National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-24
LLLAEOUT THE GARBAGE QUESTION
New Arrangements for its Removal
Under Direction Of the Board
What the Service VIII Cost
How the Refuse Natter
Will be Disposed of.

The Board Of Health held regular meeting
last evening; DR.. q. O. Cox, president, in the
chair.
Prot. Langston, from the ordinance csmmIttee,
Teported on the communication OF Mr.. Lucas in
relation to paying the claim Of Peter Murray Il
90 for work done under contract with the boarl,
and stated that the hoard possessed no funds out
Of which the money could legally be paid. The
respective amounts ought to be assessed against
each lot filled and collected with other assess.
ments. As the attorney Of the Commissioners had
decided the act passed by the last Legislature
tractors present their claim to the Commission
erE, and ask them to petition Congress for It's
payment. The subject was recommitted TO the
committee.
OPERATIONS OF THE HEALTH OFFICE.
The following is q synopsis Of the operations Of
the health once for the week ending March 90
NUEances reported, 5o2: referred, %; abated, 40I
referred TO Commissioners, s; complaints oil citi-
HenE 2O notices issued, %; causes OF death lnyes
tIRnted, o: pecuniary conditions Investigated u;
burisls at public expense, !; patients treated by
PhyEreians to the poor 2gIi cost Of medicines FUR
garbage removed, lS2; prlvies cleaned 4l6. Marine
products: Inspections, 26503 punches hsh; $3.50
bushels oysters, 5000 behring's, $50 shad. Con-
demnations; 03 punches tSh, $50 bushels oysters
$50 pounds beei 20 pounds veal, IS pounds mutton,
20 pounds pork, 50 pounds bacon, turkey, geese,
heads cabbage, 55 dozen oranges. Animals i'm
pounded, I; redeemed, Q; killed, /. Amount rea l
ITed, $3.50.
FILLING VACANT LOTS.
A communication was submitted from the
health oficer. asking instructions OF the board as
90 the fuhllment OF the second section OF the leg
iSlatIve act In relation TO draining certain lots
AZ TsT 81 ne TG'Sn o. ,hS SCtnSy
tionAity Of said act. The contract lie still IN eG.
istsnse between the board and Peter Murray 4
90, under which HAid firm are bound TO drain lots
90 the satisfaction Of the board OF Health and
District Commissioners. Under the contract some
tiHty Or more lots have been drained, the owner
having failed 30 do 20 after receiving legal notice
The hfEt interfering work was suspended. and II
now becomes heesssaty TO proceed With this DRAIN
age, o. required BY the act above referred TO- IN.
LEES the board shall decide 10 discontinue tho
WufE and the contract The wisdom Of the Law,
and necessity for ~ prompt execution, arc every
day apparent, and IN eases where the owners Of
properly are residents of the District II may b6
beEl 70 proceed against them IN the Police Court,
provided those sections Of the ordinances may be
considered sufficiently explicit, and on this hoiht
he asked the instructions Of the board,
The subject was referred 10 the committee on
me contracts for the removal Of Hight,IoiI,
oral and removal Of ,gAfbags, made betWssh
MsEIFE u, D., Turner, w y. Turner and Jerome
iRa w oRqS Of ,a %Ss 81 Sha SdSpI
on the part OF the board Of Health, Having pre-
ViOuIly been accepted by the 1Tm above men.
toned, the contract 10 now In iull f0fes'
THAT NINoHITY RHFORT
Dr. Coz referred TO the publication Of the
minority report on awarding The SOpirGGL Tor the
removal Of nEhtIOll OnaI, 49, which was con.
iidtfSd 10 executive seIllOh and glVS9 publicity
iiSbiS 70 bSSomS heated 10 diIsaiSios and be iSd
into argument iorSlVn 10 his Intentions, he had
done 81 unusual thing Iof blm=lhAt was, CON.
following Statements
Pending 3 discussion o. the last meeting Of the
beard, which was allowed the widest latitude for
sIplGhGtioh and Fsi9hdsT. Iueh RIiuiioRI were To-.
dulged 10 BY one OF the speakers - would seem 10
render few remarks from me appropriate, u not
general debate ~ neither necessary nor pFoht-
able, and eohhpe myself 70 SIMPLE Statement, -
president Of the board IN defence Of the organ !
