The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-06

CLEAN STREETS vs. THE KITCHENlfADs.-Old
Sol is rising in the armament and Inc soles of
our feet are beginning to toast on the hot flag
stones In a few days, the atmosphere which
surrounds us will be endowed with the most
remarkable chemical powers. Save living
beings, all substances impregnatcd with mois-
ture will be dried up. and the liquids they con-
tain evaporated. Gould our eyes but discern
them, clouds Of gases-some of them deadly,
others only unwholesome, but all noxious-
would be seen to rise from either side of our
busiest thoroughfares, dealing sickness and
destruction around. Fever and pestilence Turk
in every gutter, in every dust heap that lies
twenty-fours hours in the sunny street
This is the time to test the practical working
Of the new Police law. Thanks to the press,
none Of our readers are unaware that city
ordinance expressly prohibits the throwing of
heaps OF dust. ashes, garbage or filth into the
street. No one who spends quarter of an hour
in the open air needs to be told that that ordi-
nance is daily violated in every quarter of the
city. Parts of Broadway. and one or two of
the best streets up town, present occasionally a
tolerably clean appearance but fve-sixths OF
the cross streets. and almost all those which
run parallel to Broadway, are literally vast
receptacles of decaying vegetable and animal
matter. 1t is the duty of the police to put
stop to so alarming an abuse The police
under the old system could not check it !;
in fact they did not try. The police under
the new system must enforce obedience to
tho To- uroc ha1 hoyo fho - Il:
reform to do over again. Every man must un-
derstand that if he allows a heap of garbage on
his beat to escape his notice, OF it, when he sees
it, he fails to report it, and supply such evil
dence as will enable the proper officer to prose-
cute the tenant Of the house whence it came he
is robbing the city of his wages, and helping to
scatter disease among the poor. Captains of
police must likewise bear in mind. that il they
retain in the employ of the city men who have
been convicted of negligence in this respect,
they are accomplices in the theft, and, from
their higher responsibility. doubly criminal
This matter of street cleanliness has been
worn threadbare in the newspapers. 1t comes
home to every man, and all have chorused in
denouncing it. Still. to all outward appear
ances. the evil remains as it was
Divest the controversy of party camCr and
high sounding verbiage. and what is it? Awar
between the city and the kitchenmaids. Insig-
nifcant as we may think the latter class they
have actually kept the whole city at bay for
several years. Talk Of your civic ordinances.
your police regulations, your incorruptible al
dermen, your model police-Betty knows no
thing Of all these things, but continues to empty
her cabbage stalks potato Feelings, and dust
pan on the side walk, as her mother did before
her. and as she hopes to do to the end of her
days. Her mistress may issue general pro-
clamation ON the subject; but Betty knows
well enough. from the tone in which It
is uttered, that il "don't amount I'd any
hing" and placidly pursucs the even tenor
Of her way. Honest Betty. having a
very limited acquaintance with the chemical
properties of cabbage stalks and confirming
herself with the very natural conviction that
they cannot remain in her kitchen, dos what
little she can. in her Innocent way. to pobon her
neighbors and, il ever doubt crosses her sim
pie mind, she consoles herself with the reflection
that her intentions are pure and the police care
less. che knows hat Peggy, Tie cook over Inc