Arizona republican., 1918-12-04
MAY OPEN CITY
 DEC. s F CASES
 DUN I INCREASE
Fewer Influenza Cases In
 Phoenix Last Night Than
 Since Epidemic Struck In Force Last October

oAdNC U CAASI1AO hOoA USAA
 In Force Last October If conditions in Phoenix in regard to the epidemic of Spanish influenza continue as favorably as they have for the past few days, the ban will be off and all the city reopened on Sunday December s.
 This was decided yesterday morning at a meeting of the city health board. A resolution resembling the order com polling the universal wearing of influ- enZa masks also was passed because of the almost universal sentiment oi the members of the Maricopa count. Medical society against it.
 The work of the citizens committee was endorsed at this meeting and this committee was advised to remain in | charge of activities against the influ | enza- Only BAY Cases in City l The people of the city were quick to get word yesterday morning tha. 1 the mask wearing order had been re- l scinded, and few appeared on the | streets hidden behind the gauge pro 1 t,actors. When they saw that they were in the minority they hurried to | place the masks in their pockets.
 According to the report of the citi- zens' committee made at o'clock last night there were but S47 cases of in fluenZa in the city, a decrease of 1zS from the preceding day and the big gest decrease since the appearance of the epidemic.
 In an official notice apeparing ill The Republican this morning, pr. l.. K. Beauchamp, city health officer, puts the official seal on the non- mask wearing order by resembling the order | of November 26 making the wearing of the masks compulsory. However, in lieu of the universal order, there is an order that all persons coming in contact with influenza patients must wear the mask.
 To Tell What Took Place pr. W. W. Watkins, president of the Maricopa County Medical society, at a meeting with the city commission at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon pre- sented the following resolution, which was adopted:
 That the full facts be given to the city as to what occurred at the meet ing of the medical society the previous evening and that the attitude of the society in regard to preventing the further spread of the influenza i.i Phoenix be stated
 Dr. Watkins presented the following statment;
 Dr. w. w. Watkins Statement
 It is a pleasure to me as chairman of the physicians advisory committee to express appreciation for work which has been done by the citizens commit tee in connection with the city health department, and it is to offset any idea that the meeting last night voiced crit , icism of this work that I am here. This idea could easily be gathered from the reports in the morning paper. Two of the members of the city com mission, who were present at the meet ing. as members of the city health
 board will bear me out in my state ments.
 , This meeting last night was called ? for the purpose of discussing some questions that the physicians advisory committee were in doubt about, and to , get the opinion of the physicians in I the city in order that we might intel
 ligently confer with the citizens com a mittee today. Toward the close of the
 meeting MT. Irvine introduced the sug gestion that where the disease exists 4 throughout the county, that the county and city health boards are supposed ! to combine their efforts and direct the fight against the disease jointly.
 Doing Good Work A motion was made by a member oi $ the physicians advisory committed
 that in view of the fact that we have
 three health officers that the commit
 tees who were in charge were super
 fluous; that is, both the physicians and
 the citizens committee. There was i'm
 mediate protest that they certainly
 were not superfluous. They had done - good work and should not be discon- ] tinued unless some other committed
 was immediately appointed to take UT . the work which they were doing, sucf
 as survey work, propaganda and the
 cleanup work and inspection of build e ings throughout the city.
 y That part of the motion which re. - ferred to. the citizens committee wa. V then immediately withdrawn and wa. d not acted upon by the County Medica ,, society. The motion was then mad, f that the physicians advisory commit - tee was superfluouS and that tn,
 health officers did not deed their ad S vice. This motion was voted down bJ r vote of to 5. By this time it wa! h II o'clock and one-half of the doctor; t had gone.
 - City Board Not Invited f Then following the statement by Dr V Alexander that the situation in Temp,
 was unsatisfactory and whatever migh
 be done in the city of Phoenix woult
 not help them any, motion was mad
 that the activities throughout tn
 county be taken in charge by Dr
 Brown, and this motion was not dis
 cussed at all, but voted for to the bes n of my recollection by five of the mel | present. there being no voice against nj Following this motion the suggestion
 was made by myself as president an
 chairman of the meeting that a motiol
 was in order for someone to recon
 mend that Dr. Brown call together tn le city health board and county healt ,r board in order that the matter be lai e before them and work in harmony Dl l. Brown stated that this would be done ,e but the city health board was not in d vited to the meeting today.
 ST As chairman of the physicians ad
 visory committee I wish to say tha ,s we are perfectly satisfied with tn ie work of the citizens committee an of the city manager and whoever ha ,L charge of the direction of the worl
 We wished to get further suggestion
 at the meeting last night and it wa
 agreed particularly by Dr. Martil
 that nothing more will be accom-
 plished in the new method of ar
 preaching the situation that would |
 accomplished by the citizens commit
 tee in charge of the situation. N Nothing New Proposed MI Nothing new was proposed tn morning by pr. Brown except a strict ss CT quarantine over individual case
 which it was our understanding
 talking with the citizens' commit.