The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-02-13

The TsHCneHI Factory SYsfens
DeGeHdCd by thC Wee Fork
= Board Of HCaIfh.
The Falsehoods and Fallacies Of their
Report Fearlessly Exposed.
Appeal to Mayor Wickham.

The following communication, reports
and resolutions exprain themselves, and
should ~ read by every Cigar Maker in
the nited States
10 MAYOR wICKHNN, OF NEW YORK.
SIR In the month of August last
year. the attention of the community was
drawn upon the condition of the tenement
houses IN this city, by the several reports
If the Board Of Health, styling them
breeding places Of disease and mortality =;
and the popula1tn was invited to assist
the Board in aireir efforts to at least allie
viate the ey1l by removing the cause, as
far As the sanitary code gives power i'll
that direction.
The inhabitants Of those quarters Of the
city where tenement houses are predomi-
nant, alarmed at the official statement of
things, heartily Joined the health board in
exposing the causes of such deplorable
condition uf their nrIghborhood, by insti-
tuting disqulsitlnns ~ the direction point
ed out by the board, and, aided by men
ut science, arrived a: the conviction that
a large share If the evil, and cardinal
canse for disease and mortality could
have been found IN the fact that many OF
these tenement houses are turned into
factories. thereby uverhlling such houses
with raw material or working implements,
and, instead Of decreasing the inhabi-
tauts during working hours, this system
Vas Instrumental to Keep and bind all Of
them within their close apartments, day
aud night.
81.
upon the safety of the health OF the city,
l. the manufacturing Of tobacco in tene-
meuts, which is doue III a large proportion,
and is on the Increase. This is done in
a manner that every apartment Of house
is So used, and the damp tobacco in large
quantities, together with the children. in
fants, rheumatic old people, and the work
men, who sleep, cook, etc, live aud work
in the same room.
Having all this ascertained and proven,
the facts were laid before a mass meeting
Of citizens, held Sept y, and two others,
held on a later date. ln these meetings,
resolutions were passed To- submit the sub
stauce of the disquIsitIon before the board
of health, and request that body to cause
All inspection Of these houses "a list of
which had been drawn ur) and apply the
remedy by furbidding such manufacturing,
in compliance with the sanitary code
enacted by the State Legislature for the
guidaLce Of said BOARD.
committee was appointed by the meet
ing, consisting nf citizeIis from all parts
Of the city, aud from different callings, to
submit this request to the board, which
Was tone Oct. 9Th. 1874. The committee
were granted he. my by the Board, and,
at parting, we're info, ,rd that their request
should be complied with.
On Nov ID then. tie board of health
received. adopted and published the result
uf the inspectors uNrstigatlOns in this
matter a report, the substance III which is
in direct opposition I" The facts, To science
and to truth. indeed, a composition clearly
Intended u corrupt public opinion, and a
derisiuu nf humanity
The committee Uf citizens. after being
acquainted with the inspectors adopted
report, again caused a true Gathering Of
facts based upon science and truth,
whereupou they called mass meeting Of
citiz.ns on Dec q. and there and then
submitted their report. After thorough
deliberations the meeting appointed q
COhlinltltt oi lliTCt " lay tic NnOlt pro-
ceedings in this behalf before the Mayor
Of the city, and request him most earnestly
to remove the officials ia question on &C.
count uf their Nillful appreciation of a
shameful mockery Of common sense and
science, aud a complete disregard Of their
bOundep duty and, furthermore, to ask
uf him the appointment of scientific men
to form board, able and willing to carry
into execution the provisions Of the rules
and regulations as laid down in the sani-
tary code Of the board of health Of the
city of New York
The committee have subjoined the re-
port Of the board of health, as well as the
report containing the facts, views and
truths as ascertained by the committee
Of citizens and again, most sincerely in
vite your impartial sense for justice aid
right to all, to exercise your official prerog
ative to replace justice against corruption
science against super6ciality and preju
dice.