53 Royal Sanitary Institute and the Canadian Public Health Association's Committee on Certification of Sanitary Inspectors. For 10 years, NAS had been studying the problem of raising the standards and qualifications of those who should serve in the interest of public health, and the associa tion entered its second decade stressing the importance of thorough training to keep up with the newest concepts of public health. Not to forget, however, those who had previously, and for years, served reliably, the NAS gave all sanitarians who were members in good standing as of December 31, 1939 an opportunity under the association's grandfather clause to "professionalize their field" by being properly qualified through registration and certification.
Second Decade - Registration Refined
In the August 1940 issue of The Sanitarian, it was announced that a $5 fee would be charged each applicant for registration and that an examination would be administered. This fee found a strong opponent in NAS President, C.F. Baughman, who called the R.S. credential a lifetime recognition, an enduring testimonial of work, and a reward of merit for the large numbers of ''practical pioneers ...who have paved the way for effective organization and systematic service." Baughman believed the R.S. was beyond being bought...for some time to come. Evidently the Board of Directors was persuaded by Baughman's arguments for they rescinded the $5 fee by the end of 1940. For the next four years, the Board of Examiners continued study and work on registra tion; a bylaws amendment was enacted in 1941 which defined the Board of Examiners, its eligibility requirements, terms of office and its duties. The Board was given full and final authority to grant or suspend R.S. certification. In 1944, there were plans for certification patterned after those of England and Canada which consisted of 1 ½ days of written examination, a half day oral examination, and a day of field inspection and report. There is no record of this being adopted, however. During these same years, great strides were being made in in-service training institutes in California, setting the example for communities wherever sanitarians lived and worked. In fact, NAS had so actively sponsored training that by 1944 its leadership was recognized by being asked to participate in assembling items for the APHA merit system examination. As a result, examinations given by state and local Merit System Boards and Civil Service Commissions for sanitarian positions were tailor-made to fit the particular positions, and the selection of new sanitarian personnel was standardized to some extent. After 14 years of hard work and earnest determination by the California Association of Sanitarians and the National Association of Sanitarians, the California Registration Act was passed in 1945. It was said that "The fundamentals of the bill were so well presented to the Senators on the Public Health Committee that it was moved out of the Committee with a 'Do Pass' recommendation before NAS representatives could completely finish their arguments." Moreover, the California state assembly passed the bill by a 60-1 vote! Sanitarians had filled the need and achieved their vision - professional recognition and public officials' confidence in their responsibilities. The hard work was rewarded! More than 600 applicants for certification were received by the California State Department of Public Health in the first month after the bill was signed by Governor Earl Warren.
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