Why were many chiropractors, B.J. included, initially against the idea of licensure for chiropractors and why did they apparently change their minds?
Why were many chiropractors, B.J. included, initially against the idea of licensure for chiropractors and why did they apparently change their minds?
The 2nd and 3rd quotes tell the tale best, in my opinion.
——–
“These requirements for licensure have created an economic problem for all
chiropractic colleges, and the Lincoln College is no exception.” (Editor’s note:
Carver College has merged with Logan since this was written.)(Shall Chiro. survive)
———
The power to set the standard of education and licensure for a
professional or semi-professional vocation enables the bureau to manipulate the
business so as to increase, diminish or exterminate it. (Vol. 26)
———
“The examination for licensure is indubitably the lever with which the entire
field may be lifted; for the power to examine is the power to destroy.”(Vol. 26)
———
What lessons have we learned? Various state associations turned the
torture on their own flesh and families. Fences have been arbitrarily
and empirically builded, high, long, impregnable. Instead of using
legislative acts to liberate and encourage licensure for oncoming
generations of Chiropractors to help more sick get well, opposite has
been true. State associations, in many instances, have become
racketeering, and political organizations, offices on State Boards have
been political footballs for grafting purposes to make money selling
licenses in one form or another, directly or indirectly. Greed and
selfishness have too frequently been the paramount factor. Humanity
and its rights to get well have been pushed into the background.(Vol.23)
———
Back in the years 1909-16 were particularly hectic days for the Chiropractic
profession. On the one hand, its successful practitioners were beset by
persecutions from their local medical opposition, and prosecution by the law-urged
at the behest of that self-same medical opposition. Those successful
Chiropractors were, quite naturally, desirous of conserving both their practices
and their investments. So they saw that legislation, granting them legal
recognition, was the only way out. B.J. very readily foresaw that in getting this
recognition, the straights were bound to seek cooperation from the mixer, to
present a united front of all Chiropractors in the battle. He also foresaw to
accomplish this battle for licensure, the united Chiropractic forces were going to
have to make concessions to the medical opposition. He foresaw they were going
to make concessions to those factors in and out of the legislative assemblies who
believed Chiropractors were below the necessary mental calibre in their
educational attainments for dealing properly with the sick. He foresaw that many
of the state associations, in their battles for legal recognition, were going to be
compelled to incorporate many things in the educational requirements to be
proposed by the proffered bill—subjects that he felt would be unnecessary to
efficiently qualify a practitioner to successfully carry the idea of Chiropractic
adjustment to the public. He informed the state associations on all these things,
and many more, because I have not attempted to analyze all of the numerous
problems that he foresaw. To do so would require page after page.(Vol.34)
———–
To assure themselves of this, too often these same average men and women sought to create a monopoly of their field of work. As a result when a state Chiropractic association came to adopting its proposed legislation, they would seek to make the terms restrictive, to create or perpetuate a monopoly.( Evolution of Chiropractic, Dye 1938)