The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-23

When the Summer approaches the most i'm
portant subject which can engage the atten-
ton of the authorities is the sanitary con-
dition of the city. In comparison with this
one question Of the public health all others
sink into insignifcance. Unfortunately our
rulers in the city of New York seem to have
forgotten this duty entirely, and while they
are quarrellIng over the spoils and fighting
for the miserable drippings which come from
this or that little official position the streets
and other spots where pestilence is bred are
neglected The Board of Health, SO far as
we can see, is taking no active measures
against the approach of cholera and yellow
fever. The Police Department is apparently
gathering no information in regard to
the plague spots scattered all over the
metropolis and has, SO far, failed to
warn our citizens to guard against
disease. There seem to be easy confidence
and glaring neglect everywhere while the
streets are in o worse condition than was ever
before known in the history of New York All
of the streets and avenues are dirty, and most
of them are still filed with the garbage and
offal thrown into them last Winter Many of
the most important thoroughfares in the most
densely populated parts are badly paved, and
foul and stagnant water remains in the streets
day after day. There is scarcely block up
town or down that has fewer than half a
dozen wagon holes filed with water, to poison
the atmosphere and generate disease Every
where disagreeable odors infect the air. The
condition of the sewers may be even more de-
plorable than the condition of the streets.
Cellars and sub-cellars, and other places liable
to infection, are mysteries to the police but
full of dangers to the people, And all this
while ftful Summer, hot to-day and cool to-
morrow, seems to utter threatenings of disease
and death
We would not alarm the people unnecessa-
rily, for to create fear in the public mind is
bad policy. Aside from the filthy condition
of the city, there is no reason now for undue
fear or alarm among our citizens that yellow
fever or cholera will come. But these terrible
scourges may come, and it is best to be pre-
pared. Cleanliness is the best preventive,
and it is upon this that we insist We must
guard every avenue of approach and sweep
away every cause likely to breed pestilence or
to produce a condition of things likely to ex-
pose the people to danger and make them sus-
ceptible to contagon or infection. If plague
of any kind should fall upon the city at this
time its ravages would be awful. II the chol-
era should reach New York what rich har-
vest of death it would reap, and what a
splendid showing its ravages would make for
the reformers who forgot or neglected their
duty What o fearful reckoning would be
demanded by the people Men who disre-
gard the most sacred duty of authority can
find no words to excuse themselves before the
overwhelming wrath of the community. 1t
is time that the officials whose duty it is to
take sanitary measures against the approach
of disease learned the responsibility which
attaches TO their exercise Of authority, lest
they also suffer with the innocent. It is GRIM
inal in them that we are compelled TO address
these appeals to them. Weeks ago all de-
mands we are now making should have been
already past the demanding Then the
city would have been spared this necessity
and people Of weak nerves would have been
saved danger which even the imagination
might develop into disease. If we could re-
frain from pointing out the danger and in
sisting upon proper sanitary measures we
should do 50, bpt il mould be madness 70