National Republican., 1876-02-04
The NECESSITY FeRIfS SCeNTINUANCE
ITS PROGRESS UNDER DIFFICULTIES
ECONOMY OF ITS MANAGEMENT
GOOD RESULTS OF ITS ENTIRE WOK
The Actual Decrease of the Death Rate

uuVU uIpUblp VI lio uNllub HVi0
The Actual Decrease of the Death Rate
The Board of Health Of ths District of Colum.
bia, consisting Of five members, was organized
under act Of Congress approved February q,
1871.
The duties imposed upon this board are defiaed
in the following words: ITO declare what shall
be deemed nuisances injurious to health and to
provide for the removal thereof; to make and en-
force regulations to prevent domestic animals
from running at large in the cities of Washington
and Georgetown; to prevent the sale Of unwhole-
some food in said cties, and to perform such other
duties as shall be imposed upon said board by the
Legislative Assembly,
As to the duty Of the board to declare what
shall be deemed nuisances injurious to health
borne In mind that the board built upon Its own
foundation in fact. for up to its organization no
such duty had been imposed, and no such duty
performed by any health organization, Federal
or local, within the District OF Columbia. This
duty, imposed in general phraseology, apparently
without limit, certainly conferring the largest
discretion as TO the subject named, the board has
found onerous, and that large expense might bepre-
vented. requiring close and judicious inspection
and m Management
live regard the objects treated as nulsances at
common law, only injurious to public health,
that number is by no means Insignificant, es-
pecially in a populous and growing community
such as We find 10 the District Of Columbia, but
If We broaden and widen the Interpretation of the
words used in the act from which we quote so ss to
give efficiency to our Board of Health 10 declar-
ing what shall be deemed nuIsances injurious; to
health, and providing for their removal, the num-
Der is measurably increased, and the work to
be performed rendered more difficult, exacting
and expensive,
In making its declarations the board has
deemed It wise, that the community may in no
sense be taken by surprise and thus injured, to
enact general ordinances, and to secure their en-
forcement by the imposition of reasonable fines
and penalties through judicial agency, and In no
case has the board failed to give public advertise:
of the District, and In case has suit been inst
tuted under the ordinances Of the board until
reasonable notice has been given to parties vIo-
of.
The board has felt and still feel, that aoy other
course than that adopted in such q community as
ours, made up in DO incOnsIderable degree Of
1LLITERATE AND rooR PERSONS,
the very class among whom nuissnces injurious to
health would ordinarily be found IN large num-
bers, and who would least appreciate sanitary
operations, might prove both obnoxious and inef.
fectual. At all events, the course pursued by the
board thus lar in this latter has proved quite ac-
ceptaole to the community and to the courts.
The work Of the board in this regard is accom-
plished without special opposition and with very
remarkable success. This mode adopted by the
moval Of Duisances; for parties, knowing the law
established by the board and fearing its PEN
alties as inflicted through the courts, do not
and maintain prohibited nuisances. The number
of suits prosecuted by the board under its ordi-
nances during tho year, in the Police and other
courts, is 200. In nearly every one of these suits
fines imposed and collected is quite 81 900.
The number Of nuisances reported and abated
under the ordinances of the board, during
the past year, is twenty-six thousand. The
classes or kinds of nuisances reported and a5ated
are various, the following being found in largest
iitRy alleys, damp and fitSy % cellars. a cssspooIs
cutters, hog-pens, hydrants, full aud rilthy
privies, rubbish, stables, sewertraps yards, stag
nant water, houses unfit for humsn habitation,
slauR soapfactories, bone boiling and
fat-Iendering establishments &C. In connection
with this subject OF abatement and prevention Of
imperative to organize and support a corps Of
sanitary inspectors, consisting Of nine persons,
whose duty II under the direction Of the health
officer of the board, ito which officer these inspec-
tors make daily reports,) to traverse their sew.
eral sanitary districts, inspecting every street,
apspSe, sio alley yard reservation. private and "a
health, and, fndiRg any, ordering the abatement
Of the same, and, If not done, reporting tho de.
