The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-12-27

tious nor were they guessed at.
They were taken from books of the
Medical Aid Department. They speak
for themselves and obviously show
that the contract contributions
amount to but only Is per cent in
stead of 80 per cent as given in
your statement If your share Of
the $51, 78784 was figured out on a
percentage basis your Association
would fall far below the Is per cent
mark.
The above figures will conclusively
show that in your last statement,
as in many previous statements, you
failed to bring out facts in your
miserable attempt to dscredit the
State plan of medical treatment.
The records of the department
also show that twelve hundred and
seventy (127O) firms have medical
aid contracts and nine thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight (9858) firms
are under the State plan. Approx
mately an even number of work
men, however, are affected by each
of the two plans.
The President Of the Washington
Hospital Association expresses
amazement at the frank and open
utterance made against his Asso-
citation in the matter of medical
treatment, but instead of success
fully refuting my convincing asser-
tions he dipuomatically evades them
by simply branding them as being
Malicious, unfair and shameful
Here is a sample of a few charges
that he refers to in general way
as being malicious, unfair and
shameful" but not once has he at
tempted to answer in his CONSPICUOUS
paid advertisement" for instances
such charges as:
1. evidence shows that open
wounds are satured by these nurses
in the first aid station. 1t also
shows that they remove stitches
from wounds and direct the patient
what to do following that time. 1t
also shows that the handling of
wounds in this station is not aseptic
and that the necessary precautions
r., taken
2. "The evidence shows that the
Hospital Association is not proper
ly equipped nor does it maintain
properly equipped office for proper
" taking care Of this body of men"
3. "The Washington Hospital AS
ISOLATION shall maintain a suitable
office conveniently situated, with
sufficient room and equip with an
up-to-date X-Ray machine and other
necessary appliances so that they
will be able to take care of injured
workmen in an up-to-date manner;
such to be as efficient as a man
could provide for himself if he were
making his own selection"
Next you charge:
"That the 10 per cent taken from
contract employers and employees
and doctors and turned over to the
State Medical Aid Board without a
return Ito the contract employers
and employees), and used by the
Board for benefit Of the non-con-
tract people, thereby helping the
State Medical Aid Board to suspend
payment of all non-contract employ
ers and employees for three or four
months at time = is evident
that the contract people, employers,
workmen and doctors are placed in
very unjust and unfair disadvan-
tage when competing with the heav-
lily bonused and subsidized State
Medical Tor non-contract) work. In
effect the contract people have to
pay 10 per cent to the non-contract
people under the State Board"
If all persons or associations hold
ing medical contracts in the State of
Washington were of the same cali
Der as the Washington Hospital AS
ISOLATION the 10 per cent that is now
being collected from contract firms
would be insufficient to defray ad-
ministrative expenses.
You loudly lament against unjust
treatment, bonuses and unfair com
petition" but you fail to make known
to the workmen, employers as well
as physicians holding medical con-
tracts that the law provides that
contract treatment is subject to re-
view and supervision of the State
Medical Board, under which work.
men or any other interested person
can appeal to the State Medical
Board from contract practice and its
abuses, all of which incurs great