The San Francisco call., 1905-02-13
Corps of Trained Nurses
Expected at Sacramento to
Help Assemblymen Legis-
late for Their Benefit
FIGHT OVER SCHOOL
FUNDS BILL rs HOT
mo Compromise Is Slogan
of Friends of Measure That
Reduces the Income of the
City of San Francisco
Special Dispatch to Tn. Call

SACRAMENTO Feb, 12.-The grad
uate nurses of California are going to
take as prominent a place before the
present Assembly as the woman suf-
fragists and the lobby of the latter
interest with its spectacles and short
skirts is in danger of being displaced
in popular interest with the legislator
by bevy of demure and pretty young
women wearing the becoming insignia
or the red cross. Assemblyman George
McGoWan, who is championing
registration bill urged by the Nurses
framing School graduates of the City
ana County Hospital of San Francisco,
Wnlch turns out more trained nurses
than any other hospital in the metrop
OILS, says he will have a lobby of bed
side angels here before the session is
over tnat Will make the passage of any
Dill 1t advocates irresistible. His fell
low legislators are looking forward with
much expectancy to the arrival of this
fair aggregation.
There is no disposition on the part of
the Legislature to refuse passage of an
act providing for the registration of
trained nurses and giving them a strict
professional standing, but it appears
from the fact that there are three bills
in the Assembly covering the same
matter generally. but which differ in
some important details that the nurses
themselves are not agreed as to just
what they want and the contest will
be as to which faction gets it's bill
through.
Assemblyman McGowan's bill pro-
vides that only graduates of such train
ing schools as are recognized by the
regents of the State University shall
be examined: that a two years course
shall be sufficient; that applicants
shall be at least twenty-one years of
age. and that the regents shall appoint
State Examining Board of five to con-
sist Of those applicants for the posi-
ton Of examiner who shall pass the
highest at an examination to be held
by the regents.
DURYEA HAS A BILL.
Assemblyman Duryea has introduced
bill providing that the California
State Nurses Association shall nomi-
nate ten of it's members from whom
the university regents shall choose five
for State Board of Examiners, which
shall examine all applicants who have
passed a three years course at some
reputable hospital Graduates of hos
pitals approved by the regents shall be
registered without examination.
Assemblyman Beckett is the author
of the third BILL which provides that
the California State Nurses Associa-
tion shall nominate ten members from
which the examining board shall be
chosen, but it leaves the university
regents out, the Governor being
named as the appointing power of the
five to conduct examinations. This
examining board is given the power of
approving hospitals whose graduates
shall not be registered without exam
ination. A three years course is pro-
vided for and the minimum age limit
is fixed at twenty-three years. There
is no maximum.
Something of rivalry is arising be-
tween MCGOWAN. Beckett and Duryea
as to which will produce the most
fetching lobby, but it is probable that
MCGOWAN, being one of the best looking
of the young lawyers of the Assembly,
has his rivals beaten.
The three bills have some added i'm
portance as representing rivalries in
the medical fraternity and among the
hospitals, and the doctors may take
hand before any one of them becomes
q law.
Upon proper registration the nurses
will be entitled to append the letters
.'R. NJ to their names as an evidence
of their professional standing. No per-
son is prohibited from nursing for hire
by any Of the measures, providing he
or she does not use this "R. NJ" 1t is
claimed that unframed imposters will
be shut out of the nursing field by the
operation of any of the proposed meas
ures.
SCHOOL FUNDS BILL.
There is going to be no compromise
on the school fund apportionment bill
now before the Assembly. Though it
deprives San Francisco of a large part
of the money that city is receiving un-
der the present law, its authors will
consent to no amendment suggested
by the San Francisco School Depart
ment. The only course left for the
representatives of the metropolis is to
force an amendment when the bill
comes up for second reading, and fail
ing in this to defeat 1t, If possible,
when 1t is called for final passage.
This course has been decided upon.
There will be no more sessions OF
the Educational Committee upon the
bill. This committee recommended it
Tor passage once and upon a protest
being made by San Francisco interests
it was referred back to the committee,
that all sides might have chance to
in favor of its passage. Several meet
ings were held. There was much de-
bate and many plans were advanced
At the last meeting of the committee
Professor Mark Keppel, superintendent
of Schools of Los Angeles, which city
VIII also be heavy loser if the bill
becomes a law, advanced a plan un-
>der which Los Angeles would lose
nothing, but San Francisco's loss would
be doubled
w r. Langdon, superintendent of
Schools of San Francisco, and other
representatives of the School Depart
ment of that city who were present.
complimented Professor Keppel warm
ly on his clever handling Of the SUBJ
Ject, but said that unless he could also
figure the metropolis out OF the losing
column they would hardly agree to his
plan.
superintendent Langdon made a sug-
gestion that the whole matter go over
Tor two years and that holdover COM
mittee OF three members each from the
Senate and the Assembly Education
committees, to which should be added
the Governor and the State Superin-
tendent of Public instruction, be ap-
pointed to investigate the school money