The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-03-13


probing into the affairs OF the Stat
Board Of Health. Representative L. B
Harrington, Of Richmond, instigatOr o
the investigation, alleges the inquir,
has developed the fact that moneys
have been improperly applied, and ask
the committee 10 report the matter L
the Attorney General for any action h'
may deem proper. He also recon
mendS that the Governor be called upOr
70 direct the State Examiner and In
spectOr 20 continue the probe"
he charges that prior TO 1906 the
peoples money and that Of DR.. J. n.
Mccormack, secretary Of the board,
were one and the same, both being de
posted 10 his individual credit, and
checks for personal expenses and Board
Of Health expenses being drawn from
the same bank account. He charges
that over Sl3, 500 was drawn from the
appropriation fund" that should be
recovered, and asserts that DIR. McCOr-
mack received 80 per cent Of fees from
applicants" and other sources for his
individual use, while each Of the other
members Of the board received but Il
per cent.
DIR. Mccormack, he alleges, has built
up powerful machine, and uses it for
his own personal ends. He declares
that all this was brought out in the tes-
timony before the committee, given
from time 10 time.
STATEMENT FOR DR. MCCORMACK.
Judge Lewis McQuown, counsel FOL
Dr. Mccormack, in reply to the state
ment ,of Mr.. Harrington, which was
read before the committee, stated that
the investigation had been a very irreg-
ular one, not authorized by a resolution
Of the Legislature, but conducted under
a pretense Of support 10 a bill tO change
TIE manner Of appointing members Of
the State Board Of Health. DIR. Nc
COrmack however, he said, had IN
sisted that no objection be made TO the
bnoadest possible scope Of the investiga-
tiOn, and had produced every record Of
his Office, and filed it with the commit
tee. and had offered day after day to go
over il with Mr. Harrington and give
him every possible assistance in getting
al the very bottom Of the facts.
Mr.. Harrington, he said, had neither
accepted that proposition nor had he
gone over the record in such a way him
self as would give him the facts, and
had come before the committee with a
mass Of grOundlesS assertions, many Of
which were untrue. He said the treas
urer's books and vouchers, covering a
period of thirty-three years, were prob
ably the most complete that had ever
been kept by an official, and with the
resolution filed as TO minor matters and
details accounted in the fullest possible
way for every dollar that had come into
the hands Of the State Board Of Health
in all these years.
BAD SUMMONED WITNESSES.
Judge McQuown said that Mr.. Her
ringtOn had summoned a large number
Of witnesses 10 prove the existence OF a
machine controlled by DIR. Mccormack,
but was not supported by any Of them
except DIR. J. c. Mitchell and Dr. c. II.
Naught, who had not furnished a single
fact 10 bear out assertions Of the same
character that formed the framework Of
Mr.. HerringtOn'S brief. On the other
hand, he said, men like DIR. L. S.
McMurtry, w. II. Wathen, W. f. Grant,
ID. NJ. Griffith and others had testified
that the charge that such a machine
existed was not only groundless, but
that DIR. Mccormack had framed the
plan Of organization upon such broad
lines as 10 make political methods i'm
possible, and was supported by the pro-
fession so unanimously on account Of the
years Of effective work that be had given
in securing better health and pure food
legislation and in freeing the State from
quacks and vampires who had so in
Tested il before he took charge. He
said the testimony showed beyond con-
trOversy that DIR. Mccormack not only
stood in the front rank Of his profession,
but was recognized as one Of the fore.
most health officials in the entire coun-
Try.
PURE FOOD ENEMIES.
He said il was evident that back of
this investigation there was some kind
Of 'mubilical-cord connection with the
unpenitentiared scoundrels" who had
opposed the pure food and drug legisla-
ton Of DR.. Wiley for 50 many years,
and that certain papers filed by Mr. Her
rington were the same papers that had
been used in that unholy crusade and
which had followed DR.. Mccormack in
his lecture tour from ocean to ocean.
In closing, Judge McQuown said that
ID was never the purpose of those back 1
Of The probe movement that the Her
rington bill would be passed by the /
Legislature, but that it was only de- /
So " tAfo opportunity ~ DcomMLu i
the character Of DIR. Mccormack, and /
10 reflect upon him the intelligence and
manhood Of the 8, 400 physicians Of all
schools in Kentucky. he said that Mr..
Harrington had made several promises
70 give him an opportunity 70 see his
brief IN advance, but that he had not
seen il until he came before the CON-
mittee, and consequently would make
no further attempt to follow in
situations and inuendos which had no
foundation in the records or proof be-
fore the committee.
FINAL ARGUMENT.
Following an executive session Of the
probe" committee Representative R
5. Wilson, Of Rowan county. chairman,
said:
The proceedings before the Ken
lucky Statuets Committee investigating
the State Board Of Health was confined
70 hearing the final argument
for both sides and TO blocking out the
70 be incorporated in the
final report Of the committee. The CON-
mittee viii file written report involving
The following propositions:
ttFfrSt-If will rpnorf Houee hill "A