The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-16
The Owen Bill
What it is and What it is
 Not

Out of the thousands of newspaper items regarding meetings held by the interviews by their leaders and edi- toriais denouncing the owen bill, not one of these newspaper items quoted from the bill itself, neither does it ap- pear that the bill was read at a single meeting or quoted from verbatim by a single speaker. In fact. it is evil writers employed by the League for Medical Freedom have never even read the Dfl which they denounce- The following summary is taken from the amended bin as it now stands:
 WHAT THE OWEN BILL IS.
 Taking up the bill by sections: Sec partment known as the Department of Health. of which a Director Of 5Health-to be appointed by the Presi- dent-shaH be the head.
 Section provides for an assistant. to be known as the Commissioner of Health, and for the usual chief clerk for the auditing of accounts
 Section defines the purpose of the department to be "an matters per- tafning to the conserva ton and in- provementi of the public health and 10 collect and disseminate information relating thereto.'' Provisos carefully safeguard the rights of the states; Of private citizens and of all practit1on- CTS of healing This section is the most important part of the bill and should be carefully read
 Section 4 provides for the transfer to the new department of (a) the Pub lie Health and Marine-HospitaI Ser vice from the Treasury Department; enj from the Department of Agriculture; (c) the Division of Vital Statistics, or the Bureau of the Census. from the Department of Commerce and Labor. The President Is also authorized to transfer any part of any other de- partment engaged in pubic nealLn of the Army and the Bureau of Medi- cine and Surgery of the Navy. All powers. functions. records and appro- priations- of any bureau transferred shall be transferred with it.
 Section. provides for eight bureaus: ta) Sanitary Records (b) ChIld Fly giene, co Vital Statistics and Publica- tions (d) Foods and Drugs. (e) Quar- antine, (D Sanitary Engineering- (g( Government Hospitals, Ch) Personnel
 section provides for temporary ex- change of employees with other de- partments.
 Section 2 provides for an advisory board of seven specialists to advise with the director. This board already exists as the Advisory Board of the Hygienic Laboratory.
 Section 8 authorizes the director to call a conference of the health author ities of all the states when deemed advisable. This power is now posses sed by thessurgeon-general of the Pub lic-Health Nand Marine Hospital Ser vice.
 5 lions of the three bureaus transferred.
 Section 10 provides for an annual report to Congress.
 Section il provides --dollars to carry out the purposes of the act
 Section 12 is the usual repeal Of all conflicting acts.
 Section IS provides that the act snail tatA effect Iuly 1. 1912.
 WHAT THE OWEN BILL IS NOT
 l. The bill was not orfginated by The American Medical Association or by any of it's officers or members Senator owens declaration on the floor Of the Senate is sufficient proof or cal Association has for twenty years urged the passage of such measure When Senator Owen introduced his original bill (S. 6049, now SD the Ass : socia tion> naturally endorsed it and has continued to do so as it will any meas ure which is for the public good. hut credit for originating this bill.
 g. The passage of this bill twill not and cannot create medical trust. Every intelligent lawyer knows that the right to regulate the practice of medicine, as well as all other trades and occupations, lies in the state and law which Congress can pass will or can have any effect on the practice of medicine in the states. (See Freund, Police Power, also Senator Owens reference to supreme court decisions on this point.)
 3. The passage of this bill will not
 
 of any one to select any form of treat ment or any kind of healer or attend ant he may desire. This bill has noth- ing to do with the treatment of indi- vidual patients. It provides for the study of diseases in laboratories, by means of chemical. bacteriologic and biologic investigations. It contains no provision whatever for the treat nent of any individuals by any one.
 f. The passage of this bill will not force any one to submit to any treat nlent which he does not desire. As stated above and a reading of the bill will show. this measure Shas noth- inv to do with the treatment of indi- vidua1 patients. The provisions in Sectfsn 3 fully safeguard the rights of every citizen, although this is entirely unnecessary since CoHgress has no power to malre any one accept any form of Urea tment for any disease Congress may make quarantine pro- visfons. detaininE persons suffering