Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-09
REPRESENTATIVE FROM 1REMER
REVIEWS ATTACK ON So
CALLED DOCTORS TRUST.
ASKS STATE TO ENACT
RESTRICTIVE LEGISLATION
Proposed Law Forbids Price Agree
ments or Sharing in Profits Of Other
Physieians-Defense Fund Barred and
Bar Of Professional Secrecy in Court
Cases ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS News.

Special to Times Republicans.
Des Moines, March e.-Representa-
tive Charles w. Miller, of Bremen. re-
turned today to the attack on the doc
tors trust. as he calls ii, which he has
been fighting for years and he intro
duced q bill which will. if it becomes a
law, bring about some reforms in med
cal practice.
The bill will do what he failed to get
done some years ago when ne carried
TO the supreme court a lawsuit to have
declared illegal the agreement of doc
tors of his county in regard to the fees
to be charged. He complained that
this agreement was in violation OF the
antitrust law of the state But the
ton of physicians was analogous to
labor union and therefore the anti
trust law did rot hit the case.
Now Mr.. Miller would amend the
law specifically forbiddng any agree
n1ent, arrangement or understanding.
express or implied, the purpose OF
which shall be to fix or establish rates
for service. This will put the scale OF
prices Of doctors out of commission.
The bill also makes it unlawful to
secure to any physician secreteiy
share in or profit from the earnings OF
another physician or surgeon. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Miller this is even
a greater evil than that Of combining
to boost prices. for the country doc
tors combine with the city doctors and
there is trading and dealing in connec-
ton with hospital service.
The bill also strikes at commissions
or remuneration in any way TO drug
gists or undertakers or others in con-
nection with medical service
Another phase of the question hit by
the bill is that of the defense fund OF
the state association of doctors, as II
is made unlawful for the doctors to en-
Ter into an agreement for a defense
fund to defend members from malprac-
,ice and other suits. This is some
thing which the insurance department
OF the state has refused to recognize
az in accord with public policy. and the
bill aims to make it wholly illegal.
Another interesting phase of the bill
Is that which removes practically the
ban Of professional secrecy from the
physician except only as to testimony
that might subject a patient to hu-
initiation or public ignominy
The whole purpose Of the bill Is TO
prevent any possible combination or
agreement between doctors ard sener-
ally to break up the so-calied PROBES
sioral ethics" which now prevails. MI
Miller. VINO is vice president or the
American League for Medical Free
dom, expects TO get the bill thru the
house very soon.
Members Of the state board OF ed
ucation say they have received quite
number Of letters from alumni OF the
state university In condemnation OF the
protest from Fort Dodge against the
election Of DR.. Bowman as president
They received one very strong letter
from a graduate Of the university iiE-
ing In Fort Dodge, whose letter gave
them much comfort because Of lis d's-
closures as TO the reason for the CON-
pla;nt. The board believes that the
great majority Of the people Interested
will give loyal support to the ne"
president
The printing committee of the senate
has set next TUESDAY for the first hear
ing on the bill to create the office OF
superintendent Of printing and binding
for the state and 70 place the work I'M
der control of the state executive coun-
Gil and its secretary.
The women Of the state who have
become informed as to conditions at the
state reformatory for wemen and OF the
need for something 10 be done for a
class OF unfortunate women who are
now much neglected. will regret the
decision Of the house that no steps
shall he taken toward the establish
rnenJ Of a women's refornatory The
women Of the ". c. T. L. have urged
this refornlatory for many years and
say there is real need for It.
In the debate on the Sarnmis bills
to cut out the attorney fee in injunc-
ton cases, Senator Gilliland took oc-
casion TO express his doubt as TO whetl-
er or not any Judge Of Iowa has ever
signed up DEGREES like those which
Senator Sammis said had been used in
Scott county DEGREES which virtually
enjoined saloonkeepers from doing
things which they probably never had
done and which did not in any way af-
feet the right to carry on the saloon
business illegally. Senator Sammis,
however. had copy of an original de-
cree and stated that more than 200
such had been entered of record. The
DEGREES were on printed form, and
Sanmis asserted they showed plainly
that they were prepared not to require
obedience to the law but to permit
evasion OF the law.