New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-20

may be seen in the curious autobiography
which he has left behind him, in which he puts
"the Flag of the Union into his creed OF
religion, and declares that though during his
life he had been "subject TO many exposures
"small- pox, ship fever, cholera, yellow fever
| "and DemOcracy--he never took either"
Roumania finds that she made grave mis-
take when she supposed that Austria and Ger
many would uphold her in resisting the Rus
sian claim to BesSarabia. Both OF these POW
ers knew that the Car had set his heart on
the return of the despoiled district, and would
resent personally any opposition thereto
| Accordingly each of them informed the Rou-
manian Minister that inasmuch as the free
dom of the Danube was not endangered they
could not concern themselves with his griev-
ances. Roumana is thus warned that the
Treaty of Paris is valueless as a title deed
when it conflicts with Russian interests.
An economical suggestion was made at the
Thursday meeting of the National Academy
of Sciences. reported in another column. Pro-
fcssor NewcOmb thinks it probable that the
| great expense of another series of expeditions
to observe the Transit of Venus in 1882, may
few experiments at home that will scarcely
cost a tenth as much. Proposals for economy
in National expenditure come with better
grace than usual in case like this, where po-
ltical considerations do not enter. Some Off
cial action will probably be taken on the sub
iect by the Academy, and it should then re-
ceive prompt attention from our legislators.
wi " made
chairman of the citizens committee aD-
pointed to consider how New-YorE might be
rid of some Of its bad smells, prefers, on our
third page, an indictment against the Board
of Health which that Board cannot afford to
disregard Mr.. Musgraves charge is that the
| foul smells which poison the air of the
upper part of our city, and give 1t
the largest annual death rate in the Union,
are only to a small degree the product of
| the Hunters Point factories, and for the most
part proceed from slaughter-houses, fat and
bone-bOilng establishments, manure yards, and
numerous establishments for preparing for the
uses of commerce all kinds of animal filth and
refuse-all these establishments being on New
York island, doing their horrible work under per-
mits of the BoardOf Health and unable to dOit
for a day, should those permits be withdrawn
The catalogue of stencil factories" as Mr.. Mus
grave calls them, includes items far more re-
voting than these, and yet his description of
them can give but faint idea of the slaugh-
ter that is done by them every year. As an
instance of what the Board of Health could
do, if it chose, Mr. Musgrave states that, in
investigating the subject last Summer. he
found a law of whose existence the Board was
unaware though it had been on the statute-bOok
twenty six years; underit he succeededin closing
one of the worst of the Hunters Point
nulsances. The authority now possessed by
the board for the suppression of these estab-
lishments Mr.. Musgrave declares to be ample,
and his success in dealing with the case just
mentioned shows that he understands his sub
iect. Why is that authority not exercised p
1t must be remembered at the same time, that
there are two sides to every controversy, and
the Board of Health is entitled to hearing.
Should it fail TO make out q case, public Opin-
ion will make itself heard. Death, disease,
and financial loss come by these stcnches, and
it is time they ceased to exist.