
troll of the Board of Regents and the fact became
self-evdent that ita constitution, mode OF election
and life tenure office made it necessarily an in
dependent and impartial body the profession
induced to give the movement its cordial support.
In point of fact, the failure to adopt the New
York system in other States has in several in
stances resulted from the reason that precisely
similar body existed in those States in which to
lodge the requisite power for the administration
of the boards of examiners intended to be estab-
IIShed-
exist they are elected for only brief number OF
years. and thus liable to be subjected to polit-
ieal control and to all the communicating sectarldn
and partisan influences which flow therefrom- Such
boards account of the absence of permanence
of tenure do not and cannot have the lndepen-
dence of action which has always characterized the
Board of Regents of this State.
An experience of more than eleven years of the
workings of the present system of medical exam
nations in this State has demonstrated not only
that the Regents have administered their trust
with perfect independence and judicial impartialty
but that the results attained have commended 1T to
the good sense of the people of the State and
gained for 1T the hearty and cordial approval Of
the medical profession of all schools of practice
in every portion of country and 1t is now con-
ceded by scholars and publicists to be the most
perfect in the world.
Any radical change in the constitution or life
tenure of the board would tend to demoral1ze the
present system and create imminent danger OF low
ering the standards of medical qualfca ton which
have given New-Yorh a proud position among her
sister States. =,
Every member of the medical profession should.
therefore Immediately interest himself in favor OF
the unifcaton of the entire educational system OF
the State under the exclusive supervision of the
Regents of the University of the State OF New
York. WILLIAM H WATSON
Utica. Feb 26. 1908