The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-25
The Harlem Pest Beds.

We have already called the attention OF the
Board Of Health and the Police Commissioners
to the dumping of garbage into the district
known as the Harlem fats, and we mean
that the officials in both bodies shall bear the
iull weight Of their responsibility if fevers or
other malarial diseases are the consequences.
Should the present hot weather continue it
seems impossible that the people Of Yorkyille
and Harlem can escape terrible and deadly
epidemic The whole district Is q vast pest
bed, made 80 by criminal greed on the one
hand and criminal neglect-perhaps criminal
performance-of official duty on the other
While the contractors must be held to the
strictest accountability for the faithless per-
Torrance Of their contracts the authorities
charged with the protection Of the public in
terests and the public health must receive the
sternest punishment if plague Of any kind
follows the barefaced wrong which has been
perpetrated with the co-operation of the
Police Commissioners and the connivance of
the Board of Health.
When we begun the investigation Of this
subject we undertook it simply in behalf OF
the public safety; but we had no idea then that
it was the outrage it turns out to be. 1t was
plain to US in the beginning however, that
Mr.. McQuaid and the other contractors who
have been filling up the flats with garbage
and noxious matter we're acting with an AFRO
gance that could only come from a conscious
ness OF a support stronger than their con-
tracts. We had no suspicion, however, that
the Police Commissioners were their partners
in This business and that the Street Cleaning
Bureau was supplying the deadly stuff that
was to threaten o whole city with dreadful
epidemic. 1t now turns out that such is the
fact, and the revelations We make in our news
columns this morning viii be read with
amazement by all our citizens. Not only does
the Police Board supply the garbage gathered
from streets for this purpose at an alb
surdly low price, but it was through
the Intervention Of the Commissioners
with the Board Of Health that the
latter body was induced to give official
sanction to the planting of a plague spot IN
the very heart Of the city. These wrongs
were perpetrated under 50 many glises and
DISCUSSES, and continue to be perpetrated in
spite Of SO much pretence to the contrary as
to excite the gravest suspicious of jobbery on
the part Of the Police and Health Commits
sioners. 1t appears that the police must
have had share in the outrage, either by
their want Of energy or else by getting
direct share in the profits. 1t seems
impossible that public officers should 50
triAe with the lives and health of a mil
lion people; but the circumstances sur
rounding this case are 30 grave as to make
it necessary for the Board Of Health and the
Board Of Police to explain the whole matter
to the satisfaction Of the public if they wish
to escape so terrible an imputation. II may
even become necessary for Mayor Wickham TO
investigate the relations existing between the
Commissioners and the contractors, and it
will be necessary, unless better explanation
Of the whole business Is made BY the depart
ments concerned than seems possible from
their action in this matter as it now appears
There Is, however, more Immediate duty
the duty Of preventing an epidemic by the
removal Of garbage and other organic matter
uSeu III hiiinS' ~ - uue " ING PuOuC thas
this shall be done at once and at the expense
OF the contractors who used it 10 poison a
whole neghborhood In no other way can
the community escape disease and death
and these men be adequately punished for the
wrongs they have committed. Let the Board
OF Health see to it that this is done without
delay, for il will not do to jeopardizo the
health Of q community for the benefit Of few
greedy contractors OF TO allow them TO escape
with the profits Of wrong upon the people
Not only must McQuaid and others not b
paid for the work they have done until i i