The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-10
BOARD OF HEALTH.

Tho National Board Condemned for
Inertnesg.
Tho Board OF Health assembled lnpt oven
Ing. Dr. Chopin. president. Ia tho chair, aud
II quorum present.
The minutes of tho last meeting wore rond
nnd approved.
Mr.. Booth. from the Thames committee, re-
ported the books and accounts correct.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Tho secretary now rfni tho following:
NEW ORLEANS. October 3, 1870
TO the ronrd of Health:
Gentlemen We have now to make an NC
acknowledgement, which we did not expect to be
| under tho necessity Of making to this board
Or to the public, that We hnvs executed u
promtssory note rendering IL liable 10 tho Cutlal
Bank Tor 5000. which falls duo on the tenth
instaLnt. This money was borrowed to pay
tho roll Of aboreru employed to do sanitary
work in tho infected portion of tho FOurt
District. ThayWero men accustomed to weekly
payment for labor they Ind become dlscon-
tsntsd and camorouH, aud we were apprehsn-
svo TINT they would quit work unlees money
wns raised to sntisfy partially their clnims.
Tie sum paid to them for the first ton days
service WAS SGDS.
II was Understood that tho National Board
Of Health had $40, 600 nj It's command for sun
ltary purposes III New Orleans, and we UNDER
took to hire chrts wagons and lnbOrsrs and to
purchase materials In full faith that all OK
pcnses would DO met from this appropriation.
The mon we're paid ON duplicate rolls, which
they were caused To Sign, and these were then
forwarded through tho proper channel to
Washington. The rolls have been returned
for informatfty. with the statement thnt all
persons t. whom money is duo by the United
States government must mako oath before
hand to the correctness Of the amount. 1t ts
manifest that this requirement. t. now I'm
possible or fulfillment, as tho mon cannot DO
found. md even II they could, would hardly
hs induced to take the trouble or going before
magistrate to serve us. when they arc al
ready satisfied.
We desire to state that we acted under tho
best instructions available to uB here, TINT liz
to say, the advice Of u member OF the nm
tIonal board, DR.. Bemisa, Of this city, and
that we were fully persuaded that certified
rolls receipted by the men would prove u sat
isfactory voucher to the United States treas
ury officials, who supervise all accounts OF
the national bonrd.
We desire also to state that we anticipate
the Same objections and difficulties Ia the set
tlement ofthe pay accounts for the other tWeni
ty days during which laborers were employed,
and IL liz to be observed that d majority OF
Thorn have already taken steps to reazs on
their claims by transferring them to brokers'
We conauently find ourselves in tho huinili
ating position OF employers Of labor and pur-
chasors Of material without the means Of sat-
assumed these responsibilities on tho faith of
$4,000 appropriated by the National Board
OF Henlth and guaranteed by tho treasury
officials, for the performance Of work advised
and approved by member OF that board.
We regard tho conditions Of paying these
bills as totally impracticnble. These condi-
tlons are In their nature quito Incompatible
With such an emergency as tho prevention or
repression of an epidemic. 1t Is certain that
the labOrers could not have been Induced to
commence work had they been able to antici-
pate the difficulties which they renIIzn In OBJ
tanning their pay; and you, gentlemen, may
be assured that, with our present knowledge,
we should never have engaged them nor In
Cured any responsibility for materials on tho
credit OF the National Board OF Health.
The public Of this city and Of our great
valley may we'll congratulate themselves on
the escape OF New Orleans from an epidemic
Of yellow fever Ia 1879. They will perhaps
have some appreciation Of the sanitary work
done In our Infected locality and acknowl-
edge that the laborer is worthy Of bis hire
Let them Judge whether officials at safe dis
ties between these men and their wages, and
whether the official plan Is the one best suited
for sudden and dangerous emergencies.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
VIM. G.. AUSTIN,
Acting President Board OF Health.
s.. HRRRICK, Secretary.
The communication was adopted as the SEN
timent of the board.
Incidentally. DR.. Chopin said that he
hoped to be able to show how direlect the Ma
tional Board OF Health had been In their duty.
MI. Hardie expressed the opinion that in
this matter the United States treasury was
more to be blamed than the National Board
of Health.
DR.. Chopin took the floor to say that the
National Board Of Health had misunderstood
Its mission. The 100000 appropriated by
Congress had been 80 appropriated to pre-
vent the introduction and spread Of yellow
fever. Their sole power and authority was to
distribute this money where most needed,
instead OF which they had undertaken to say
how the money should be expended. After
reading the third section of the act referred
to. DR.. Choppin said that there was no other
section In the act which authorized the Ma
tional Board to act as 1t had; they had APP
pointed inspectors all over the country, pay
Ing large salaries where there was no need Of
them. DR.. Bemiss had done all that he could
do, but Notwithstanding his efforts this board
was denied pittance of the money appropri-
ated. He opposed the Interpretations OF the