The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-01-22
Special to The NeaOs.

Special to The Neaos.
Yazoo City, Miss. Jan. 2z.-An after
math of the split in the state board of
health at Jackson last week, when five
OF the old members announced their
intention to resign, after Governor
Brewer Stacked the cards on Them"
as they claimed, was disclosed today,
when a News correspondent sought an
interview with DR.. John Darlington of
this city, and asked him if he had any
thing to say on the subject. DR.. Dar-
rington replied that DR.. Bryan, presi-
dent Of the board, and the other four
members were preparing statement
Of their side of the case, to be given
to the public, This statement is SEN
sational in character, and makes grave
charges against other members of the
board, among which is the issuing of
a license to practice medicine to an ap-
plicant who is designated as No. 81,
and who is shown by the minutes of
DR.. F. Hubert Robertson of Clyde.
Lamar county, when the papers of said
applicant showed that he earned only
80 in his examination on chemistry,
when it was necessary to get rs to
pass. 1t was also shown by the signed
statement that though this applicant
was granted license by the partisan
vote Of to 5, the matter was not made
a matter of record on the minutes un-
til attention was called to 1t by one
of the five physicians who discovered
1t. The statement goes on to say that
Governor Brewer is trying to use the
state board Of health to build up a
statewide machine in the appointment
of county health officers, and that ap-
pointments are being made by him
from physicians that are not members
of state or county medical societies,
and over the protest of members Of
the state board who have long been
prominently identified with medical
progress.
1t is quite probable that the fight
will be renewed before the next leg
islature in an effort to secure the
passage of bill to make all the mem
bers of the state board appointive by
the State Medical Association, taking
the power from the governor entirely.
DR.. Bryan, one of the signers of the
statement, is now the president of the
state board, and all the other Nom
bers have long been prominently iden-
titled with the State Medical Associa-
tion, and their statement will no doubt
create profound sensation through
out the state.
Statemen.
The signed statement in full is as
follows:
'Inasmuch as the press reporis of
the deplorable friction which has aris-
en- in the state board of health have
been misleading and decidedly incom-
plete, we, the undersigned members
think it proper and right, in justice
to ourselves and with the hope OF rem
edying the evils, to make plain state
ment of the facts to the public.
'Tt is true that we believe that Gov
elncr Brewer Las infring ID upon the
independence of the board of health
in his desire to dictate appointees, and
we believe this independence must be
maintained If the board is to continue
the excellent work that has been done
during the past few years-otherwise
It simply becomes part Of political
machine.
"The board is composed of thirteen
members, which is certainly large
enough, and prior to the present state
administration the secretary of the
board had to be chosen from among
its members; but the last Legislature
enacted law providing that the sec,