Hnquent for further official action. sxH
These inspectors are paid q salary of 1000 per
annum each, aggregating for the year 81, 500.
After an experience Of three years It is the judg
formed more satisfactorily nor economically in
any other way. All persons employed in this
service are subjected to a special examination
with reference TO their qualifications. They are
in an important sense
EXPERTS
as to the service required, and the salary paid is
believed TO be quite reasonable In view OF the SER
vice rendered and as compared with salaries of
such experts in other communities Much more
might be said in this direction, but enough has
already been said TO show that the duty imposed
well performed, even when the largest economy
is cultivated must be attended in q community
like ours with considerable outlay. The board
fatters itself that 1t Will receive the commenda-
tons OF those informed and interested in its work
when IL is stated that 1t has been able to meet
the duty imposed upon it as regards this matter
at an outlay during the past year not exceeding
Sl2,0O0-this amount covering the purchase of dis
fnfectants, publishing ordinances, abatiug null
fees ard salary Of inspectors above referred to-
In this connection We report as nuisances re-
moved under direction of the board, ,il0 dead
these dead animals, according to arrangement
made by the board with the contractor for the re-
moval Of ottals, is made free of charge.
The honorable Commissioners Of the District
have placed under the control Of the Board OF
Health the matter of collection of garbage, and
the board has made q contract whereby garbage
is 10 be collected daily in the cities of Washing
ton and Georgetown, and their more densely
populated suburbs at q cost of SIS GOO per annum,
Which Il not PAID out SI funds appropriated by the
ers, by cans ofmechancal appliances, in alright
casks upon wagons, approved By the board as in
and Of easy and convenient use. Formerly this
service was done in the most unsatisfactory aud
unssnitary manner, at cost of some so coo per
annum. The number OF tons Of garbage collected
last year is not less than Il 600. All garbage and
night soil are removed beyond the city limits by
rail, and the board, BY contract, pays for their
Der Of tons Of night soil removed during the year
is ,Oeo. Night soil is not removed as formerly In
the District Of Columbia, BY the wagon and
Beard Of Health nuisance, Injurious to health,
but the pneumatic system, allowing no agitation
SI ioscaI matter IN tng open ss az mas ossn SuDs
be transported upon wagons or in cars long dis
tances even, without giving offense, are now in
far as the cleaning Of the prvy is concerned tthe
standard size Of the receptacle being three feet
long, eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches
deep,) is one fifth less than formerly, but as
heretofore is borne by the owner or teasnt OF the
premises.
UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM,
owing to the crude and difficult method of hand.
ling this material and transporting 1t fn bulk,
the board was compelled to pay for It's removal
600 Per ennum. Upon due investigation the
board became convinced that It was It's duty, In
the interest Of public health as well as general
method Of removing this material. They, there.
fore, adopted the method already described, and
IN 10 tluKle pIOU1Uly IL mOE6
largely served the community than In such adop-
tion.
The language of the second clause of the law is
as follows; "To make and enforce regulations to
prevent domestic animals from running at large
In the cities OF Washington and Georgetown"
In the discharge OF the duty implied herein, the
board entered at once upon the arduous and diff.
icult task OF Kidding the streets and parks of
Washington and Georgetown Of the large num-
Der of domestic animsls-horses, cattle, goats,
hogs, geese, &c.-it found running at large
therein. 1t made and published rules and
regulations on this subject, establishing o
pound, providing for the capture and impound-
Ing Of domestic animals, their detention,
redemption or sale, and the appointment
of o poundmaster, with such assistants, as
the service, wisely and efficiently conducted,
might require. The rules and regulations Of the
board have been duly enforced, SO that now the
people and the courts recognize and sustain them
as Just and reasonable, and the consequence is.
the remarkable freedom of our streets, avenues:
and public places from such animals running %
large. The number Of animals fmpounded during
the past year Is 2,SIl. At first the number was
very much larger, the destruction Of property
cauead them befnQ considerable. AS.