Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-21
CONTROVERSY STARTED BY CAR
ROLL OVER ANATOMICAL SHIP.
MENTs AMOUNTS TO LITTLE.
MONEY THOMAS OWES STATE
LONG IN HANDS OF SUMNER
Present Secretary Of State Health
Board Produces Records Of Office for
Inspection of correspondent-car-
rolls Charges Not substantiated by
the Records of Board.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, May 21--The contro-
yersy started by Secretary G. II. Sum
ner, Of the state board of health, over
the records of his office, or alleged lack
of records with relation to the expense
money for shipment of anatomical ma
| terlal to colleges, is a good deal of a
! tempest in a teapot. The fact was that
there seemed to be good deal Of cues
ton about the legality of the election
OF Sumner. and Secretary Thomas. in
view OF inns fact. made his settlement
WIN DIR. Hanchett, president of the
board. After few months Secretary
sumner collected about $500 of the ex-
pense money for handling bodies as re-
CURED by the regulations of the board
He was in doubt as to whether this
should go to the state treasury and
made report to Governor Carroll, who
turned it over to the attorney general
The latter decided the money did not
belong to the state and the board di-
rected Sumner to return it to the COL
leges.
The governor having made use of the
matter for political purposes. accusing
Ihomas of acting without authority of
the board and failing to turn over to
the state the funds, the former secre-
stary has replied sharply Now it
'transpires that Secretary Sumner. in
making his report to the governor.
asked that it be used only for official
purposes and distinctly declared tha.
he did not wish it to be construed as
rejecting on his predecessor.
Yesterday Secretary Sumner showed
your correspondent the check given by
his predecessor. DR.. Thomas in settle
ment of his account with the state,
which money has not yet been turned
over to the state treasury. He also
showed the checks he received from the
colleges, amounting to over $500, for
expense money, the same still being in
=. possession. He also disclosed that
has secured from the colleges a
statement showing that during the
term of his predecessor this expense
money fund an1unted to 1855 Secre-
tary Sumner could not state how much
of this was used for any particular
item of expense, as this has always
been handled by the secretary. alone
Since Secretary Sumner came into
office he has not collected for this eX-
pense, but the state or the secretary is
out the cost of kilograms, clerical work
etc. that matter not having yet been
settled. The money in controversy was
not treated by the state board at any
time in the past as a fee, since it is
not statutory fee, but was in the ma
ture of expense money advanced by the
colleges. They have never objected to
its payment before. The law requires
that all the fees must go into the state
treasury, and so far as can be ascer-
tanned this has always been done by
Secretary Thomas and by Secretary
Kennedy who organized the depart
ment.
Secretary Sumner was not able to |
confirm from the records the assertion |
of Governor Carroll that the method OF |
transacting the business was not au-
thorized by the board. DIR. Thomas
quoted from the record, and probably |
this record can be found in the tran
sactions of the board, since it was I'M
der this resolution that the matter has
been conducted for years.
The most that could be said is that it /
is for the courts to decide who is right