Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-12

ture as disclosed by the legislature will
show that there must have been a good
deal In the entire situation that does
not appear on the surface. It is hard
~ fair to undertake to make vote on
anyone OF the numerous proposals Of
this kind test as between the legis-
lators who are good and those who
are wholly depraved
What happened some time ago at
meeting of the association of under
takers and funeral directors may start
things in the right direction in regard
to reform in one office. The president
of the association, F. D. kerrick. Of
Fairfield, detained against under
takers seeking the office Of coroner,
and even went SO far as to hint that
the office is wholly unnecessary any
way. During the legislature there WIS
before the legislature two bills, one
by Senator Indy and the other by
Representative Moore intended to
affect the Office of coroner. They
probably were the product OF that ter
rible medical trust" which Charley
Miller has so often exposed. for both
of them contemplated giving the doc
tors monopoly of holding down the
job of coroner. That would have cut
out the undertakes. But neither bill
got very far There were members
Of the legislature who even suggested
that the job ought to be abolished. 1t
has been abolished with advantage in
some states. The office of coroner is,
in fact, strictly judicial office, the
main purpose being to make an inn
mediate judicial inquiry into the cause
OF a mysterious death while evidence
is fresh and obta liable, and the logical
thing is to require that the incumbent
must be lawyer. One would hardly
think of electing a doctor to be justice
OF the peace, sor an undertaken for that
place, yet the office of coroner is so
nearly akin to that Of justice OF the
peace that in the absence Of a coroner
a justice is authorized to act. Some
years ago there was notable inquest
in Des Moines which became OF such
general Importance that ny
consent of all parties a Judge OF the
district court-the late Judge Josiah
Given-came down from his bench and
took personal charge Of the inquiry.
The undertaken elected to office OF
coroner usually thinks the chief thing
is to bury the body founder sell it
and the doctor has an idea that the
first thing to do is to hold an autopsy
Now if the undertakers of the state
take stand against holding the OFFICE
it will he up to the doctors to do the
same-and then 1t can easily be
abolished.
Miss Katherine Williams. member
of the board Of control Of Wisconsin,
in an address before the Iowa con-
ference, took especial pains to en-
phasize that the dietary at state instt-
tutions should be varied and that no
institution, no matter what 1t might
be. should be allowed to get into rut
and have substa ntially the same food
all the time. She advocated that in
mates of institutions should always
be treated as human beings and the
nearer a state can come to providing
home conditions the better the result.
She also advocated that attendants at
institutions be given regular and short
hours and be provided with home
comforts in their living, 80 Tar as
possible. She advanced many ideas
as to betterments that might be made.
"However," she said, II suppose you
in Iowa are doing just what we are
doing in MISUNDERSTANDING to go at
an automobile gait on wheelbarrow
income"
While the Wisconsin member pre-
scented in graphic manner the fmpor-
tant points to be considered In man
agement Of institutions from the
Wisconsin view point. 1t was remarked
that wisconsin seems to have nothing
that is not already well established and
IN working order in Iowa, save a
woman member Of the board itself.