Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-29
Secretary Kennedy, Of State
Board of Health, Says Vital
Statistics Ineffective
DOCTORS MADE BEST REPORTS
Assessors Do Not Secure as Complete
Returns-Both Plans Tried and
Board May Seek to Have Old Law
Re- established - Railroad Commits.
sion to Hold important Session.
speela1 10 Tlmes-Republlcan.

Special TO Times Republican.
Des Moines, Nov. 29.-According to
DR.. j. l.. Kennedy, secretary of the
state board of health, the legislature
made matters worse by changing the
law as to vital statistics so that the
assessors rather than the doctors,
nurses and undertakers report the
vital statistics. The law in effect in
1903 and the first six months of 1904
provided that assessors should collect
and report all information as to deaths
and births. The law in effect for the
last six months Of 1904, all of 1905 and
the first six months of 1906 provided
that physicians and coroners report
such information. At the last session
of the legislature at the request Of tho
state board Of health the legislature
again changed the law so that assess
ors are again to make the reports.
Now DR.. Kennedy, secretary of the
board, in the bulletin for November,
issued today, says that incomplete as
We're the returns made by the physi-
clans and coroners they show that the
returns were far more complete than
when the assessors made the reports.
DR.. Kennedy in the Bulletin publishes
the figures as reported, and shows that
the doctors made the best reports tho
their reports were very incomplete and
they failed to report as many births in
the state as there were deaths. DR..
made by the legislature at it's last ses-
sion a very great mistake and step
backward. DR.. l.. A. Thomas who
will take the position of secretary of
the state board of health the first of
next February has been in Des Moines
for some days with Mrs. Thomas look
ing for home.
Rates On manure, hay and con-
centrating rate on poultry are the
things that will occupy the attention
of the Iowa state railroad commission
at hearing that has been set for De-
cember 20. Manure is on a commodity
rate and is used in enormous quanti-
ties in the water melon country down
in the southeastern part of the state
for fertilizer. The water melon grow
ers claim the rate at present is too
high and they want it reduced. They
ship manure from all the cities down in
that section Of the country to their
melon patches and unless the freight
rate on manure Is reduced the water
melon industry it is claimed will suf-
fer injury.
The concentrating rate on poultry is
a question that has been raised by thu
poultry men of Clarinda who want a
rate put in for short dis
tances that will be much below the
regular rates and will thus facilitate
the shipping Of poultry in small guam
titles to Clarinda, there to be reship-
ped to the eastern market.
The hay rate is question that was
left over from the last hearing on
5. The argument has been
advanced that cheap rate on hay
would result on a great deal more hay
being shipped from this state than is
now shipped and would give an outlet
For the surplus hay of the state raised
by the farmers that is now allowed to
80 " WASTE OCSouSS cAAShS a. AO mai
ket for it,
Both the East. and West Des Molnes
boards of education are coming in for
vast amount of condemnation these
days because Of their refusal to give
parents information when contagious
diseases break out in the schools. A
case of diphtheria developed In the
grade school, the school
which is attended by the children of
the families that live on West Grand
avenue. All efforts on the part of the
teachers and school authorities was
made to keep the matter from becom-
ing publicly known, fearing Of course
that it would result in parents keep
ing their children out of school,
The parents are indignant because
they think they themselves should be
the judge Of whether the child should
stay home in such cases. Over on the
east side the president of the
BOARD told man holding state
position that the board had spent $50
'unigating. "Just as 1t is" said the state
office man, at was case of dollars
and cents, and kicking because he had
o spend so much money to fumigate."
!. s. r. M. A. FIGHT ON.