The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-06-23
cox REFUSES TO BE CANNED
Tampa Tribune)

'T am still state health officer. /
expect to fill out my four-year term
a. such, which expires June 6, 1921, ,"
said DR.. W. H. Cox. who arrived in
the city last night from his headquar-
tiers at Jacksonville.
The Tribune man asked DR.. Cox If
he had received official notice from the
state board of health of its action at
the meeting held at Tallahassee
Thursday, when the board declared
him removed from Office and Major A.
R. Green, u. S. Army, appointed to
the place.
81 have had no communication from
the board of it's reported action" he
said. Gall l know about that meeting
is what was reported in the news
papers. was not requested to attend
the meeting at Tallahassee and was
not there"
"Then you consider yourself state
health officer?"
"Most certainly. / was appointed
for a four-year period, my tenure In
Office to continue for the full period
if | performed my service properly.
1 l.
| has any charges to make against me
has never made them in proper form.
| Certainly have not been served with
notice of charges. / have lived in
Florida thirty-three years, and l do
no propose to be kicked out of office at
the within of board composed of men,
not one of whom has any technical
| knowledge of health matters"
| DR.. Cox said the rift between him
self and the board arose out of his
action in appointing assistant health
| officers when some of his help resign
ed suddenly, and he could not afford
to wait until the next meeting of the
board. He exhibited a statement he
submitted to the board on April Is,
1918, covering several such appoint
rnents, and making suggestions to the
board. The concluding statement to
this letter said:
"I respectfully suggest to the mem.
bers of the board that no board OF
directors for a corporation engaged in
commercial enterprise would ap-
point a manager and force him to re-
tain in his employment subordinates
who are disloyal to him."
81 felt" said DIR. Cox, commenting
, en- this letter. "that it was absurd fol-
the board to undertake to direct III
every way the activities of the state
health officer in his work of protect
, ing the health of the people of the
, state. And / most emphatically re
fuse to place myself in the position o.
being banded about at the within o.
men who have no technical knowledge
OF the requirements of the position
hold. And / as emphatically declar,
| | will not stand by and see this offic'
and the peoples money used to fur
I ther the political ambitions of an!
I man or set of men,"
4 He said it was true he had beel
Z offered by the governor the position
= of assistant state health officer wit
Q headquarters at Brooksville-hi
: home-if he would retire.
4 'I could not do such a thing an
feel that l had been true to myself,
o said DIR. Cox. 81 resolved to fight tn
? matter to the last ditch rather tina,
surrender in any such manner
please a bunch of politicians. And
. will fight them. / am state health OF
= ficer and shall remain so unless the
II can bring charges before legal cour
4 and sustain them to that courts salts
. fsction. am not afraid of the ties
= and will welcome it."
n DIR. Cox said he had only the high
h est regard for Major Green as a ply
= stefan and a gentleman. "But sha
= not surrender my office to him at tn
~ behest of this board" he added