Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-13

commission form Of government for the city
of Des Moines the business men have be-
come convinced that the only successful
form of government anywhere is the com
mission form. More than this, there have
been certain slack methods in the running
of the county that have not been overly in
ducive to confidence in the old form.
One of the propositions that will be sub
mitted to the legislature will be to abolish
the supervisorial district lines in all coun-
ties of the state so that the supervisors
will be elected at large from the county. 1t
is claimed that this will result in getting
much better supervisors.
Then another step will be taken in giving
each county, especially the larger and more
thickly populated counties, the right to put
the county on the commission basis by Civ
ing the supervisors wider authority and
better salaries. They may go so far as to
impose on the supervisors the selection of
the county treasurer, county recorder, clerks
OF courts and other employees who do the
clerical work about the court house, leaving
to the selection Of the people only the
judges of the district court.
The thing that is ~fretting Des Moines in
regard to its county government is mostly
a supposition that the business affairs of
the county are not managed properly and
a further feeling that some malefactors
have so much money or so much political
influence that they get off without punish
ment and even escape Indictment. Just
how to remedy this latter matter is a prob
lem that has not been solved as yet.
Iowa Right ON Tuberculosis.
A. Z. Kepford, state agent of the Board
of Control in the campaign for the eradi-
cation of tuberculosis, has returned from
attending the international congress on
tuberculosis at Washington and has re-
ported to the board that the conclusions
arrived at by the congress are confirma-
tory of the plans and methods now in use
In Iowa. In other words after many days
of discussion among the scientists of the
world no conclusions were reached that in
any way conflict with the lines on which
the work is already being done in this
state.
+ One OF the things decided upon there was
registration. Iowa is already working
along that line. The purpose of registering
those afflicted with tuberculosis Is in or
der that the authorities Will nave a COM
plete check on all persons so afflicted. The
houses will not be placarded. The main
purpose is that some restraint will he
placed upon the poor people. tuberculosis
thrives mostly in the novels of the poor.
where conditions are unsanitary. Doctors
will be compelled to report all cases and
the authorities will then see that the prem
Uses are made sanitary and in case the
family moves out that the premises are
thoroughly disinfected.
1t was further agreed that bovine tuber-
culosis can be communicated to the human
family, which is a matter of great I'm
p%ortance In an agricultural and dairy state
like Iowa. The Iowa authorities have been
working along that line and a determined
campaign is now being conducted by the
state veterinarian and his corps Of dep
uties to stamp the disease out in cattle.
1t was further agreed at the internationa
congress that one of the most important
places in which to work is in the public
schools in order to educate the children Ia
methods of right living. That campaign
also is being looked after in Iowa and a
text book is likely soon 10 be prepared for
use in the Iowa schools.
Probably the most important matter OF
consideration at the congress in the opin-
ion Of Mr., Kepford is the fact that tuber-
culosis thrives on lack of nutrition or i'm
proper nutrition. The conclusion Is that a
new race must be developed with a higher
resisting power. 1t was claimed by all the
scientists there that a person OF perfect
health would not contract the disease and
the better the health the more capable he
would be to resist and throw 1t off. For
this reason the people must be educated
on matters of diet ard living. Drunken
ness and any excuses weaken the system
and make 1t more susceptible to tubercu-
losis and hence to a great extent moral
questions enter into the campaign and the
people must be educated to higher stand
ards of morality I'm order to thoroughly
eradicate the disease.