The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-18
De Paw Senior, Originator of Plan
for Town Doctor, Eager to Serve Public
BY JOHN MARTIN
Times Special Writer


~REENCASTLE, Ind. Jan. 49,
NJ Paul Turner-a quiet, retiring,
26-year senior in De Paw Uni
versity-today spoke reluctantly Of
himself and enthusiastically of his
plan for a cooperative medical as
ISOLATION at Economy, Ind, his home
town.
He will tell you how members of
the association will pay 81 80 q month
for complete medical service, how
this will guarantee the doctor $4,000
year. He will describe Lis plan
in detail and present arguments
for it.
But it is hard to get him to talk
about himself.
II don't care so much about get
ting myself publicised," he said, IT
want the idea spread"
Turner is majoring in economics
at De Paw, and has been married
for year and a half. Dean Louis
II. Dirks described him as having
"a very fine scholastic record and an
excellent chance to make Phi Beta
Kappa"
He is now employed by the Ma
tional Youth Administration and is
Student Senator from the Indepen-
dent Association, an organization of
nonIfraternity men representing the
university dormitories. He lives with
his wife in a private home in Green
csatle while both go to school. Dur
ing vacations, they 60 either to the
farm home of his parents near
Economy, in Wayne County, or to
Goshen, home of his wife. Mrs.
Turner is a junior at De PAW.
TURNER'S special course of
l. study has been in the field of
the cooperation movement in the
economics department. He first be-
came interested in the medical prob
lem three years ago when he was as
signed, quite by chance, to prepare
a debate on the question of state
medicine.
But he didn't really get started
on the cooperative plan for his
home town until the fall of 1884.
His Investigations have led him
to sum up the problem this way:
People in rural communities
and in cities, too, for that matter
are not able to afford proper medi-
cal care. Consequently they go
without it. The fact they do go
without it deprives the doctor of a
living, and then the doctor can't
stay in the town. When hes gone,
people have to send 10 or Is miles
for doctor, or go without"
While there are plenty of doctors
and hospitals for every one, Tur-
ner says, 'the way medical practice
is carried on now most of the peo-
pie don't get even approximately
adequate care nor do the doctors
get enough to justify their invest
ment in training and equipment.
think this is the solution to the
problem of maladjustment in medi-
cine, although it may not be the
final solution" he said.
LIE told the story of the develop
IL ment of his idea-the difficult
ties which he and the Rev. w. j.
Briggs, pastor of the Methodist
Church at Economy, encountered
They worked for two years on the
plan. John Manning, cashier OF
the Economy Bank, and DR.. j. r
King, brother of DR.. William F
King, former State Health Board
secretary, aided the organizers.
Progress was slow-one time they
called a public meeting and siz
citizens attended. They discovered
personal contact was more effective
than meetings.
Finally, results were achieved
final plans were drawn over the
Christmas holidays and nothing
can stop it now
The plans of Turner and his
wife after his graduation in June
are very indefinite" as yet. He
wants to go into the field of organ
izing co-operatives, because, he says
"a person can be of a great deal
of service. There is need of lead
ership in that field"