Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-31
AT LEAST $500 DEATHS FROM
THE DISEASE IN IOWA LAST
YEAR.
CAMPAIGN TO BE PUSHED
WITH RENEWED vlGoR
Or. George Whitaker, Eminent Special
ist, to Come to Iowa and Assist in
Prevention Work-curator Aldrich's
Great Work to Halt For Lack of
Funds-state Capital News.

Des Moines, Jan. 31.-The total of
deaths in Iowa last year from tubercu-
losis. as reported to the state board of
health, was Isis, which probably rep
resents about half the number actually
occurring. DR.. Summers, the new sec
rotary, estimates that the total was not
far from 5000 DR.. Kepford, state lee
turer on tuberculosis, estimates the
total at about $500 and is conservative.
There are probably 10000 cases of the
white plague in Iowa all the time. Doc
tors are slow to recognize it and much
slower to report it. The work of the
coming season will be conducted far
moro vigorously than ever before. first,
to secure the attention of the public to
the enormity of the danger; secondly,
to secure a better reporting of the cases
by doctors and their cooperation, and
then to work for prevention of the
spead of the epidemic. In the latter
work DR.. George Whitaker, an eminent
specialist, will come into Iowa from
the department of agriculture, and as
sist especially in relation to the dairy
and milk problem. The state tubercu
losis department. will have the active
cooperation of the state board of
health, the veterinary department and
the department of agriculture. An
other element in the work this year
will be the corporation of the labor
organizations in q general movement
for the improvement of social condi-
lions among the wage earners.
Owing to the peculiarities of a leader
less legislature, the great work which
the late Charles Aldrich inaugurated of
having the priceless public records of
Iowa preserved and classified will soon
practically step. This was for years
one of the many good things which Mr.
Aldrlch had dear to his heart. He sue
ceeded In getting the work started in
a very small way and then induced the
legislature to appropriate enough to
carry 1t on for a. short time. But the
last Legislature, for reasons that would
be hard to explain. refused any appro-
priation. BY the middle of next month
the work will be practically abandoned.
one clerk being left in charge of the
documents which have been taken over
and which are i'll process of assort-
ment. ~.
John Fletcher, of Avoca. the newly
appointed special counsel in the Office
OF attorney general. comes of a very
line family of eastern Pottawattamie,
Chiefly farmers, and he is a graduate
from the state university about ten
years ago. The position was offered
MIN as soon as it became known thar
MIR. Wilcox was to retire and enter the
general practice. Mr. Wilcox has been
a most efficient aide in the office of at
torney general and Mr. Byers express
ed great regret at his decision to re-
tire His. work has been in handling
| the civil matters of general nature, the
criminal cases going to Assistant At
! torney General Lyons, and a large class
OF special cases to Special Counsel Cos
son. The mass of work which has
come to the office ofattorney general.
especially in the past two years, far
surpasses anything in the previous rec
ord of the office. and the work is grow
ing in Importance rapidly. Under the
present system the office becomes in
fact the hub Of the legal department of
the entire state and it is daily con-
suited in regard to matters arising in
almost every county.
That Iowa is still far behind some
other states in the md tier of providing
! for care of the unfortunate girls was
shown TO Chairman Cownie of the
board of control when he stopped off
last week at Geneva, H., TO see how
that state cares for the girls. There
are 495 girls at the Industrial school
there. The matron or superintendent
has been in charge fifteen years. y