The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-01-15
OWEN BILL NOT
A MEDICAL TRUST

The Journal of the American Medi-
cal Association in a recent issue prints
a summary of the owen bill as it now
stands. A careful reading of this alb
lstract shows that the bill will not do
any of the things its opponents claim
| it din do. 1t does not create a med
ical trust; it does not interfere with
the practice of any healer" in any
state, it does not compel an yone to
take any treatment of any kind. 1t
will simply transfer to new depart
ment three existing bureaus and CO.
ordinate their work by bringing them
together-a simple matter, and one in
capable of doing injury TO any one.
Why, then, has so much effort been
made to prevent its passage? Why
have the homepaths, the eclestics, the
osteopaths, the Christian Scientists,
the adherents of countless sects, all
been duped into believing that this bill
affects their interests? Why has the
battle-cry of sectarian oppression been
raised? Why has a great national or
ganization, claiming 10000 members,
been createdeta oppose it? Why is an
enormous campaign fund being raised
to defeat this bill and to defeat for
reelection every man in congress who
fayors it? Surely there is no danger to
any interests in transferring the pub
lie health and marine-hospital service
from the treasury department to new
department. Certainly the division of
vital statistics is harmful to no one,
whether in the department of COM
meree and labor or in new depart
ment. 1t is not to oppose these that
speakers, press-bureaus and paid agi-
tators are working all over the coun-
try. But the bureau of chemistry of
the department of agriculture! That's
differenti That is the bureau that is
headed by DR.. Wiley who enforces the
food and drugs act (when he gets
chance) For years, through political
pull and commercial influence, by OBJ
struction and delay, the ''patent-medi-
cine," roprietary-medicin and adul-
Iterated-food makers and sellers have
hampered DR.. Wiley in every way. The
recent investigation in Washington
lproved this. AS long as Dr. Wiley is
part of the agricultural department,
he can be annoyed and hampered. But
suppose he were transferred to new
department which was run for the pro-
ltection of the people and not for the
commercial interests? What wouldn't
he do to the adulterators, the lying adj
vertisers, the manufacturers who use
rotten and filthy material in their prod
ucts and the men who swindle and
cheat the sick? What has been done
SO far wouldn't be worth mentioning
in comparison to what DR.. Wiley and
his bureau would do, if it were trans
lferred to department where he was
not and could not be hampered by pol
Iitics or commercial influence. And the
men and interests whose fat profits he
has affected know this. The influences
back of this entire campaign against
the Owen bill are advertising agencies
and their patrons, the manufacturers
Iof patent" and proprietary medicines
and adulterated food products, who
fear the passage of any bill that will
igive DR.. Wiley more power Not dar-
ing to fight in the open, they have per-
suaded the seetarians, the faddists, the
Christian Scientists and other enthu-
siasts that their rights are endangered
by bill which authorizes nothing that
docs not already exist, which does not
increase the power or authority of any
officer or employee of the government
and which will have no effect on any
individual, except to give us all purer
food, purer streams and more knowl-
edge. If by arousing sectarian sus-
picion and jealousy and by deceiving
the people. this bill can be defeated
the dishonest manufacturer and adyer-
tising agent will rejoice.
Muskoeee Water Rate.