New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-28

jections that might be urged against it, is,
in our Judgment, greatly in its favor. Our
Board of Health, as at present constituted,
is composed of intelligent, enterprising
citizens. Its president is one of the most
shllful physicians d the city. Many Of
his colleagues are also practicing physi-
clans in high standing. Any measure,
therefore, which may have been proposed
by the board is entitled to great weight,
embodying, as it does, the opinion of ex-
perts upon questions of vital interest to
the whole community.
We have carefully read the bill, sum-
mary of which will be found in another
column. The majority of the provisions
strike US as being wise and necessary,
especially that which places the duty of
keeping the vital statistics under the
charge of the president Of the board. It
might seem, at first blush, that the pro-
posed law lodges too much power in the
hands of the board, power that might
be carried to the extent of oppression,
especially in vacating dwellings and
premises, and the movement of water
craft; but it has been found necessary to
lodge such a power somewhere, and we
are quite as willing to trust the nine men
appointed in the manner provided in the
bill with it as any other body or board in
the city. The people of New Orleans
have rarely ever had any valid reason to
complain of oppression by the Board of
Health, more especially as it is now con-
stituted. Their measures have been
adopted by thoughtful, intelligent, just
minded men, and we do not remember an
instance in which the charge could be
reasonably made that they had gone
further than was absolutely necessary to
secure the sanitary object in view.
We apprehend some objection will be |
urged against the section authorizing the |
board to collect fees from masters of yes-
sells for inspecting them and giving GER
tlflcate. Seamen, who have taken pains |
to bring perfectly clean and healthy
ship into port, have frequently complain
ed that they were fined from fifteen to
thirty dollars outstanding, besides
being detained for a time at the station.
Again, discrimination is made in favor
If vessels coming from Louisiana, Texas,
Mississippi and Alabama, they being re-
lulred to pay only ten dollars, while ves-
els hailing from less favored ports are
'harged from fifteen to forty-fve dollars.
t may be deemed wise to make some al
Grafton IN this section, in Difference to
ne well known maxim that any unneces-
airy tax on commerce drives it away. It
true. ship masters make profit on
heir freight and passengers, but the port
which they are destined makes much
lore. And this particular one is cele-
rated for its heavy charges on tonnage,
eglnniag with the outward pilot and
DING all the way up the river, at the
'harf, and back again. In cases of sail
1g vessels, those persistent enemies of
ur commerce, the towboats come in for
leir exactions, frequently leaving the
RIPPER in doubt whether he had better
0andon his ship or pay the bills. The
es to be imposed by the Board of Health
re small, but they add to the other ex-
anses, and are paid for what seamen
,nsider no service. {
The bill, as whole, is carefully and, in t
If Judgment, wisely drawn. It embraces a
any needful changes, and re-enacts the t
ore important OF the existing statutory f
One section provides for the
ganization of the board at its annual t
Getting in February. As the bill is il
Irdiy likely to become law until the a
tier part of February, or later, perhaps "
would be prudent to insert special Il
DIVISION for the first organization. Il