Evening star., 1877-11-10
Our ROaVfs OF Health,

CARD FROM JUDGE WARDEN.
Edittr stor:-In spite of the fne iniimatiou
by paper OF much mark and doubtless of
great riches, that the President, when he APP
pointed me member of the Board of Health
Tor this district, simply 'pensioned of" "a
ii seems the Senate has thought fit TO ratffy
that presidential act. therefore venture TO
consider that "a needy person" is not neces-
ssrily criminal, although, If have ever
heep needy person, in the brutal sense OF
the aforementioned libel, have now no re-
collection of the time when / was in that
erty.- which slwavs has anpeaTed 70 p0s nv
more than a simple misdemeanor But, en-
coursged by the action of the Senate, in the
fnstai &C just referred TO. allow myself to
think that "a needy person" may have duties
TO perform as well as privileges 10 enjoy. and
even may have some ideas worthy To be en-
tertsined about q subject which he has inves-
tigated with uncommon care.
The Capital twice noticed my appointment
TO the flee i now hold. The second OF the
notices referred 10 runs as follows:
'Ih. rPointment:b, the President Of Judge Rob-
ert Ward n to tbs Board # Ii alta excel
eeLtlC every way qualified r this inpsr.
ant post, having made sa1isry regulations in barge
cau'd be re placed ty such mpotent men as Judge
" arden the b. ard would Be II ben hS u he
This article quite fairly indicates the preva-
ent upfriendly feeling in relatiol t. the Bbtrt
OF Health tut 1 personally know that the
Presidents attention has been called to ac
crsatiOTs against members of the bparl.
While he does not feel obliged TO change it>
personnel must, on all occasions, treat my
Fellow members with respect and courtesy.
To judge them cannot be required of me BIt
conceive that there is danger that feeling
against the members WHO nave been accused
OF malversalioD, may do great Injustice 20
The other members of the board. ld has
already put in peril the existence o the board
Itself.
For reasons. carefully cOnsida arel when I
had no thought that would be a member o.
The board, earnestly protest against its
abolition. am able, now, to say, w tn con-
hdeDce, that not a little good has been &C
compiished by the board, and that its capa-
blliiy OF good is very great. / speak now OF
the quasi corporation and not of It's members
1t was not as a needy person, and not as an
Ohio friend Of the President that L was
deemed by him flt for the Office now hold.
he bad no thOnght of giving me pensiol,
ara mad 70 thought of tai king money for
sil ecure. The President has not, in all his
gift, a place which / wOult take. if there
were not good reason for supposlng tha, /
could be useful in that place. / am quite
ready to resign my present place, if by re-
signing 1 can save the board itself. TIE
board Itself, distinguished from its mem bers
Is, must insist, quite capable of not little
coed. II changes In its personnel are neces-
sary, let the President be urgei To make
tht m; but do not destroy the boarJ Itself.
The District of Colum5ia was chosen for
my place of permanent abode almost FIVE
Years ago. am attached 20 Washington as
L have never been attached to any other
city; but i cannot share some views of
WsshiDgtOniaDs. The District of Columbia
does not appear TO me to have been cOnst!-
tuted for the special benefit of permanent
Inhabitants. II is the seat of goverDment for
the whole Union. / conceive that its most
important population Is not permanent
That for this very reason, and for other solid
reasons, Congress ought 10 make most lib
eTal provision for the District must be clear
TO ali who give the matter due attention. On
the otfer hard, ali WashingtOnisns ought 10
see that they cannot be suffered to control
Its sanitary and financial matterS, interest
ing 10 the District as The seat cf government
hGa hI1V f.
f0cd interests with the national concerns, III
all IGspec;s.
needy person, not entirely ignorant of
the Imperfect science, which may well be
denominattd public economies, ought TO feel
that ne is interested, by his very ne ID, in
matters of this nature. But they are OF con
Germ TO every member OF society; they are OF
equal interest TO ricn and poor. as well as TO
the People who are neither rich nor poor.
1t seems TO me, the movement, looking to-
ward the investment of the Commissioners
with the powers now entrusted 10 the Board
of Health, is far from wise. / cannot think
that the commissioners, with or without the
aid Of health officer could render the in-
lOitant public service cOniem PLATED in the
institution of the board for which am here
pleading.
/ feel reasonably certain that there ought
TO be Board of Health for the District, con
stiiuted for the most part Of ply ciaas but
including at least one lawyer. who mas duly
studied legal medicine, and q nOl-pro fes-
siOnal citizen. That board, in my opinion
ought TO be entirely independent Of the Com
mi sioners. think its members on ght to be
appointed, not by The Com miss sioners, bat
by the President. They ought. l think, to be
as free as possible from purely local infu-
enceS where those iDfueLces may be cX-
Iected to conflict with the controlling no
t!Onal interest iii the board. IL is quite ike
~ that distinctively local partiality and
prejudice Will always be found more or less
opposed to what is clearly called for b. the
sanitary interests OF the country general y il
The District. r. Il. Warden.
WASHINGTON, November 8, 1917.
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