The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-01

The Mayor said that it was impossible to
GRANT the petition as long es the ordinance
which prevents the filing up OF lots with onal
was in force. That he stated the same sntos
IN 1894 when similar petition was presented
and referred to the Committee on Streets, who
reported favorably on it. The only way to aoi
complish it is to repeal or amend the ordl-
Alderman Parker then gave notice that, ct q
proper time, he would give notice OF Dill 10
amend the ordinance.
The petition was laid over.
The following memorial was reao:
III u. Honorable as Mayor and Aldermen Of the oty
GrSMrxES-In the published proceedings OF the
meetine of your honorable BODY. held on tho !4th
inst. tappears tbs 20 comma iGauGn waS
resolutons adopted by the Board OF Health recon-
mending Council to remodel he building known Us
the workhouse Is hospital, and 70 sutnoize me
City Eneineer to call ior proposals to DO the wofx.
The declared object of this move ts to transfer the
ick roor from the Tucker Bouse, lately selected oy
the Health Board ss Q city hospital, to the WORK
house building as soon ss the necessary 1'i"nee-
rnents can be effected.
OounciI so Ear acquiesced in the action of the
Health Board to instruct the City Engin er 70 re-
port upon the plan. From the same proceedines We
learn. by the report or the Commit OF Ways and
Means that the estimated requirement OF tue Health
Depur nept for the present year Is $4,000. As an
estimate for salaries Of city officers afterwards sp
pears 1t seems doubtful If the S2oo0o ABOVE 5et lrea M
fo fs independent Of the salaries now paid TO city
uhyH,ciang The committee finally announce. aIter
allowing for all sources Of income to the city, a
deficit or 1926 500, or, in plain terms, thoroughly
eIususted treasur.
IN NEW of these somewhat startling facts but with
ont the gmbi ION to be sef.constituted censors or
advisers IN city affairs, We the undersigned mem
bers OF the Medical society OF South Carolina, rem
dents OF Charleston, as taxpaying cit zens and
guardians OF the public lealth, representing a.
We fairly do tn medical opinion Of the clty. 1ee 1t
incumbent upon us most respectfully 70 remon-
sats against the proposed Paa 9' tSe SEssa o.
large increase of the already heavy expenditure OF
public money for the support OF an estravagans
health Department We say e1tfavagsnt because OF
ts striking contrast betwt en- Its past and present re-
ouiremcnts. Prior to the war. wnen the city popu-
iaton Was over fifty thousand. the cost Of the
Health Department was about 5000. or this amount
$4,000 was prd to the Roper Hospital. under con
tract with the CITY, when the sick were excelently
we'll provided for $4,000 TO the two Dispensary ply
dcians TOR the Upper Wards-the Lower Wards be-
ing ns at present cared for by the phyHicaus paid
from the shiras fund and hs remainder ,. 70 anc
the wre population is, at the highest estimate one
third less than formerly. and IN hospital the sick
from this class are certainly no more numerous
Nor a. We shal show hereafter, can the large add-
tionL expenditure (sl2,000) be explained, as some
have suggested, by the many INDECENT freedmen now
cared for. Under the r,ew regime the original CON-
tract With the Roper Hospital It seems Is ignored
medical ofacers-including toe physicians Of
the shira's Dispensary. who have. by 3 curl
ous and perhaps Illegal combination. become
shtute the aetive city ,edicd staff. and
the city Registrar now receives Large additional
compensation "a secret that wss not foreshadowed
when his now honots were imposed and gracefully
accepted for acting as supervisor, or medical d.
rector to link together the city and the Freedmen,
Bureau. But why all thisl We are told that the
arrangement Is eligible one for the city as there
Ii dispensed from the Federal treasury about s4U 600
to meet the wants Of the sick poor If this be 50.
thep 900 instead Of s the present cost Of
our health department, under the existing partner
ship betwsen the CITY and the government. Is such
an expenditure known in any other corporation Of the
same exteut2 With government affairs We have
nothing to do. Let the government look to Its own
disbursement But II we venture retrospective
glancs st city Affairs under past administrations
and also under your own, We may perchance afford
you some melancholy truths for digestion, and show
that the cost Of the health department for the
ing year will most haely reach higher figure than
even your large estimate. In 1858 the expenditure
Of the Board Of Health Was s2256 96; Dispensary,
$4,000; Roper Hospital, $4,000; small Pox Hospital,
$50 II; total ss2Ss VI. In 1859, B. ard Of Health,
a :iS ~ t;s Iss z s2os9 ss sopsr Hospital
$a128 Al; tpispepsary not menuoned): Roper Hospi-
tai $4,000; total $726 A. In 1851, Board Of Health,
1882 "a; Dspenssry, $4,000; Roper Hospital. $4,000;
total ssS62 g. In 1862. Board Of Health. Sl01s IS;
Upper Ward Physicians $4,000; Roper Hospital
$500; total. ss0ls 65. In 1868, Board Of Health,
slS012 II. At the beginning of the last fiscal
wear. the computed estimate OF Council to meet the
wante Of the year was $685.. 900. Of this amount
the requirements for the Orphan House was D1ed at
$4,000; that Of the Aims House at $4,000. At the
expiration Of the year there had been expended s45-
ssS for tho Orphan House, and s9352S for the Aims
House. The wants and expenditures Of the Medical
Department for the same are omitted In the pub
lahed statement from which our information Is de-
rived but ss the Institutions referred to arc public
ch"riteo, this reference serves to illustrate our
pot1t.
Aud reasoning from these premises. 1t is reason.
bs TO conclude that before the expiration OF the pre-.
sent year, the cost OF the Health Department will
much exceed your estimate. Experience procla1,ps
thst as with individuals, SO with corporations-e1.
hausHon OF means is the only limit to extravasart
nature The Difference paid oy your body to the re.
narlable demand OF the Board Of Health. In VIC. of
the known financial embarrassments of the city,
looks we regret to say like straw indicating un-
fortunate tendency OF administrative policy. and most
sssuredly is signal veriacation OF our above e1.
pressed suspicion.