The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-03
Concentration in Health Depart
ment Favored by Osborn and
Some Other Boards He
Believes Useless
MESSAGE TO BE INTERESTING
Has His Own Views About the Con-
duct of State Affairs and Will Ex-
press Them FearIessly. Will
Economic.

Detroit Mich, Dec. 3.-That Gov
elect Chase S. Osborn, in the mes
sage he is now writing in the north
woods will make some strong recon-
mendations as to the advisability of
reducing the number of state boards
row in existence, was the informa
ton brought to Detroit yesterday by
some of the governors advisors and
Heutenants. The state health depart
ment is likely to be the chief one dis
cussed.
The occasion was the meeting of
state Chairman Knox and other mem
bers of the state central committee,
at the Hotel Pontchartrain.
Will Write Own Message.
Gov. Osborn would have been n
most welcome visitor, but ii was
announced that he is still in the woods
working on his message and that he
only energies semi professionally to get
the benefit of the latest information
which his lieutenants succeed in gath
ering. IL can be stated that the gov
ernor will write his own message and
the document will be unique in that
respect. Besides he has never been
slow in giving utterance to his opin-
ions.
Gov. Osborn has had abundant OPP
portunity to measure the shortcom-
ings of the state administration, and
il is believed that he will advocate a
system of retrenchment in the conduct
of state affairs, which will tend to-
wards efficiency as we'll as economy
II is understood that he thinks that
no department in the state stands In
more need of the proper kind of dew
elopment to make II really useful than
the state health department.
Too Many Divisions.
Not that there is anything wrong
with the board itself, but as matters
stand today the health of the state
hast no less than eight diiferen'
phases as gauged by the number OF
board apportionments to look aftei
it. each Independent of the other. Fol
instance the physicians have board
the pharmacists another, the nurses
have another. the dentists are in OF
another and the optometrists still an
other. Then there are several othel
divisions. while the state health de-
partment is only supposed to do GER
tain things when the water gets ba'
or an epidemic of some disease springs
up.
II is quite true that the multiplicit!
of boards provides per diem and traV
cling expenses for quite a small army
hut i'm the meantime the state healtl
department becomes dwarfed. I'M
subject has been often discussed, bu
political pressure has always prevent
ed the governors from taking any ac
tion. Gov Osborn is quite student
medical literature, and 6Ntertalns
strong convictions as to, VIII stat
health department should do. " can b
stated that he will discuss the matte
quite fully in his message, and WI
advocate the expansion OF the stat
health department so that 1t Will nav
supervision of all matters pertainin
to health, directly and indirectly.
Others Useless.
There is also n strong probapillt
that he will call attention TO otne
useless boards, which now exist. Fo
instance, he fails to see any warraf
for a barbers examining board. In
essentials of a good barber are clean
liness and a sharp razor. The new gov
ernor will likely hint that a custome
is the best Judge of the razor. whl
the health department can be be'
made to look after the sanitary ele
ments. The question may also {
raised as to the utility of horse
shoer's examining board. Anyway ti
governors message will wake up u
populace and incidentally will keep VI
legislature busy keeping step to n
tune