The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-22
SANITARY REFORM.

mOSt ueou5, We SQOulQ answer. IQat III
which nearly every great American city
is deficient--the rigid enforcement OF q
thorough sanitary system" In q recent
article the New York Herald. speaking
on this very subject. says that. while New
| York, from It's situation, it's rock forma-
| ton and It's easy drainage, ought to be
one of the healthiest cities in the world,
it Is one Of the most unhealthy. "There
is," says the Herald, mo city In
Europe or America with 80 dismal q
death rate" as New York. This horri-
BILE fact Ia attributed to the corrup-
ton and want OF vigor and intelligence
In the government Of the city which,
having fallen into the hands Of vag-
abonds. ward politicians and bum
mers, has grossly neglected sanitary
laws and discipline. Upon the other
hand, London, with its vast and varied
population. an interior city, situated
on q marrow stream. In damp
and foggy climate, falling, indeed, be-
hind New York In nearly all the essen
tial conditions Of healthfulness, Is one Of
the healthiest cities In the world. But
then the sanitary condition OF that city
IL the ehiefest object Of it's government,
and Notwithstanding it's cleanliness the
London officials are still striving to i'm
prove its condition; they are, In short,
engaged in q constant war with mala-
ria, filth and disease. "Rigid sanitary
laws" says the Herald, "are imposed
upon the people. No man can be q law
unto himself and to his neighbors SO
far as the generation Of nuisances Is
concerned"
Under this rigid but enlightened sani-
tary system the vast city OF London,
with three million and a half Of people,
is kept clean and salubrious. Unless
we are less intelligent people; unless
our civilization Is of lower and meaner
character than that of England, and un.
less we are more Indifferent to health and
human life than the Londoners are, we
should take prompt steps to introduce
the sanitary reforms necessary to make
New Orleans at least as clean as London.
Perhaps the wisest and surest step that
could be taken in that direction would
be to largely increase the authority Of
the Board Of Health. That body is
now empowered to pass sanitary ordi-
nances and enforce them by civil suits.
But that is not sufficient. The Board
Of Health should be empowered to en-
force its ordinances by criminal pro-
cesses, and any violation Of these ordi-
nances should be made penal offense.
There would be much ignorant opposi-
ton to this innovation, as there Is even
now an ignorant jealousy Of the authority
Of the board, and indeed Of all interior
ence with the sweet will Of certain
people and certain classes OF people to
assert their rights as American freemen
by being as dirty as possible, and accu.
mulating as much filth as neighbor-
hood can hold. But this IL a matter in
which the popular will should be meas
urably restricted; and the population
OF New Orleans, like that Of London,
should be educated to understand that
the right to live In dirt and generate
disease and death, Is not among those
guaranteed by Magma Charta and the
American constitution.
The Legislature at Its next session
should enlarge the powers of the Board
Of Health 80 as to render its authority
within the scope Of it's duties supreme
and the enforcement OF that author
ity sharp and prompt. Under the
American system Of politics 1t is unrea-
sonable to hope for any steady and con-
slant improvement In the sanitary con-
dition Of our great cities, through ordi-
nary municipal legislation and control.
One election may result in the selection
Of conscientious and intelligent officials,
but the next will be apt to constitute a
administration of bummers
and demagogues. All sanitary legisla-
ton and police should, therefore, be
placed in the hands Of Boards Of
Health composed Of eminent physicians
and scientists. There never will |
be better time than the present |
20 institute this reform In New Or
Cduo. oul plCS0At DoIA "a VI ACdAoA ID |
composed Of able physicians, who pos
less the confidence OF the public and
Who are thoroughly acquainted with
he sanitary needs Of the city.
But pending the assembling OF the
Legislature the people in every locality
II the city and of every class and occu-
patton should scrupulously observe the
ordinances and instructions of the
BOARD. The disposition to resent as an
upon private rights the
regulations prescribed to cleanse the
,ity and insure its healthfulness during
The summer is puerile and, in the vast
majority Of cases, the out-cropping |
If gross ignorance. No man in this
,r any other city possesses any right,
,he exercise OF which endangers the
public peace, health or welfare, and
A..