to cooperate with the national program, and in our own state problems, we are, to a degree, penalized, because to do a minimum of work, state dues must be substantial.
State Budget and Finances. As of tonight we have a total of 681 members, an increase from 1949 from a membership of 592 to 681 today. Of that 681 actually there are only 613 active paying members, plus an additional 10 Associate members who pay half state dues. We have a revenue of approximately $31,000.00. Out budget for 1953 was actually $32,300.00. You have a payroll of $16,000.00--an executive secretary and two stenographers. This year there will be approximately $4,350.00 legal expense. Those expenditures are controlled only by the amount of work required by your own State Legislature. In 1951 we expended a considerable amount of money to combat naturopaths; they are a continued source of trouble. It is the amount of time required to prepare briefs and reports, and working with your legislature to combat the inroads of osteopaths, naturopaths and chiropractors, plus advice on matters which come before the legislature. That amount can come down, depending on the legislative program. On the other side, we have increased grievance committee activities, and we are seeing definite improvement in public relations. Then there is a rental of $1800.00 a year; $1,000.00 appropriation for the Auxiliary; a miscellaneous group of $2500.00; $500.00 telephone; $200.00 for the Treasurer only; $1500.00 traveling expenses (these are for attending AMA meetings, clinical sessions and annual, all meetings which your committees think we should participate in). Before we start really working, we have an expenditure of $25,000.00.
Operations--what do we get for $50.00? I believe all of us believe in organized medicine. You have achieved your accomplishments in medicine and you are now trying to protect your investment. What do we do in the central office? We have at times said that the $50.00, if a doctor got nothing more than legislation and medical defense, it would be well worth the expenditure. Education on the AMA level. Some will say that compulsory health is a dead duck. Just last evening I opened the paper and in the early edition 11% of the legislative matters dealt with health and welfare problems. That is where your money is starting to go. It takes constant vigil to keep abreast of these things. The AMA can accomplish nothing without the full cooperation of your constituent State Association, and we on a State level can do nothing without the support of our component societies.
1. A project we will have trouble with this year is the proposed amendment to the Constituent "ILO"--socialized medicine coming in by the back door. The AMA at Denver took a very strong stand opposing this. If the Senate approves this recent ILO proposal, you will be agreeing to the very things we have opposed the last few years. The AMA took a very strong stand recommending that the committee withdraw from ILO participation. It is going to be a fight but very definitely we are going to win.
2. Reed-Keogh Bill. I do not think we may have too much difficulty there, but it will take effort to counteract this.
3. Benefits for veterans. That has taken a tremendous amount of time of your national organization, and its committees, and we hope it will come out with something favorable.
4. Old Ewing Plan--old age survivors, totally and permanently out.
5. Hospital and medical care of service men's dependents. AMA constantly reviews these items and we then get the call, usually on Saturday afternoons or Sunday evenings, and your executive secretary goes to the office and starts working on the Senators and Representatives in Washington.
Then, you have your own State local level. What have we achieved here in the State? I do not know. For the first time whenever a health measure would appear on the floor, and when it was placed in the hopper, we developed a service to the office wherein they called us so that we could get in a word as to where we stood. Sometimes it never even got out of committee, through the work we were able to get in. We held the herbalists out last year. We have developed a new legislature this year. I hope we will have equally as many friends, this term, and
