Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-08-01
THE BOIRD OF HEALTH.
Inc Righ Of Public Officers to be In.
terested I'm Government Contracts.

ana DT. Cox said ne mad report rom he
sanitary police committee ias to the work In
the Office of registrar of vital statistics, and
a. 10 an enplOye of the board being engaged
in mail contracts,) and asked whether he
should make il now or in private meeting
Dr Bliss said rs the subject had been no.
ticed IN the public prints, and as, by impli-
cation al least. charges had been made, the
report should be made public. After the
disposal of the report he would claim the
privilege OF personal explanation.
THE REPORT.
Tie board voted 10 consider the report at
this time, and IL was read.
The first part recommends that the office of
DedIcsi SANITARY inspector be vacated for
the present. and that n competitive examina-
such time as may be hereafter designated:
PROVIDED That nothing i'm this proceeding
snail be so construed as tO exclude from
competition the present medical inspector.
IN regard 10 the third item of instruction.
by which IL WAS reQu red to ascertain
whether any employee of he board Is, or has
Deer, engaged In any contract or contracts
Win the nited STATES government, or any
agent or agents thereof, the committee report
mat, upon inquiry, they find that Dr. p. T.
ketne, the health officer, is government
mails; but they do not discover that said re-
lations of the health officer conflict with
any prOh1bitOry law, and, fnasmuch a. no
evidence exists that the duties of the health
officer have been interfered with or suffered
injury by virtue of his relations to the gov
eminent as a mail contractor, they suggest
that all further proceedings in this direction
BE- dispensed with.
In conclusion the committee offered reso-
luiOns: That the 9th prOX mo, at 10 n. M,
be designated the day and hour for the
examination Of such candidates for the Office
OF medical sanitary inspector a. may be re-
Quired 10 appear" etc.
CAUTIOUS MR. MARBURY.
Mr.. Marhury said he differed from his coll
leagues as TO the answer to the third inquiry.
The committee was directed 10 make the
simple inquiry as 10 whether any employee
II a. n alaC GTa1 nc a COY
ment contractor, and they would have com
Piled with the instructions by yea or nay
answer, leaving the board to act on that
answer.
Dr. Gov remarked that If the committee
had acted as suggested by Mr.. Marbury,
there would have been stigma cast on the
PARTIES concerned. The subject HAD Jy the
public pre- SIS been heTalded To the world, aud
IL had been charged that the health officer
had been engaged in contracts to the detri-
meit OF his official dutie and in violation
of law. In justice TO that officer the COM
u.i:;ee had gone further than the simple
answer. ana he was entitled 10 have 4 made
public that The allegation was untrue.
DIR. ELISS ON MUD SLINGING.
Ifr. Bliss said that there was not u member
~ the board vino did not know before the
esoiut!On was introduced the facts in fe,a-
ton 10 the subject. The object OF tue resuIu-
ton was TO sling mud, and IL had been done
very efiectually through the public press.
They all knew DIR. keene well enough 10
know that he would do nothing dishonora BILE,
and II In the Investigation his characf .r was
found pure, he was entitled to have srch
statement made public. The health officer
had done his duty, and If he was engaged III
the cO1trac. business, he did not allow il to
interfere with his duties as an officer OF the
beard. The duty OF the board now was clear.
Ther should set him right by adopting this
report.
HOW AN OFFICER OF THE BoARDIMpROvED
HIS SHINING (vACATIoN) EOUR5.
DR.. Verdi said that his motives In present.
ing the resolution had been called into ques.
A OIL CT hat ~.
ever particular member of the board asked
Information he should be charged with at
tempting TO injure another. He was the
father OF the resolution. and il was not true
that every member of the board knew the
facts before the resolution was Introduced.
lie for one did not know them, and he re-
asked II he was engaged in the mail con-
tracts, and he replied that he was not. Sub
seGuently he noticed the charge in the pa
peTs of Baltimore, Cincinnati and other
keene was selling mail routes.
Dr.. Eliss-How did the papers get the in
formation?
DR.. NeIdi-Dont ask me; 1 cannot tell.
DIR. Blist IL know.
DR.. Verdi continued, saying that he had
Offered the resolution in private meeting as
& ~ after of justice to the party interested,
and at the time he knew not whether Or.
keene had been so engaged, and whether he
was violating law. That was the query Tor
the committee. He disciamed any idea Or
mud.
AT this point 1t was suggested that the re-
Port should De considered in full board, aid
as Mr.. Lar gstOn was absent the further con-
sideration was postponed.
DIR. cox DENIES.
DIR. Cox alluded to an article in THE STAR
in which it was stated that the sanitary
partment for information on the subject, but
The committee had done nothing of the kind
DIR. BLISS THANKS GOD.
DR.. Bliss said he was not In the habit OF
noticing what appeared in the public press
attacking members of the board; but, in
reply TO an article in an evening paper, he
would say u at he was not q contractor for
carrying the mails. He believed that he hal
a right TO hold stock in bank or other cor
pG-ate company, including a transportation
company, ard TO look after its Interests.
They had been repeatedly attacked by the
press, and If all they nSsd published was be-
,.eve1 the n embefs wOuiQ Suner I'm ulelr
but, thank God, Icy kuew now
much reliance the public put In them. A.eese
personal attacks are made for the purpose Of
selling their papers. THE STAR, for one, has
persisted in assailing members OF this board,
they had taken the trouble to inquire they
would have found that their Information
was false. He was investigating matters as
TO the published item, and he believed that
be would soon get 10 the bottom Oft.
Mr.. MARBURY THINKS THE BOARD MUST
DosoAETBING TO MAKE A LIVING.
Mr.. Marbury thought that the public was
ignorant about the compensation to MEM
year as members, and no one expected that
they could live on such salaries. When the
board was appointed IL was with the full I'M
that the members should not be
deprived OF performing other business. He
did lot believe that the members of the
l0ard should be restricted 10 their duties as
members nor their employees either for that
matter. They had right 10 make wnai they
can, so that they do not become dereict in
their duties TO the board. They are usually
employe d from TO 3, and sometimes on ex
tro0rdiuary occasions they are employed
longer. The public is not aware OF the
amount Of labor performed by them q: - 1t
lie expense.
THE EOARD BLOWS ITS own HORN.
DIR. CON.-J EeTe is no board in the country
which has performed SO much extraordinary
work.
Mr.. Marbury continued, saying that the
doctor could not be expected to give up his
practice, nor tue lawyer nor merchant 10
linqulsn business, because they are MEM
hers of the board. He expressed the hope
that the report would be discussed dispas-
sionately, and not pay any attention to
newspaper criticism, and he hoped that no
member would DOtice the newspapers.
Dr. Biiss.-But dent want them to sell
my reputation at cents per copy.
DIR. Verdi suggested that the discussion
was out of order, and tine subject was