Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-23
CoIIoquy Over Public Health
Service Measures.
Mr.. MARTIN URGES ACTION
Virginia Senator Says Protests Filed
Are Based on Misinformation.
OTHERS TAKE PART IN DEBATE
Senator Hale Wants No Legislation
This Session-Mann Bill
Reported in House.

Discussion Of the bills for charging the
work of the public health service and for
creating department of public health
stirred up a lively cOlloauy in the Senate
shortly after it went into session this
afternoon.
When several senator's mentioned pro-
tests they had received against the enact
ment of a bill recently introduced by SEN
ator Martin, he was vehement IN his reply
that the protests were largely based on
erroneous impressions, and he urged Con-
gress to take some action to increase the
efficiency of the public health service.
Senator Smith of Michigan lighted the
fuse by asking Senator Martin. who is
chairman of the committee on public
health, when report on one OF the
health bills was to be expected.
Senator Martin Retorts.
81 am just as anxious as the senator
from Michigan to see reported some bill
for the betterment of the public health,
replied Senator Martin. He explained that
several bills were before the committee
the Owen bill for the creating of a de-
partment of health with cabinet officer
at it's head, and the Martin bill for en-
larging the work and jurisdiction of the
public health and marine hospital service.
chiefiy-but that he found it difficult to
get the members of the committee to-
gether to agree upon some legislation.
There is opposition to the measure l
introduced, on the ground that it inter-
feres with the freedom of medical prac-
tice,'' Mr.. Martin continued Il want to
say that there is not word or pro-
vision in either bill which interferes with
the freedom of medical practice. There
seems to be an idea in some quarters
that they propose to set up a medical
trust"
Senator Smith explained that he was re-
ceiving hundreds of protests against the
legislation, and he urged that no bill be
reported without full hearing.
1.-The committee has devoted weeks to
hearings retorted Mr. Martin "If
| these protestants want to repeat what we
have already heard many times before
we will never get a bill reported"
Wants the Subject Dropped.
Senator Hale injected some more ginger
into the discussion by expressing the hope
| that little more will be heard Of the mat
ter during the present session.
II cannot agree with the senator from
Maine that it is unwise to report any
measure for the improvement Of the pub
lie health service" declared Mr.. Martin.
THE matter is SO important that it ought
to receive attention from Congress-"
Yes, there are protests against the
bills he exclaimed. After I introduced
one bill short time ago l received 1000
kilograms in one day protesting on the
ground that it will interfere with medical
freedom. All the kilograms We're pTacti-
cally in the same words, indicating that
they came from some one head
Just to show that his bill did not justify
the criticism Senator Martin read its
provisions, and he followed the reading
by again contending that any one could
see there was no interference with medi-
cal freedom.
Reference to Presidents Views.
Senator Gallinger got into the colloquy
at that point by saying that he had
grave doubts about the Owen bill to
create department Of health. 1t was
claimed for that bill, he said. that the
President favored it. The President, how
ever, only recommended an enlarged bu-
reau Of public health.
1.-The President did recommend increased
Jurisdiction for the bureau Of health" de-
clared Senator Martin. And I think
Congress ought to pass some legislation
to improve the public health service
Mann Bill in House.
The Mann public health bill, to oppose
which osteopaths and other interests
flooded the House with kilograms a few
days ago and brought about a hearing
of their arguments, was ordered favor
ably reported to the House today by the
interstate commerce committee.
The measure changes the name of the
public health and marine hospital service
to ''public health service