The New York herald., 1867-01-15
STREET CLEANING.

Health there is one suggesticn In particular which COM
mands unqualified approval II Is the proposition that
the work OF street eaning be done by the Board OF
Health aided by the police this around that IN the
jop action Of these boards there viii be FOUND an
efficiency fully developed in any plan heretofore
pursued. This measure is the only practical reform
in this quarter that be suggested IL en-
bodies the views Of those well versed on TINS SUBJECT
As preliminary proposition that the success Of any
plan for sanitary reform must prove failure SO long as
the Health Commissioner remains deprived OF the power
OF control the cleaning OF the streets All enors 10
prevent he introduction and spread OF disease especially
in tenement districts will prove unavaing the streets
and alleys in the neghborhood are kept free from
the filth which they daily receive This cannot be done
under the present system without further egs
la,ion and further appropriations OF money The con-
tractor has hs duties Defined the streets to be swept
daily are designated, also those TO be swept
three times, and those 10 be swept once a
week. The latter by far the most numerous and
contain all or the sixteen thousand tenemens, with
their six hundred thousand occupants, referred TO n
late review In these districts the contractor though
bound by his contract only TO limited performance Of
his duty has exceeded his contract obligations by sweep
ing and cleaning many OF those during the past
three and five times week; and this vol.
untary assumption of labor has been from considerations
other than pecuniary And while the result for this
part voluntary labor for the benefit Of the public health
has been rewarded with due acknowledgments by the
Registrar of Vital Statistics, II has been received by the
public press in many instances with beral and unjust
comments
1t would then that under this condition of things
there almost mpossblty under the contract sys
tem of performing the work OF cleaning as to
NEE, either the expectations of the public the require
ments OF the Board of Health The health OF the city
demands the daily cleaning OF all streets from Thirteenth
street to the Battery This is requirement that
longer be passed unheeded. II will bear repeating,
connected with its enforcement is the preservation OF the
lives and health of those inhabng that section of the
city And this work TO be edectua must be done by the
city under the supervision and direction of the Health
Department. To the seemingly plausible objection that
the city has heretofore had the work in hand
failed there is the conclusive answer that under pre-
vous contracts the work was under the control Of pecn
lators ands politicians with whom the idea Of making
the largest amount of money upon the smallest perform
Of duty within the hints OF their obligations
the all absorbing consideration The new plan on the
contrary, will be under the control of the Board of
Health, body organized and composed OF men who en-
Joy the public confidence and beyond the influence
control OF politics politicians The cost to the city
during the last year when the work under its charge
was at the rate Of 81 100000 or 100000 more than
under the present contract
While this branch Of the subject II is not inappro-
pirate to notice the comparative OF cleaning Of
the cities Of New York Boston, and this compar
becomes proper in reply to some statements of the
Board Of Health to the superior economy, well
efficiency, OF street cleaning in the latter city
own. The following are the results:-Boston cleans
seventv-four miles of streets at annual cost Of
Sl56 600; New York city has about two hundred and
fifteen miles of streets TO clean at cost Of $49S 500
nearly three times the number Of miles Of Boston, at
only $45 600 more the cost at Boston prices This
estimate is based upon the supposition that the
streets Of the two cities of similar width
and the amount Of s ashes am and garbage to be car:
appears, that the averags width Of the streets
Of this city three times that Of the streets OF Boston,
Seventeenth ward alone in one year ID equal to the
whole amount taken from the city OF Boston in the
ey this accurate
nearly nine times great in the city Of Boston, not
withstanding have at least ten times Of ashes
garbage and street manure 70 be removed aud which, at
Boston prices Of $166o00 per annum for sevenyfour
miles, Would amount to 81, 800 500 Surely cannot be
Bo ton plan Of street cleaning, that We should initiate
It, at least in this particular practical and expe-
rienced mind would never think Of Offering compari-
sons between this city and any other in the
country, either in street cleaning or In other
sanitary matters For years past medical reformers
this city petty river town in Rhode Island with popu-
lation Of about fifty thousand II insisted upon
the mortality in Providence and like The proposed plan 70
make Boston example In street cleaning, 1t only
necessary to initiate the city OF Providence in sanitary
pont OF view and the great desideratum would be
compshed Tho experiment in the latter has been
made, as supposed by our new Board Of HEALTH and
with what result? The mortality of this city, instead OF
having been reduced TO in fortyfve in Provi-
dcnce higher now than it has been for years past II
ns,,n y simply Suresque upon this city, with its
dred thousand emisraDts, its tenement houses,
its trade and enterprise, that II should follow
may prevail in some Eastern city village The Board
of Health viii be forced to recognize the fact that those
pleasant theories which 1t at first seemingly delighted to
indulge in must give way to practical common sense,
and 10 insure success must meet emergencies they
arise, without regard to other cities What in other
cities would prove success in of sanitary
provenent might prove failure here, and IL is but
triaing with human life to indulge in experiments which
the pccuarites OF the position OF this city show
be failures. Tho annual emigration of 300, 600 our
10000 tenemeats, with their 900 occupants.
and the two hundred slaughter houses are
Boston Providence What other city the world has
or ever had, so many vital and important questions
quiring immediate attention forced upon II at the
timer And yet the Board Of Health is not to be con.
demned because it has not met and provided for these
citation Of the magnitude of the work which II is ex.
peced 10 perform but in this II must not overlook the
comparisons with are idle and nugatory from
the diversity in almost everything that gives tu these
cities their characteristic traits.
These remarks, although seemingly out Of place with
the work Of street cleaning have nevertheless imme
date hearing upon the subject which is intimately and
psepayaby connected with the Now York sanitarv sys
The best medical ntcects anticipate q recurrence
Of the epidemc which visited the city last summer and
thus believing there 70 no time % lose IN putting the
The Importance TO the health Of the city from clean
streets needs argument but the work TO be thorough
Of Health Il take that disposition snopsr or later
That serious error has been committed In the con.
bu: oacs week there can b. no question. The fsmers
OF tho contract seem 10 have had but limited Of
the sanitary necessities Of the city when they presented
such document for execution, and IL they alone
are responsible for s deficiencies and the shortcomings
which the result Of its adoption. But Judge Whiting
in NO respect responsible for these oversighs and
neggencss He assumed TO carry out the provisions Of
the contract and nothing moro, and Il 10 the height OF
injustice TO sensure him for not doing what he
tracted 10 do He has not only done his whole duty
tho public by astrict performance Of al that
Joined on him TO do, but IN many instances he has |
incurred pecuniAy ices In the performance Of extra
labor which he was under no injunction 10 perform.
This extra voluntary asumption Of labor 10 entirely
Lost sight Of by the cenors who have dealt harshiy
and unjustly with the contractor while had they ex
smined, AZ II Was their duy 70 DO the contract under
which he s sctre they wouk have discovered At whose
door should Jay the blame OF Not keeping the streets n
condition deemed desirable by them He should i
therefore. not only stand free rom the mpuation Of
neglect cast upon HIM, but he is found 70 occupy
position rarely held by ar contractor-thst of
having exceeded his duty In his yea the public vel
fare TO his own pecuniary loss.
Justice 70 all parties concerned imlpsee the duty Of
placing this matter in proper light kfoe the public
II 10 upon Judge Whiting that partcula injustice has
been visited through msunderstandin, OF the pro.
visions Of the contract and cannot be qaetoued that
this simple statement will demonstrate TO be satisfac-
ton OF the public that not only he Ia free m ali i'm
putaton OF neglect, bu, that he deserves theon,an