The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-11-26
FEELS PUBLIC PULSE
THIS NEW DEPARTMENT MAY BE
ADDED TO THE CABINET.
That of Health, IF President Taft Can
Have His Way; American Medical
Association Is Interested! Has
Urged Congress to Take Action;
Prominent Physicians Have Discus
sed Proposition With Executive.

Washington, ID. c., Nov. 23.-In his
annual message to congress it is ex-
pected that President Taft will recon-
mend the establishment of new bu-
reau or department of public health
If q sufficient showing is made he will
recommend the creation of depart
ment" the head of which will be a cab
met officer. Otherwise he will proba-
bly, content himself with recommending
a bureau" under one of the depart
ments now existing. There are already
nine departments with cabinet officers
and prejudice exists in congress
against increasing that number. Once
a department is created its field of
usefulness, and incidentally the num-
Der of employees and expense of con-
Quoting it, seems to increase by leaps
and bounds.
Independent Department
On the other hand, those interested
in the questions appertaining to public
health, insist that nothing short of an
independent department will serve to
protect the health of the nation in an
adequate manner, that such work must
be carried on independently and with
out subservience to interests of wealth
production of wealth. accumulation
What view President Taft will take is
as yet unsettled, but he is giving the
matter his close and personal attention.
Surgeon General Walter Wyman, of the
Marine Hospital service, has submitted
a report on the subject which he spent
months in preparing. DR.. Charles A.
Reed of Cincinnati, chairman of a spe-
eial committee representing the Am
erican Medical association, has pre-
pared his views at the request of the
president and will, it is understood,
shortly present them in person. The
American Medical association is one
of the numerous organizations which
would prefer department to a bu-
reau.
Other Departments Are Concerned.
A number of departments are con-
cerned in the matter. The department
of commerce and labor has always
felt that questions affecting the manu-
facture of foods should come within
It's jurisdiction. The treasury de-
partment has already a skeleton bureau
known as the bureau of public health
and marine hospital service" of which
DR.. Wyman is the head The department
of agriculture, now charged with the en-
forcement of the pure food and meat
inspection acts, with the bureau of ami
NAL industry, is vitality interested.
A new bureau or department would
take over all existing bureaus or divi-
sions relating to the public health and
would deprive the Department of Agri-
culture of considerable of its business
and prestige. For this reason Secre-
tary Wilson is put down as opposing
any change in the situation 1t has been
felt, however, that the enforcement of
an act regulating drugs and manufac-
tured foods, should have been left to
some department better equipped for
the purpose and whose existing work
was more allied to the subject, than
to the department of agriculture which
is concerned with matters relating to
the farm and whose scientists are train
ed in that direction.