Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-26
GUESTS At BANQUET
StatisticianS Entertain Health
Association Members.
DR.. WILEY ON ORAT0RY
Puts It Ahead of Figures as Per-
suasive Force.
OUTLINE OF COMING CONGRESS
DR.. Fulton Tells Of Work Ahead for
National organization-Plea
for Concerted Action.
DR.. WILEY ON oRAToRY
UTLINE OF COMING CONGRESS

Representatives of the American Pub
lie Health Association were the guests of
honor at a banquet rendered last night
in the Ebbitt House by the Washington
branch Of the American Statistical So
ciety. a large number of members of
the Association of Government Account
ants were present also. the affair being
in way continuation Of the conven-
ton in Richmond last week where men,
bers of the three organizations were
thrown in close contact with each other
for several days.
The banqueters expected G. II. knibbs,
chief statistician of the commonwealth
of Australia. who had promised to de-
liver an address on statistical work in
that part of the world. but owing to his
inability to reach Washington in time
his place was filled by DR.. Fl. w. Wiley.
chief of the chemistry bureau. Other
speakers were DR.. John S. Fulton, secre-
tary general of the International congress
of hygiene and demography, which Is to
meet in washington next year; DR..
Gardner T. Schwartz, secretary of the
Rhode Island board of health; DR.. Frank
p. Foster, editor of the New York Medi-
cal Journal, and f. Dana Durand, di-
Powers. one of the vice presidents of
the statistical society, acted as toast
| master.
First Place for Oratory.
| DIR. Wiley entered into a witty discus
sion of the superiority of oratory over sta
tistics. reviewed the origin Of both words
and declared oratory, because it was de-
| rived from two Latin words, meaning
| pray for us was in the very nature Of
| things prefera BILE to statistics with a pri-
mary meaning from the Greek of 'un-
movable"
| 'Oratory moves in waves and impulses,
| 1t sways and agitates masses and individ-
uals-from a congress to a convert. why
| shouldn't It be preferable to something
which is stationary. except for the tenn
porary mental lapses of the statistcian,"
! declared DIR. Wiley.
| DR.. Wiley confessed that a 'long time
ago, when he enjoyed the pugilistic pro-
pensities of youth with missibn," he had
| the holiness to go before a committee in
Congress and argue on statistics he had
| accumulated in opposition to pending
reciprocity sugar agreement with Cuba.
| Il argued the question all right-won-
derfully. in fact said DR.. Wiley. Il was
so successful. in fact, with my facts that
| ! convinced every democratic member of
the committee that such a reciprocity
agreement would play directly in the
hands of the sugar trust. A few days
afterward l got message from the
DR.. Wiley averred that sometimes even
a bulldog would become docile and agree
| with policies and ''other things which
might not have appealed to his dogship at
| the outset.
But really In spite Of it all 1 think now
my figures and arguments were as right
as figures and arguments could make a
thing" he declared.
Prevention Better Than Care.
In conclusion Dr. Wiley spoke of the
uses of medicine in the future and de-
clared the physician of the coming day
would be one who administered a preven-
tive medicine rather than a curative
one. He referred to the Chinese in their
relations to their physicians as an ex-
ample of the medical practice in. the fu-
ture.
| "a Chinese doctor is not rewarded for
the amount of disease existing he said.
They receive their compensation for
their ability to preserve the health Of the
community
DR.. Fulton spoke OF the coming con-
'gress Of which he is secretary general
and the Importance of reliable statistics
of all kinds. especially those relating to
birth and death records, matter in
which many states are negligent, he as
serted, and which are one of the most
| valuable aids to the medical profession
as a prognosis in it's labors to preserve
| the public health DR.. Swartz, DR.. Fos-
ter and Census Director Durand made
short addresses relative to the value Of
statistics in general for the determining
of innumerable governmental and scien-
! tific questions. The former declared that
America was yet in the primary stage OF
statistical labor and pleaded for con-
certed labor among statisticians through
out the country for better results.
| Those seated about the toastmaster's
table were:
DR.. Gardiner T. Swartz. secretary of
the Rhode Island state board of health:
| DR.. Frank P. Foster, editor of the New
York Medical Journal; State Registrar
F. l.. Watkins of Columbus. Ohio; s. J.
Bryne, registrar Of records, Brooklyn,
N. Y: Director of Census E. Dana Du-
! liam NJ. Steuart. census statisticians.
Among the Guests.
Among those present were: Joseph A.
Arnold, J. E. Baker, II. B. Ball, c. II.
Becker. J. S. Biggs. E. NJ. Bliss, J. H.
Blodgett. Fl. T. Burlington, 8. ]. Byrnes,
r. L. Brown, s. P. Cannon, II. s. Chase,
F. W. Chase. J. w. Curry, II. c. Caldwell.
A, Dunn. J. l.. Davenport: 6: X. Den
c. Elkins. c. w. Ellis. D. Folkmer. F. P.
Foster, J. s. Fulton, w. D. Foster, c. F.
Fuller, c. G. Germaine, G. H. Guerd-
runa, A. Hale. F. G. Hardin, e. l.. HON.
magreen. II. j. Harris, w. II. Hathaway.
A. II. HerscheI II. o. Hine. Nd. j. Hume.
F.. S. Hobbs. G. X. Holmes, NJ. o. He
card. Leslie Hayford, w. NJ. Hayes. f.
W. Koch. B. w. Kumler r. s. Kellogg,
o. c. Lappin, r. j. Larner. NJ. o. Loveny,
E. H Mailing. IS o. Martin. J. B. Nor
rison. j. Middleton. N. c. Murray, A. c.
Muhse, II. T. Newcomb, w. s. Newton.
J. T. Nagle, V. II. Olmstead, w. Osgood,
II. N. Parker. f. w. Parker. J. E. Payne,
A. r. Perry, f. J. Peters, n. n. Potts,
lie G. Powers w r. Palmer O. J. J.
Quill, L. N. Robinson. ]. NJ. Rubinow. +.
G. Robinson, c. E. Stangleland. II. Stab
Ter. N. l. Stone, G. T. Swartz. f.
Schreiner, c. Sloan, f.. p. Seeker, f. j.
Sheridan, R. =. Teele, w. Tindall. J. w.
Trask. G. II. Van Buren,, j. E. Wheechel,
J. l.. Wilmeth, d. L. Wing, c. l.. Wilbur.
r. l.. Watkins, DIR. Wiley and c. F. Yush.