have been RsIAiled and, in my judgment, grossly
miEEePFesepted' This course more readily
70 g9sfy BY EssStBs nav hS opSoSs or
airing my rhetoric before the public, have
lived long enough and had Guiti6isnt experience
in public affairs not TO seek or desire that sPe'
It iI always well. before induIging in argument,
TO comprehend fully the facts upon which We
predicate our conclusions, These are, in the
present instance simply as follows; A former con-
tract for the removal Of OtRs having been for suf
heient reasons snuulled an advertisement was
made for proposals 10 do the work, TO which q
considerable number Of parties responded. Al
though
WHOLLY UNNECESSARY AND UNUSUAL,
the boare, animated by the spirit OF fairness and
freedom from cOneealment which has ALWAYS
characterized the performance of its public func-
TONS opened these bids IN the presence of the per-
sons interested, and unhesitRtingly handed tho
schedule Of them, with everything Of interest con-
nected Herewith, TO the reporters Of the press
When It became necessary to discuss the merits
and advantages Of the respective proposals 1t was
deemed proper, in order to avoid any embsrrass-
ment to full and free discussion growing out Of
the presence Of parties interested, to reach con-
elusion in private meeting. So careful was the
the board that no injustice should be DONE but
the fullest investigation instituted, that after
considerable debate in private session the entire
6ids were referred 70 special committee, lMessrs
LaDgston, Bliss and Verdi who were required,
after thorough examination. to report the result
Of their best Judgment, said report to be subject
Of course, to its revision approval or rejection.
quiry and debate by this committee, a majority
Of whom cOncurred in the recommendation Of q
certain proposal, and minority Of one non-con-
curing. Hence. two reports intended to affect
the private deliberations of the board, and not
designed for public criticism, were offered. The
majority report was adopted, and by courtesy to
the single dissenting Rembe the report of the
minority was ordered to be filed. This virtually
and really concluded the whole matter. The en-
tire question was determined by the will OF the
majority, and the minority yielded without
protest.
the majority, 1t had thereafter no more force or
effect than the paper upon which IL was written.
1t had, indeed no longer existence, except as a
document filed by the board, and therefore its
peculiar property subject to its sole disposition
and control, and not that Of the member engineer
ing or presenting it. Without any conference
v
iDtimstiOn Of such intention purpose the entire
minority report, containing reasons for differing
with the boards action, was published, together
with imperfect outline Of the report OF the ma
joTity. At the succeeding meeting member OBJ
jected to what he properly considered an eItraor-
binary procedure, 20 which objection the mover Of
the rcpa6Tt renIied on tbe spot This Was ytrt1Si
ending Of the whole matter. True, 1t was init
mated that the objection would be included in
some more definite form at the subsequent meet
ing, but the fact is that at that meeting no such
action was had or proposed. The mover OF the
minority report, however, having prepared an
foreshsdoWed action, and being evidently unwil-
ling 70 tntermit the opportunity for Its delivery,
even at the expense Of extending
A DIsCoRDANT DEBATE,
proceeded 10 defend his position, and in doing so
assumed the aggressive, charging the Chslr with
partial and unfair rulings, and the board with in
tending TO suppress his uttersnces and in other
respects arrest his usefulness as q member.
Having thus stated briefly the facts, without
comment, shall endeaVoT TO show that the argu-
ments advanced are utterly destitute Of force, and
attitude It has Voluntarily assumed.
In the first place, then, the premature publica-
tlon Of the minority report whatever may be
asserted 70 the contrary, was direct and fragrant
violation Of any existing order Of the board. II
fs true, rule was quoted by the minority at the
last meeting declaring that SGers nh Sn5 not
their reports. The resolution referred to was
adopted January 10, 1872, when the dissenting
authorized advertisement Of his own. Reports
were more likely TO emRnste from Officers, p"
sno hence the use Of the term; but no one knows
better than the gentleman advancing this argu.
meDt that II was Intended TO apply to every men,
Der Of the board alike, officer or otherWise-that
Il was simply designed TO prevent the publca-
ton Of AL Ofhcial papers not sanctioned by the
board. Hence the array presented OF the various
annual reports last week, TO prove to us that the
EenI'eRs1 was not an oficer, and therefore ex-
empt from the operation Of the prohIbitory rule,
Is simply the himEiest subterfuge and evasion
possible Bat that there should be no doubt Of
the intended construction Of the rule the board
adopted another regulation on the 18th Of the
same month, aIlusiOn TO which has been carefully
avoided will read It. This rule, also based
upon the public alton by the same gentleman Of Q
paper, parporting 10 be 9 report, but which was
simply volunteer contribution, never called for
or acted upon by the board, continues 70 this day
unrepsaled; Cud Il Will hardly be affirmed that
the publication Of the minority report was not q
manifest and deliberate infrsction OF said rule.
50 much for the violation OF previous order Of
the board.
II was, moreover, unquestionably q breach Of
confidence, inasmuch as II publicly revealed the
private transactions Of the board. To the exist
enee Of the private meetings the gentleman hsd
given his unqualified assent, and never expressed
the least dissatisfactOn Herewith until the sub
TO convince the majority that he was right aud
they were wrong. word now Of
THESE PRIVATE MEETINGS,
which have been 90 piously rebuked. It will be
rememb ered that from the inception Of the hoard
az an ofcial organ II has transacted its business
apeTffS JOTibEs, concealed nothinRAf its proceed.
inRG from the public, II the expense not unfre-
Ouently Of unkind animadvefsion TidIeuIe ana
abuse. The idea Of rendering the sessions part