New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-10-24
The DlstulerIep.


The following is the memorial of the distillers
which has been presented to the Board of Health,
as alluded to in the reports of DIR. Burns, health
officer Of the First District. 1t has been referred
to the committee on health and now awaits their
action
To the President and Members of the Board Of Health:
Conference.-The health officer of the First Dis
trict has issued notice to the distillers of that
district to the following purport:
You are hereby required to cease forthwith
from allowing any refuse matter whatever to run
from your distilery premises into the cutters, on
pain of having the said premises closed"
This notice is based on the action Of the Board
Of Health, at its meeting of the I'd inst Your
memorialists are persuaded that the action of the
board is founded on an erroneous estimate of the
sanitary effects of the refuse matter which the
dstillers are necessarily compelled to discharge
into the CUTTERS and they believe that, before the
proper legal tribuna4s, they could successfully
contest the enforcement of an order which, if
carried out to the extent, and in the manner indi-
Gated by the notice above referred to, would com
pei the suspension of great and important branch
of manufacturing industry. They cannot suppose
that it was the intention OF the law to interfere
with industry further than might be required by
reasonable hygienic precautions; and they are the
more confirmed in this opinion by the fact that in
no other city of the civilized world have sanitary
| measures been pressed to so harsh an extreme.
Indeed, the principle if carried to its logical
consequences would act as an obstruction to the
exercise of very many industries. 1t would COM
pei the closing up of refneries, breweries sugar
and molasses warehouses, groceries, produce
stOres and even Photographic establishments, all
of which discharge refuse matter into the cutters;
| and much of which refuse matter is far more dele
ferrous than anything discharged by the distleres.
The right to exercise a legitimate sanitary super
| vision in such cases is fully admitted; but if the
authority of the board be enforced to the extent
of prohibiting the discharge of any and all refuse
matter whatever, the industries referred to would
| be entirely broken up, to the great detriment of
| the business of the city.
/ Your memorialists repeat their conviction that
they could successfully cOntestthe enforcement of
the order of the health officer; but, whilst they
desire, as good citizens to do everything to aid il
preserving the public health, they are equally
| anxious to avoid litigation, which would be EN-
| barrassing and expensive to both parties They
therefore wish to set themselves right before the
board, and before the public, and to show thai
they are not only willing, but anxious to assist il
the enforcement of any sanitary system whicl
does not entirely ignore their rights and interests
They think that they can show that they do not
and never have discharged into the cutters any
refuse matter that can be shown to be sanitaril,
injurious. ~
All refuse matter is not deleterious to health
The mere existence of cutters and of sewers il
cities in which such drains can be constructed, i'm
plies the anticipated discharge OF refuse 1t is no
| too much to say that without such condnits o
waste matter Cities at least civilized cities, cou
not exist; and the rule adopted by the board, b
making them entirely useless, would lead TO IN
!, same result. But your memorialists will under
take to have conveyed away, in some other mar
f ner any refuse matter which may be decided b
proper scientific authority, to be santarily iujur
I Gus if permitted to run in the CUTTERS Inarrivin
at decision on this point, they are entirely will
n ing to co operate with the board; and they suG
gest the appointment Of a joint committee, on tn
part the board and Of the disters the said commi
u tee to be composed of equal number fpractci
chemists and practical dstilers and these to selet
J. an additional member, the disters paying the e.
+. penses, and the committee to examine and repol
: on the quality and character, sanitarily consit
y ered of the refuse matter discharged by the di
d tilIeries. Your memoralists, on their part under
i. take to keep the cutters clean in front of the
! premises to keep their premises well graded, an
. to do everything in their power to aid the heat
n officer in carrying out the legitimate orders of til
board. Allhat they claim is the eight to use the gu
to ers for the puposesfor which cutters consru
10 ted and to discharge into them such refuse ma
: ter, necessarily accumulating in the prosecute
~ Of their industry, as may be pronounced to be n
n sHnitarily injurious. They sincerely hope th
al yoursboard wiilperceive the justice Of these pos
-, tions and that the harsh measure of closing
10 the dstilleres, and thereby suspenainE an impC
es tant branch of manufacturing industry, will Il
ny be persisted in. They reiterate their desire
re assist in preserving the public health and th
i. anxiety to avoid litigation, and they subseri
themselves, very respectfully,
u JOHN o. IRVINE.
re JAMES o'DoWp.
he =.....-- CONRAD sTREEDEl