The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-04-16
DIR. Wilkinson Gives Some
Facts About So-Called Oil
garchy for Administration
OPPOSITION KEPT
DOWN BY PROMISES
Asks What Incentive There Is to
Doctors to Attend Conventions
Where They Have No
Vote or Influence
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:

10 the Editor of The Age Herald
For 20 years l have been member of
the medical association of the state of
Alabama and have given to the associa-
ton much of my time. / have studied
more than once our plan of organization;
its purposes and its accomplishments. For
10 or IL years I have been a counsellor
and for six or seven years a member of
the council on nosology. Villificaton or
insinuations are not arguments, Dr<Dins-
more to the contrary Notwithstanding.
Indeed. DIR. Dinsmores statement that
DR.. Yarbrough had attended only one
meeting In 10 years is one of the best
arguments for changing the constitution.
Why should DR.. Yarbrough attend? He
can for 81 procure copy of all the pro-
ceedings of the association and read il at
his leisure. If he attends the association
he has neither vote nor influence. This
is one great reason why only 500 or 800
doctors attend these meetings out of a
total of $500 doctors or more In the state
of Alabama. We ought to have an an
nual attendance of at least 1900 men.
have heard many arguments, both pro
and con anent the constitution of the
both sides have been honest and consci
entious. Among those who have consist
ertly opposed our plan are such men as
Gov TX. NJ Cunningham, Drs. Mack Rod
gers. w. p. McAdory, Chenault, Riggs.
Yarbrough and many Others | remem-
Der when before he was elected presi-
dent DR.. r. S. Hill of MONTGOMERY. who
recently testified in behalf of the asso-
citation before the investigation commit
tee or the house, was himself opposed to
our order of affairs. His change of at
titude was not due to his election a :
president of the association, l understand,
but to closer study of the constitution.
All counse1lors of the medical assa-
cation of the state of Alabama are
pledged to uphold the organization.
they vote very nearly as a unit The
delegates 1.-TWO from each county, do
not act in concert. Indeed, they cam
not, Tor most of them are uniformed
as to the recommendations of the
board of censors until the last mo-
ment. There is proposed change to
give to each county the proportion of
delegates to which that county Is en-
Titled to representatives in the Ala
bama legislature. This will not long
satisfy the rank and file of the or
Eanization The doctors of Alabama are
now men of education, refinement and
culture. To say TO 2f00 or $500 of them,
~ Gu cannot voVe, you cannot hold Of
ilce, is despotic. There is no justice
wisdom or democracy in it. AS an Illus :
tration: I am COUNSELLOR l can hold
Office; / can vote; my brother who is
health officer of his county and ere
of the best can do neither: he is as
cultural, as we'll educated and perhaps
has better knowledge of his profess
sion. What incentive is there for him
to attend our meetings? The doctor
whose office adjoins mine has been
promised a counsellorship for nine
years.
The mouths of many of our members
have been sealed by the promise of a
counsellorship at some future time
i've, ten, fifteen years, maybe next
year. Others knowing the futilty If
attempted changes have become dis
heartened and have given up hope.
They no longer take an interest in
medical matters and only report their
births and deaths because they have
to. This kind of spirit will never stamp
out disease in Alabama.
Indeed DR.. Greasy Wilbur, head oc the
bureau of vital statistics of Washington,
ID. c., says We will never become regis
tration state under our present plan of
medical government Did this make any
change? NO. The powers that be, it
seems, would rather that we contine TO be
listed upon the bulletin boards in the de-
pots of Europe as deadly" than have
this stigma removed. Unless it is, we viii
never secure the percentage of desirable