The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-05
Statement from Committee

1 In a lengthy letter which appeared | in The AgeHerald on July 1, Dr. W | II. Sanders dictator of the college oi | counsellors of the State Medical asst citation and chairman, secretary, treas I urer and executive officer of the state health committee, attempts to bolster I up the tottering foundations of the | system upon which his oligarchy is l founded. Although the doctor had amplt | opportunity to study the original com | munication from Dr. Gorgas and, fur | ther, has had a copy of the amended Gorgas bill for more than two months 1t Is evident that he understands neither l else he would not rush into print tc defend his beloved counsellors for nc attack has been made upon them.
 ITO quote from address made b, Dr. Sanders before the State Medical association, the duties of the college oi lcounsellors, who at present control tho medical association and the public health system of the state. are:
 T. To render unqualified and un. stinted allegiance to the association and to stand ready at all times to suppor1 its announced policies and to aid in tht achievement of its objects
 "2. To attend a least one annual ses sion of the associati ton in three "3. To attend the meetings of theii Irrespective county medical societies. | A. To pay into the treasury of tn, Association dues amounting to S10 annu ally.
 As to Duties of Councillors
 On the basis of these duties, the doc tor tells us that. They should be re sarded as men who at much persona sacrifice devote themselves to philan thropic work though from the larg' portion of his letter devoted to the sub iect of dues we are led to believe tha he considers the annual payment of Sft by each counsellor as perhaps the chic of these duties.
 The rights of the counselors-aht here they shine forth in full splendor- are defined by Dr. Sanders as follows:
 "1. To vote on all questions brought before the association.
 "2. To be eligible for the offices oi | the association.
 "5. To retain their positions until removed by death, resignation, im- peachment or neglect of duty.
 'The doctor further says it will be seen that, in strict harmony with a law proclaimed under divine authority many talents were to be given to the | counse,lors'
 "In further confirmation of the un- questioning fealty to the dictates oi the systems head expected from the | councillors, he say: The counsellor
 
 pect them to be always ready to spend their time, their money and their in- fluence in our service. They should therefore, be able men. picked men r'en who can in the largest measure command time and money and in- fluence. Indeed we might apply te our councillors what Tennyson said of the famous six hundred;
 "'Theirs not to make reply l Theirs not to reason why, | Theirs but to do or die
 "Who could even think of inter- fering with such an obedient, self sacrificing and divinely constituted | army The men who are working in behalf of the Gorgas public health bill certainly have no such thought Indeed we would hasten to inform the comma nder in chief of this noble army that the Gorgas bill will not destroy his organization.
 Would Still Have Privileges
 The Gorgas bill 1t is true. will takc control of the public health depart ment of the state from the 100 coun- l sellers and give to the 2000 independ- l ent physicians and to the people oi the state authority in the matter that | r1ost vitally concerns all of them Be y,nd this the regular army will be | untouched They will still have Lhe proud satisfaction of wearing their 1 counsellor buttons, paying their SIC l per year and. without reasoning. to ! do-as they are bidden. Fortunately rtny of the councillors have rebellod 1 against the badge of servitude and ore now numbered among the indc- pendent and progressive members of 1 the association.
 1 "Anticipating some future effort to | confuse the public as to the issues a. | stake tho committee on the Gorgas Fill reaffirms most emphatically that l the fight 1t is making is neither Cor nor against any individual or any fac l t'tn The welfare of the two and one | hi If million people in the state of Ala | bama is of infinitely more importance l tran the personal ambition of any ma, | or any set of men. For 40 years the entire public health system of the state l has been in the hands of self-per- petuating body of 100 physicians yet | Alabama is not recognized as reg l istration state by the United States 1 government and she is still on tile bIso klist of the large insurance com | pan.es. We are at the bottom of the l list of states in sanitation and in pub | lie health work. But the hand of pro rress will not be stayed and when | the people realize that the Gorgas | public health bIll favors no man and l no party, that it provides the means !, for establishing a modern, progressive 1 scientific state department of health | and that it will take the health de- partment out of the hands of politi. clans and place 1t on plane of pure | Efficiency as an executive department | of the state they will demand its adop. | ton by the legislature
 ar rcTcr ATJvE COMMITTEE JFFFER