The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-17
Does Not Propose to Have His
Authority Curtailed.
Prepares to Make Fight on New
Health Ordinance.
END TO CZAR'S REIGN.
Provides That Health Depart
ment Be Conducted Properly.
His Method of Attack Through
Channel of Economy.

There is a revolt in the city board of
health, and City Physician w. D. Storrs
is at the head of it,
De. Storrs has undertaken the job of
defeating the proposed new health de-
partment ordinance which has been
recommended to the city council by
the board of health and the health and
sanitation committee. DR.. Storrs does
not lik the ordinance because it clips
his wings, and makes him subordinate
to the board, instead of superior to it.
He opposed the adoption of the or
dinance by the health committee, and
now is evidently planning to carry the
hght into the higher legislative body.
At the meeting of the ways and
means committee, which was to have
been held Monday night, DE-. Storrs
was present, prepared to do what he
could to prevent a favorable epo on
the ordinance from the ways and
means committee. DR.. c. F. Menninger
chairman of the board of health, was
also present. DR.. Menninger is one OF
the majority of the board, against whom
StOrrS is in revolt.
OF course it would be impolitic for
DR.. Storrs to come right out n say to
the council that he does not want to
have his czar-like authority reduced.
so he has elected to make his hight on
the ground of economy. 1t is a very
good scheme, because 1T Will appeal
strongly to the council, provided LIE.
Storrs can make his hgures nang 70
gether. Storrs claims that under the
new ordinance the city health depart
ment will cost from 1 200 to $1,000 more
every year han it costs at present.
This is emphatically denied by the
other members of the board
while DR.. C. E. Judd was city physi-
clan. he had the postal card idea ana
had it bad. Nobody seems to know ex-
actly how many thousand postal carus,
and return postal cards, DR.. judo nao
printed for the use of his department.
But he certainly had enough Sanitary
Sergeant Pay stated today that there
are 5000 worth of postal cards still on
hand in his office. These cards are sup
posed to be given to doctors, Tor Inelr
use in reporting births, deaths and cases
of ~ontagio disease. Storrs claims
that if the new ordinance is passed, all
these postal cards together with a vast
quantity of printed blanks. reports n
similar stuff. will be worthless ana
This is not the case" said Chairman
Menninger today "AIl this printed
matter will be used under h new ordl-
nance. The new ordinance makes no
changes in these printed forms. 1t
merely requires an additional report
from the board of health to the council"
DR.. Storrs also claims that the new
ordinance requires the employment OF
an additional sanitary policeman, at a
cost of $3.50 a year, and h payment or
two members of the board of health for
eighteen meetings during the year, cost
ing $3.50.
It is the meetings of the board which
really rankIes in DR.. Storrs' heart He
does not get any pay for meetings, and,
moreover, he does not like to have the
board meet 81 often in consultal1on
about affairs which he regards as MS
own private concern.
~. - COCO - ry0or for sanitary
officer is wholly optional with the mayor
and council. The new ordinance pro
vides for six sanitary policemen, while
the old one provided for five But only
such portion of these as are necessary
are to be appointed. At present there
are four sanitary policemen, ana TINS
number would probably continue re-
gardles sof what the ordinance PROVIDES
as a maximum number.
At present the board of health meets
only on call of the secretary, which IS
DR.. Storrs ex officio. AS a result OF
this system and the existing friction
etween Storrs and the other members
of the board there have been very 1e"
meetings called. Storrs has done as
he pleased about things. The new Or
dinance provides for a regular month
~ meeting and a Sem1-monthly meet
ing during the summer months Dr.
Storrs gets a regular salary as city
| physician while the other two doctors
on the board get nothing except 80 Tor
each meeting they attend. :.
DR.. Storrs wants the council to hx II
so that the board Of health will meet
only when he calls them together. He
claims thai as he does not call them
together at all the city will a v a
total of $3.50 in the course OF the year
The result of this system would be to
leave things in exactly their present
condition with the city physician in SUI
preme command of the health depart
ment.
Nearly all of the councilmen are
united in the desire to reduce expense
as much as possible and DR.. Storrs Will
probably be able to get some changes
made in the ordinance if he a prove
that it would really be much more
expensive to conduct the city health
affairs under the new ordinance than
under the old one. But he will prob
ably find this difficult to do especially
when the councilmen take into consid-
Grafton the kind of service which the
citv of Topeka has received from its
health department under the old
method of conducting affairs.