The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-02-11

our citizens were to take sick to-day with
small pox, or any other disease, and he
was unable to take care of himself, II Is
clearly the duty of the county authorities
to see that he Is taken care Of. and | see
no reason why they shonld not. They
collect all the taxes which are collected
for that purpose; the city does not col
lcct one cent Of 1t, and think that If the
city collects no tax, aud the county does,
then IL is right and just that the county
| should take care of them.
If stranger is taken sick, who looks
after him when alive, and buries him
when dcadg It's the county. But when
a small poX patient comes up, the county
refuses TO take care OF him, because they
have no contra It for having eases of that
kind taken care Of
| What does the county hire and pay Il
| physician for. but TO take care care of all
the sick, be they smallpox cases or
otherwise The contract is let to the low
est responsible bidder and noexemptions
are made IN their advertisements solicit
ing proposals for any kind oil cases.
These facts being so, it is easy to see
where the responsibility rests.
Gentlemen, this is n matter of great inn
portance, and the city authorities are
blamed for permitting cases of that kind
anywhere In the city. insist on laying
the blame where, in my opinion, it be.
longs. aud that is, on the county authori.
ties, and on the general government, TOR
almost four-iif(hs OF all the eases which
have occurred during the past two year.
in Cairo, have been men who follow tn,
river for living. This being the case
the parties whose duty IL Is to attent
such cases, should see that they are place.
In such u location rs to not cause an,
alarm or endanger the lives of our citi
zens. Gentleman, taking the whole mat
ter into consideration, believe 1t woul,
be better for all parties concerned :,
come to some arrangement, and build
hospital or pest-housc, Jointly, and locat
it where there would be no danger
BY doing this we would stop the wrang
ling Of the different parties in authority
but for the city to go to the expense o
leasing or buying grounds and locating
building thereon, or buying and locating a
some point OH the river floating boa
for the receiving of all contagious Gi.
eases is asking more than she is at pres
!, ent able to bear. If the county take
: care of them, the city pays her pro rat
3 of the taxes, but the point the city make
: is that the county collects all pauper an
u poor-house taxes and il therefore tn
u proper one to expend the same. Tn
l law makes the county authorities tn
r overseers Of the poor, and If there ar,
i any in the county who are unable TO tax
care of themselves. il il the county's bu
: siness to attend to them they are tn
county's charge and they cannot &c
over 1t.
, Gentlemen, have stated my views oil
this matter and ask the attention OF tn
council to them. If they think, with TN
mayor, that it is the duty of the count,
and not of the city, then we agree. /
on the other hand you think it is the dut j,
of the city to take care of all such cases
and establish hospital for the reception
of contagious diseases, let the council
furnish the money, and the Board o
i Health will attend to the matter with al
3 possible dispatch.
Very respectfully, JOHN WooD.
!, Mayor and Chairman Board of Health
7 On motion said communication wa
I received, and the accommodation as {,
, bill of George Schlamer, amounting t,
s75, for rent Of pest-house in tull to date
r concurrcd in by the following vote:
Aycs-IIalliday, Mathuss, McEwen
, McGauley, Thistlewood and Wright-6.
} Mayo.
On motion of Alderman Wright tn
chair was requested to appoint specis
: committee Of three to confer with tn
county authorities and the agent of tn
United States Government in relation {
matters contained in said address.
The chair appointed Alderman Wright
, Thistlcwood and Halliday.
/, The council, on molten of Halliday. ad
journcd. WILL X. HAWKINS,
City Clerk.