The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-07

WHICH SHALL RULE
Drinking Cup Question Checked
Up to Attorney General.
He Will Decide Board of Health
Controversy.
SINNER MAKES POINT.
Railroad Board Secretary Tells
Crumbine to Look at Home.
Do Away With Common Drink
ing Cups at State House.
SINNER MAKES POINT.

The controversy between the board
OF health and the railroad commits
sioners over the adjustment of the
common drinking cup from passenger
trains of the state still goes forward
and interesting developments may be
expected when the attorney general,
who has been appealed to. delivers his
opinion in the matter. 1t now seems
to be a question of which board shall
take precedence in authority. the
board of health has ordered the rail-
roads to do away with the drinking
cups in their trains after Sept. 1, and
substitute individual cups of oiled pa
per to be sold on the trains for PEN
ny. The railroad board which was ap-
pealed to by the railroads, declined to
grant permission to the board OF
health to abolish the common drink
ing cups from the trains, holding that
the convenience of the travelling pub
lie was the thing first to be consider
ed.
Dr. Crumbine of the board of health
waxed wroth and overwhelmed the
railroad board with statistics and bac-
cili and germs, winding up his brief
with the argument that the public
health was paramount always to the
public convenience.
This last expression used by Dr.
Crumbine Is the kernel of the whole
mater. There seems to be little doubt
but the attorney general will decide
the case in favor of the board of
health on this proposition alone. In
matters that affect the public health
the board of health has power over
the governor of the state or even the
supreme court The board can abate
a nuisance in the governors office or
in the supreme court room and the
justices of the court would have to is
sue a writ of mandamus. even on
themselves, when the public health is
the point at issue.
AS regards control of railroads the
board of health has no powers what
ever, while the railroad commission
ers are supreme in their control of the
equipment and operation of the roads,
but this drinking cup proposition is
matter of health and DR.. Crumbine
therefore holds the trump card. In
matters that affect the public health
the Crumbine board is vested with SUI
preme legislative, judicial and execu-
tive powers so far as the way has been
blazed by the statutes of the state. DR..
Crumbine is prepared to prove that
the baccili and the germ have taken
up their habitation in the common
drinking cup-therefore the cup must
go.
The best point that Ed Sinner has
made so far in the controversy is that
the doctor should abolish the common
drinking cup in the state house before
going on a crusade in the holy land of
the passenger coach.
The final result of this campaign is
easily foretold. Two years hence the
Kansan will carry, in addition to his
handkerchief, tobacco box and pocket
book, a little paper drinking cup.
When he dresses in the morning the
good wife will go to the dresser draw
er and get a clean kerchief and a
drinking cup and place them in the
pockets of her lord and master at the
same time she brushes his clothes.
The little folks will carry drinking
cups to school in the book satchels.
The matron and maid will carry
drinking cups in their shopping bags.
And the germs shall have been driven
from another line of breastworks.
But in spite of all these precautions,
this is the fate of man, according to
the letters of the Japanese schoolboy
to Golfers:
''In quite recent date at Weebog,
Maine, a inhabitant, aged 102. sud
denly stop off & go dead after hard
life of adulteration. Hon. Doctor hold
a O'Topsey over his remainders &
split him to pieces. What did they
find there? Stummick ossified by tall
cum of chalk combined by calcium.
Liver preserved in critical acid. Ar
teries preserved in creosote. Lungs
preserved in bromide of tan-bark. He
were resting calmly in bed when they
surrounding his nose. On table beside
him were a empty bottle of tomato
catch-up & a note to his aged mother,
for which he was the entire support
In this letter he make one last requesh
that he should be canned & kept
In q cool, dry place"