The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-06
Our Filthy streets-The Duty Of the Board OF
Health.
From the Sunday Atlas, March 81



An indignation meeting of the czens is talked Of to
take into consideration the horribly filthy condition of
form Common Council cannot devise way to relieve the
people from the thradom Of mud it is proposed that pr
IN Of
ings Of the members Of the Common Council That is
capital idea People may talk much they please
but the mud In the thoroughares cannot be disturbed
according to the reform charter the ideas of Comp
troler Fgg for time come unless the Board Of
Health take hold of the matter sanitary measure,
and order the filth to be removed under the direction Of
the City Inspector The Board of Health, thank God,
Comptroller Flagg cannot disregard. That body can
have the streets thoroughly cleansed in week, the
the City Inspector is not at all probable that single
load of mud will be removed from the streets at the pub
lie expense, before the first of May
[From the Sunday Dispatch, March ST.
FILTHY CONDITION OF THE STREETS
The press and the people all sides are loudly COM
planning of the condition of the streets New York has
long been famous for the filthy condition Of its highways
But their present condition s than they
known before; and how could it be otherwseS During
the last three months the mud and filth has been allowed
to go on accommodating till we now find it knee deep in
: why is ths9 tnder the charter Of 1853 the Commits
streets and Lamps was TO give the
dutyand the Superintendent Of Streets alleges that all
he do under the contract for the money these
tractors agreed to keep the streets clean fos to
move the coal ashes
The aldermen are poweress under the fourth section of
the same charter which provides that all acts, resou
ons and ordinances involving the expenditure Of money
must originate in the Board of Councilmen. And the
latter branch Of the Common Council must first get rid
of the old contractors before they act and then
the work must be done by contract after advertising ten
days for proposals
The only plan to get out Of the difficulty at
once is for the Mayor to call meeting of the Board of
Health and let that body which is we believe the only
one having the power order the immediate cleansing Of
the streets would be perfectly proper for that body
to do so, as much longer delay win undoubtedly bring
pestilence city.
We are induced to make this explanation that the peo
pie may see just how the matter stands We know that
the Common Council has been busy for the past two
months trying to get this matter regulated though
do not believe under the law 1t now stands that it
will ever be possible to eectually clean streets To
prevent bad Aldermen from robbng the city, the Legsa
tnre has tied the hands of the officers whose duty 1t
should be to manage the local affairs Of the city that
they cannot act
Before municipal government be made what IL
should be- the whole power Of managing the city govern
ment and appointing and regulating all its city officers
must be put back into the hands Of the Mayor and Com
mon Counc and II the people win not pay attention to
the selection of proper men to l the offices of Council
men, Aldermen and Mayor, they must make up their
minds to be robbed as they deserve to be-