The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-11
WITH The COMMISSIONERS.
What the Various Depart
ments Are Doing.
The Outrages Upon Prisoners To
Be Stopped.

80 SSOPRS$As
The Board Of Health's Grapple with SMALLPOX
A Revolution in Its Management
representative OF the HERALD yesterday made
o call upon q number OF the city Commissioners
with the view or ascertaintng what Ii going ON in
their several jurisdictions. At the
DEPARTMENT OF CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
all the Commissioners were absent ON duty at the
various institutions; but the veteran clerk, Mr..
Phillips, their secretary, announced that the Com
mtssioners had settled the question OF messengers
fees at the various PRISONS and mad adopted Q
schedule OF prices that IL was believed would cor.
rect certain abuses OF long standing. The i'm
portance OF this action viii be appreciated when
the statement Is made that Tor years In all prisons
attached to the police courts or the city messen-
gers. with no oflcial authority, are recOg.
nized as Q part Of the institution. These
sharks usually manage to swindle prisoners by
acting as runners for "shyster' lawyers, who
hang about the "hals OF Justice" ana combine the
business of messenger with that Of agent for
voraci0us lawyers. When an unfortunate victim
gets into cell he naturally employs messenger
to communicate with his family and bOndsmen,
and frequently pays as high as S. to q messenger
to travel half dozen blocks for lawyer. He re.
turns to report that the lawyer cannot be found,
and advises the prisoner. under these crcum.
stances to employ Mr.. 'JOnesn or Mr.. "Smtth,n
who plucEs the poor devil who wants counsel out
OF from 500 to $780, and pays the "messenger.
middle-man" q percentage OF twenty or thirty
per cent. is to guard against such outrages that
the Commissioners have adopted the rules given
below. Ir President Baly would learn
the character OF the outrages perpetrated
at the police court PRISONS let him detail friend
to get locked up, spend q night In one OF these
prisons send for friend, and II he has 500 In his
pocket upon his commitment TO cell he will likely
be relieved OF It ali before regaining his liberty.
The regulations
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF PRISONS
are as follows 1t is devouty to be hoped that ont
given In full:-
win be furnished with writing material for that
also iurnisned cost For the convenience q pis
any Tips on M
shall be received from the by warden
b @ Snq Be- S 5
Messengers receive no salaries from the departmen
for
n ETn par 81 the Sa s OF pr to
Cents above ForyseSoSd street. IL Adjacent s e.i"
D,..sIS. : al psr OF the city. ssvsnsynvs
THE OUTDOOR POOR.
superintendent KellocK OF the Department Of
Charities and Correction, has had an unusually
busy winter IN providing for the hundreds who
daily apply at the corner Of Eleventh street and
Third avenue for relief The winter having been
an unusually severe one the number who apply
oaily 10 very large. For January Mr.. KellocE re-
ports from 1000 to 1880 per day. The number of
families relieved average about $50 per day. They
are generally supplied with coal, groceries, ana,
in some instances, money. During the present
cold snap larger issues than usual Of coal have
been made.
Nothing new in the Departments Of Park and
Education ID reported, except that Secretary
Roman. OF the latter department. records the
fact that bids have been accepted for the supply
or the schooDship st. Marys with crackers at four
cents per pound, potatoes at 50 so per barrel and
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
time with the active aid Of b. james, VINO Tn Sas
81 ns Of %
reports the work IN this direction. IL seems that
on January 70 the commissioners OF Charities and
Smallpox HOSPITAL turned over the stone hospital
and two pavilions on the lower end OF Blackweu's
Island to the Board OF Health, and gave them en-.
tire control Of smallpox cases. The Health De.
plrtment have now nearly completed their ar
EaukculCutSs WulCu " 10 uOPeu, Will buO u6teCl-
ally to the efficiency OF the worK OF suppressing
the disease. from which the city Is never absou tey
street has been set apart f for
the reception Of patients, from which they
are transferred rs err o, every DAY, II the weather
Fidelity. THIS hospital, at the loot OF Twenty.
seventh str street has 2 physician IN charge and
Tor the island the physician accompanies IL and
takes personal supervision OF the transfers. The
Hospital Is under the charge Of Dr.. Delaney. six
sisters or IN charity p and corps Of nurses and
ordere Tor Inc ne S0crd are MAKING extensive prep.
are likely to be admitted. They propose TO estab.
who desire to go TO quiet retreat while sunerlng
from this loathsome disease, and will also provide
lounging room. which will IN measure remove
the ennut consequent upon long confinement. The
sS es 70 1S tine
wire. tnat the friends OF patients can daily re.
ceive bulletins as to their condition.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
Commissioner Van Mort makes the following
comparative statement Of the cost Of lighting aud
.1s ms New ic o' brs sssss
Boston and Philadelphia: -
Number Of Total cost Coa per
! s;:;:ss;; ' $50 ;!s &c
the The Of so. m III Ss ST
per aEnum IN Boston, Sss2 sz2 49,; In Philadelphia
S9s5635 10 Difference In favor OF New York com.
ss5 SSss YIN with sfPPS SasdsDha Boston,
commissioner Van Mort mas transmitted to the
Board OF Assessors the certificate or tue cost OF
regulating, grading, &C., Madison avenue, from
lo6th to 10th street, amounting to s24e,097, In
order that the assessment therefor may be made
THE DOCg DEPARTMENT.
President Westervelt reports that the weather
IL 30 cold that work on the liver front Is almost
entirely suspended. In response to the question
whether the commissioners were ready to make
answer TO tue charges OF irregularities on the part
oil the Board, Mr.. Westervelt explained that they
had been compelled to delay their answer owing
to the sudden illness OF MIR. whitney, the clerk,
Who mad the information necessary. Mr.. Jackson,
another clerk. had been put at the WORK OF collect