New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-08-09
The Streets-Public Health.
IMPORTANT PREsENTnENT BIZ THE
CIR Nd JU RY.
EXTRAVAGANCE AND LAZINEsS IN THE
STREET DEPARTMENT.
HUMAN PACKING HoUsss..RUm AND GREEN
GROCERIES.
LETTER FROM THE CITY INSPECTOR.

10 select for special notice some that admit of no delay
and deserve 10 disguise. At this Of the year
whenthe bills Immortality excite the alarm Of the
Indifferent observer the subject Of the neglect Of the
Public Health Of our City unquestiOnable
Importance The evils advert 70 are apparent and
almost appalling while il requires careful investigation
and an uDnchng spirit to detect the and POINT
out the remedy We have endeavored to approach ibis
matter with circumspectiOn but without fear or favor
We have felt that custom, however antiquated cannot
egslze such evil practices sacrifice the health o. our
CITIZENS and We have been unwilling to believe thai he
claims Of private gain lgnOble can be y
or seriously urged argument to indicate the
duct OF al Official citizen that IS wrong IN practice
disastrous in its consequences II will he conceded
that oiense is more reprehenabie or "ldepreadng
in its evil consequences than wul neglect of official
obligation More especially is this when such neg
ect involves the health and lives Of a vast community.
No city possesses amper powers or more stringent reg
ulatOns affecting public health than our yet IN none
are they more reckessy dlsregarded.
Possessing revenue and mourning an annual expen-
dture greater in the aggregate than one half Of the
tire States OF the Union the City OF New York IL proven
bal for its disregard Of the comfort and health Of its in
habtants by reason Of the actual unceanness of
its streets and public places ana its practical neglect of
common precautions against pestence II IS vain to
boast Of noble institutions OF charity and learning,
our widespread commerce, hospitals founded by our
public and private munifcence magnificent aque-
duct and other public wOrs long as official abuse and
private crime walk hand In hand and disease and pestl
lence are nuTtured in our midst
There is but one remedy for this alarming state of pub
lie morals aud official neglect and that remedy Is with
the Judiciary and more especially our Criminal Courts
Werely upon that department of City Government,
and confidently upon IT'S hrnness and declared de-
termination to perform its duty; and is in accordance
with the suggestion OF the Recorder IN his charge the az
tenton of the grand Inquest has been so especially
directed to various matters connected with the health of
the CITY, and investigation made into the condition oil
the streets and other public places. The duty OF clean
ing the public streets as well as removing mcumberances
therefOm is vested by the ordinances of the City IN
the Department Of Streets and Lamps. The Bureau
Cleaning Streets in this department the chief officer
Of which il called the Superintendent Of Streets, is
charged specially with this duty Sec. 3s of the Ordin
aDces is as follows "Ihe Supo ristendeDt OF Streets
lis hereby authorized, and il Is made his duty TO order
any article or thing Whatsoever which may cucumber
Tor Obstruct street harf pier, to be remOved and
Gift be not removed in % hours thereafter, 10 order
the same 10 be removed the yard occupied by the
Superintendent of Repairs and Public Buildings, or
| other suitable place"
For this purpose he is authorized TO draw upon the
Controller for sum exceedidg 500 and may renew
the draft as often necessary with the sole restriction
that mo such renewal shall be made until the money
paid upon the previous draft shall be accounted for to
the Controller by satisfactory vouchers iOrthe exPend
! lures Of the money paid thereon.
How imperfecty this duty Is performed the condition
If our public streets and Thorough fares unmis takeaby
testif 1t is in vain To mnce this matter filth abOulds
in numberles places and many streets and avenues 20
! the City are choked up with encumbrances, and rem
| dered almost impossible
The official statements of the Controller exhibit the
almost incredible fact, that up To the first of August,
instant out of the annual appropriation for The current
wear of S250000 for cleaning streets alone, S2O34Di "
has already been dbursed under that pretense against
corresponding expenditure for the same period during
the last year Of Sl67 SOP b The pary result of this
enormous outlay is within the daily painful ObServati IN
of our citizens and requires comment at our hands
Ii is palpabe the grOSsest abuse exists somewhere Ihe
fault is directly attributable to those who being clothed
81. IN ~
pigment of compent and in the dismissal OF ncompe-
| tent subordinatCs.
According to the testimony Of the Superintendent of
Streets that department is entirely without system
No written regulation controls the subOdnates aud the
several Ward Inspectors leit to their own dscre-
ton % determine what streets shall be cleaned ami
When1be necessary consequence Is CONFUSION disorder,
cXtTavance and neglect of duty
The results of this chaotic mode Of conducting i'm
porant branch OF sanitary precauen furnishes con-
theme for the jest and scoh OF strangers, and for
universal rcprOaCh from citizens. Indeed, these
evils are general in their effects, and obvious to
the common observation that justly merlted rebuke and
denuncation OF them aSsa us nt every hand But some
facts have come 10 knowledge. which may fairly
presume 20 be generally unknown nasmuch they ex-
hbit reckesSuess in the expenditure of public money
and disregard of the performance OF duty, Inconsistent
with cOInmOn honesty The Instructions from the head
Of this department We find, 1e merely verbal weekly
communications with discretion not nj 20 be delegated
t. any subordinate. however competent and these IN
turn sre AGAIN ditused through an innumerabe multi
tude of ignorant and irresponsible persons. Payments
are made through and upon the certificate OF the dr
ent ard Inspectors. and checks provided Tor the
detection OF impostons or the exposure of dishonesty
Certificate of work negigendy done, and forged cerl
Gates o work not done az ALL presented together 10
officials whose sole function ~ be to pass the pub
lie money through their hands l. might naturally ha
supuos, that a nuisance so hard 10 be borne the I'll
thy condition Of streets with public sentiment SET 81
firmly sgaust t-with liberal, nay, lavish apprOpia
ten of the money Of citizens for IFS abatement al eI
seI, Of years would have aroused almost the 81
personal safety if not the of duty oithe most slug
gish officials. But the hberality and goodnaured pa
thence of cur citizens 70 result only IN rendering
them deaf % remOustrance aud insensble O shame
/ Another department of the City Cove nment known
as the City Inspectors Department has also been th
subject OF examination. This department has cogl.
znce Of al matters relative 10 the health of the City
Power Is conferred upon The Cry Inspector al
uvho'es1 ue substances 70 be removed, and all nusin
cs 20 be aoated and for the latter purpose report
Nh, Common Council suitable ordinances for the cOrrec
tim and removal of nulsances and when passed TO
them ia bis Office sud copies 70 be served Cd.
persons whose duty il shall be- q correct abate or r.
move such nuisance. We assured by this officer
that In every instance Of compliant this has been done
aud that until witlin the last ,aret deys, n'- single o.
1-a1ce-O4t e.. g.c4t number frco1l.-clded D, .i-
llom time to tme-has been passed ca or received ~
him from the Common Council.
Complying with the law himself and endeayoring e
discharge duty important in IFS effects upon m
welfare of the City than that OF any other department
he is rendered almost entirely pOweress by the neglect
OF the constituted authorities heed his circumstances
provide him with the necessary Of Skating the
mischief Among other matters brought 10 the atten
ton Of tie Grand Jury, the practice under the
stng laws OF empying the contents Of prlyes. sinks