The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-13
DR.SANDERSAT HOME
HEALTH OFFICER RETURNS FROM
 WASHINGTON MEETING.
He Does Not Recede From Ills Unei~ terable Position Against . Na- fionaI observation-disclosures
 Hospital Service.

pr. W. IT. Sanders, State Health of-s ficer, yesterday returned from Wasn- ington where he attended the mee'ihk of the legislative council of the Amer iean Medical Association of which no is a member. Dr. Sanders said ne na" not one step to recede from the pos' tion which he took with reterehcg - the resolution to establish Hi. Hicuiea. department in the Federal goVetne". to have the cabinet rank.
 It will be recalled that tne Aiaua,.a Health Officer opposed tns atta.t, lion alone and made notahle at.ack op theN r1en and methods of the Ma rine uoanitaI Service of the linltsn States He was not quoted in all ne said before the legislatiye councii oy the Associated Press but 1t IS known that his speech on the occasion oI tns foreroing resolution contained one oI inc seyerest arraignments of the Hos- uitai Service that is on record.
 The attack on the surgeons Of the .eryica was prepared and delivered without regret. Dr. Sanders yesterday admitted on his return from the meet ing. To all who have heard his pri- yate opinion of the Hospital service what was said by him in Washington was no particular surprise. He took an opportunity of landing a solar plexus and that was when it was pro- nosed to centralize all the health au- thority of the land. He asserted that the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service Is under the direction of a secretary who had no competent knowiedge on sanitation but who. by virtue of being the superior officer or the service, was in fact the national health officer of the country lie aa- ded that the surgeons in the serVice were not selected for ntness as san s,i.. tarians but because as young men thss show certain qualifications as pao tioners of medicine.
 The speech of Dr. Sanders was deiiv- cred in the presence of Surgeon-G -GeH- eraI wyman who sat next to him,
 "A representative from South Caro- lima and Kentucky were the only uoc- tors in attendance on the council rom the South except myself, said pr pr. Sanders yesterday. There IS vast difference between talking about cs7. trolling the health of the land and ac- tualiy putting it into practice. Men have talked pretty strongly Of the quarantine systems of the southern states without knowing what they were talking about. l admit. anu suppose we all admit, there are de- fects that ought to be remedied. put there is a way to remedy them without surrendering the rights of local seif f government. Suppose you lave an ul-
 
 cer on the leg or the eye. the removal of 1t could be effected by cutting OH inc limb and cutting out the eye. That might be avoided. however, and If there is better way. then let 1t be adopted I3I,;s !
 There is a better way or setthna tbe health and quarantine systems ot inc Southern States than giving all powers to the Marine Hospital ser. vice. The Constitution of the United states bestows upon the States he right to govern themselves as regards their health matters and 1t was not in vain that our forefathers fought for the enduring principle of self-govern' ment."
 pr. Sanders repeated what he had said in Washington of the Hosital Ser vice, that the men holding life-timt positions are unwilling as a rule te submit to anybody outside, are 'arro' rant. self-opinionated and despotic al times" He also criticised the law just introduced by Senator Mallory of Flor ida which proposes to give over th' maritime quarantine to the Hospita Service.