Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-30
PHARMACY COMMISSIONERS is
SUES PUBLIC STATEMENT
REGARDING CHARGES,
READY TO MEET ISSUE
ON GOVERNORS OWN GROUND.
Declares He Did State Work on the
Two Days He Was in Chicago, and
That He Has Followed Rules and
Precedents Laid Down by Carroll as
Member Of State Executive Council.
snecial to Times-Republican.

Special to ItmeS-RepupNcaH.
Des Moines, March 30.-Pharmacy
Commissioner B. F. Keltz, whose res
ignation was demanded by Governor
Carroll without the same being forth
coming, has issued public statement
in which he agrees to meet the issues
outlined by Mr.. Carroll. Mr.. Keltz says
in part:
"The governor refers to four days
on which he says / attended the con-
vention in June, 1908. did not go to
the convention. but I was in Chicago
two days. On each and every one or
the days to which he refers 1 attended
to business matters in connection with
my office of state pharmacy commits
soner, some of which took with me
and some Of which was forwarded TO
me for attention, so that my bill FOR
the month of June was and is in exact
accord with the law and is fair.
THAT bill was approved by the
state executive council in the courts
of regular business. Auditor Carroll,
whose office contributed largely to the
throng of Iowans at the convention,
had better knowledge then than he has
now as to my trip to Chicago, and ms
responsbbility-if there was any error
in the bill-was greater than others OF
the executive council, for 1t was his
duty ais state auditor to refuse to draw
tf1e warrant if he had any doubt as
to the correctness Of the bill. lie nla
not then regard the matter as OF sur
ficient importance for even an inquiry.
Since Governor Carroll has seen ut
to rest his case on four days involving
$40. am willing to join issues right
there: and I here and now assert that
as to those days and every other day
for which a per diem was charged the
bills were correct, that on each and
every day service was actually rem
dered, and the bills conformed sub
stantially to the rules and precedents
which had been laid down by Auditor
Carroll himself as a member of COM
mittee of the executive council. The
fact is that when the executive coun-
ell took over, under a new law, the
task of auditing the bills Of the phar-
macy commission it was desired that
some general rule be fixed with regard
to our bills. Governor Cummins, as
chairman of the council appointed a
committee consisting of Auditor car
rollf and Secretary Martin to investi-
gate and report, This committee con-
ferred with me and one of my COL
leagues relative to what should con-
stitute days work in reckoning our
per diem. Auditor Carroll stated that
the law did not recognize parts of days
and that they had found on investlga-
ton that precedent and the decisions
of the supreme court entitled US TO
charge for each and every day upon
which we performed any service In
connection with our office and that we
should make our bills accordingly I'M
less advised by the council to the con-
trary. No different advice was ever
given us and my bills have been SO
made for the past five years. and as
such were approved by the council and
the warrants drawn by Auditor Car
roll.
81 am at a, loss to understand why,
after having approved my bills for
i've wears lie SIlOulu SuuoCAAAy NAoSOSSA
that the warrants he has drawn were
wrong.
"The office of pharmacy commits
sioner naturally involves much travel
and large discretion, which can only
be exercised when there is a free hand
to a large extent. Much work of a de-
tective nature must be done and 1T is
not always wise to advertise ones
movements. Hard travel and long
hours of work are necessary, and while
sometimes may have worked only
part of a day on state business, more
often have I put in Is to 20 hours for a
day. Because have been largely the
travelling member of the commission ]
found it necessary to give up my pri-
yate business and to devote my entire
time to the work. The fact that dur
ing the time I have been on the board
the net profits to the state have In
creased by more than SO per cent,
would, it seems to me, indicate I had
been reasonably diligent in looking af-
ter the states interests. have never
received dollar from the state that
II did not conscientiously believe was
entitled to under the law, and I feel
sure I have never been extravagantly
paid for my services"