The New York herald., 1869-08-24
Profits, Workings and Figures Of the
Contract System.
Comparative Statistics Of New
York and Paris.
DEFECTS OF THE CONTRACT.
Remedy for the Present state
Of Affairs.

n ,s now forty years since the great sanitary
reform movement began In France and England,
occupyrnq the attention OF the acutest scientific
men in Europe; but it was not until 1850, stimulated
by the reports OF the Fourth National Sanitary Con-
vention that public sentiment In this country could
be educated to the support OF the WORK, and even
now the support accorded is only iukewarm and
partial particularly in this city. In the course OF
the last forty years, or since 1850, more than
n 0o0 900 has been expended the two cities Of
London and Paris in the single matter OF sanitary
engineering and still those cities are by no means
perfect IN this respect. The city Of London has
probably suffered more from imperfect drainage
than any city in the world though Paris, Hamburg,
Berlin and Vienna have had their own bitter expe-
rielces. Even SO late as 1910 and for the anterior
i've years the number OF persons attacked
With fever IN the city Of Glasgow had
been equal to IS, 9i9 OF whom 4, 7ss died. The
number attacked had amounted to one-1fth OF the
whole population OF the city; the mortality from
fever alone being equal TO one-sixteth OF that
population for every lustrum, one-third per cent
yearly. or the total yearly number OF deaths in the
world nearly onehalf are caused by fever in some
form. In cities on the average two-thirds are the
results OF fever, or Of disease induced by similar
causes; and TINS city the fraction is rather greater
prevalence Of fevers may be traced to Of three
causes-imperfect drainage, imperfect sewerage or
imperfect cleanliness Of the surface imperection
In the laying OF payements is another cause worthy
OF attention; for, unless the pare be water proof
there is continuous percoation through it Of re-
fuse matter which, IN the end, generates pestlence.
In this respect well as In the dfculty OF clear
ing It, the eobbe stone pavement is degree worse
than none at all; and how bad at all Is may be
gathered from few facts. In Oil cities the exemp-
ton OF the Inhabitants from intermittent and
bilious remittent fevers Is, In great
measure and very uniformly, due to the
paving Of the streets. The paving Of Dock
street. Philadelphia was, DR.. Bell states, the means
OF saving hundreds Of persons from malignant fever
In single year. The Southwark and Kensington
districts Of the same city and are instances OF
She workings OF the same principle. In the South
wark district especially the almost utter disappear
ance Of malignant fevers was wrought by paving
and subsequent attention TO scavengering. Louis.
vile, KY, was once known as the graveyard OF the
West, aud forms most remarkable example or the
workings Of the same law. Though now one. of the
healthest towns in the State, as late as 1922 ma.
hgnant intermittent tever was q regular annual
vsitant and threatened TO depopuiate the town. In
1928 the streets were paved, ana an almost utter
disappearance OF the fever ensued.
There two surface conditions Of health there
FORE In the sanitary regulations of cities. The one
ID good pavement, through which refuse matter
cannot be conducted by percoauon; the other is al
adequate system OF street cleaning or scayen ger
ing, by which the pavement Ia daily freed from al
refuse matteras garbage, offal, night soil and ordi
nary refuse-generative OF noxous and nosom,
gases. Drainage ana sewerage being adequate al
koino-miasmanc fevers and diseases as well q.
most OF the idio-miasmatic type together with the
mixed levers termed diO-kolnO- -miasmatIc, are due
either TO imperfect paving imperfect scavenger.
ing. No street paved with cobble stones can be
healthy; no street mperfecty cleaned can fan to en-
gender disease The subject OF pavement having
been treated heretofore no further reference need
be made TO II here. Roughly estimating the paved
surface OF the city at 600 square yards 200 900
square yards are paved with stone block and other
modern payements, about 100000 being paved
with cobble stone. IT s necessary to refer 10 this
point In order to estimate the difficulty OF keeping
the city q ceanly condition SO far as surface Is
concerned The latter pavement is cleaned with
great difficulty and even when cleaned s not per.
fecy Wholesome, owing TO the percolation OF refnse
-, -ough II, tainting the soil beneath. The constant
eenno the streets Is SO necessary to the preser.
.o,on of health TN, It would naturally be supposed
that citizens Of all classes mix 'aAe some interest
In the matter. Yet 1t is supposed by sos oa. scaV
engering is an unnecessary expense except When
the mud and dirt have become excessive as to
offend the senses; and, probably, were 1t to be put
W vote In some cities whether tie streets should be
swept twice or three times week-the latter mate.
TALLY increasing the expense-the decision by popu-
iar would be in favor OF the semi weekly scayen-
Rering
1t is not generally known that there is sometimes
greater danger in removing refuse matter arer Il
has accumulated than in leaving 1t alone; and fol
this reason frequent scayengenng becomes neces-
sty to public health. An attempt TO clean tht
streets OF Vera Cruz after they had been neglected fol
efew weeks, came near proving the destruction q
that portion Of the army stationed there pending
,ae var v,a s. m"v'"o. and: on a smaier gcale ths
same phenomenon has been repeated II portions d
New York city. The thorough cleaning OF Baxter
street In the GUNNER Of 1906, under the adninstra
ton OF Judge Whiting resulted on account OF the
disturbance OF refuse matter, 10 Increased mortal
ity; and the same fact was illustrated IN other and
adjacent sections OF the southern half of the city,
is necessary therefore, before proceeding further 70
ascertain and lx
THE SANITARY ooyDITloSs BY WHICH STREE
ClHAElNe Musr BE GOVERNED,
In order 10 discuss the subject integeDly and In
tenigbly. "All streets should be swept at leas
three times a week, and all tnoroughfares ever
nlgbt,n says General vlele in recent dis
cusson Of The subject; but, so far as Ne'
York is concerned, 1t would be better +
clean thoroughfares like Broadway three timea
week and all tue remaining streets down towI
every night. The tenant house WARDS ought cei
talnly to be swept daily 1t is imperative that the
should be, since In these locations there Is gea'e
cTowding Of population and consequently NOR
rapid evolution OF refuse matter In fact, so far q
this city is concerned, there are really three grade
OF streets to be attended to and either grade rs su'
ject TO special conditions. These grades are--
/. Streets inhabited by tenement house population
where the crowdipg Is unlimited and the eyoluu 0
OF refuse correspondingy rapid and offensive. Thes
Streets In respect to the evolution OF 9th, take pre-
cedenee of thoroughfares, and furthermore the rt
fuse evolved Ia Of a more offensive and unwhoesom
order. Thoroughfares produce great deal OF ord
nary refuse and but little garbage, ofai and The
like. Tenant house streets evolve mountains OF gal