New-York tribune., 1880-01-11
WORK OF THE HEALTH BOARD
SANITARY REFORM IN NEW-YORK

" IN.
! CONFERENCES BETw ZEN COMMITTEES OF I'm.
YEw-YORK SOCIETY," OF SANITARY Rrronu ,xn
THE HEALTH CoMMIssl ONERs-wHAT lHg B,.pn
HAS DONE.
By invitation of the Board of Health con,
mttee of citizens representing tie NeyYork socev a,
Sanitary Reform assembled yesterday at the Bo,,d
TO confer with the Commissioners about the "a
suits of the past years labOrs toward reforming tb
tenement-house system. The society is incorporaea
bdy the result OF the movement which last Winter va.
begun at the Cooper Institute meeting and lis obiec
10 aid In all proper and suitable ways IN improv,n,
the sanitary condition OF the City of New-York esne
ealy tenementhOuses and other d@elhngs OF IN,
poor therein aud promote the removal OF sources and
causes OF disease" its officers James Gaaiin pre
dent; Henry E. Pelew, vlcepresdent; ID. Willis James
treasurer; Dr. Richard Ii. Derby secretary; Charles
| Tracey, counsel; directors Cornelius yanderbit
Judge Charles p. Daily. Frederick ID. 1appan George
| Coe Samuel d. B,bcock, X. f. Auchmuty, Bowie Dash
| W. Bayard Cutting. Dr. Metealf, william T.. Dodge n
| and Adrian IseD, jr.
| The society yesterday represented by Messfs
T. Auchmuty, ID. W. James, Henry e. Pellew. Adr.aD
Iselin jr.. Howard Potter, John Booue. Judge Day
William wingate and James Galiatn. Professors
Chandler and Janeway, with DIR. Jones ana Others rem
resented the Health Board.
Mr.. Gallatlp explained the object of the meeting
Professor Chandler said that the Board had been mue
gratihed by Offer of organization OF citizens "a
value to the Board, which in snch position
as at present TO accomplish good. both 70 funds
proper laws and every other agency doing the i'm
pOTtant sanitary work of the city unCerstandngy and
well He detailed the plan OF tenement house inspection
during the past Summer, which, during four months o.
arden, work had resulted 10 ssccrtaining the condition
nearly % 900 teucmenthouses ia the city lie cub
mifted a table OF results TO the number Of families
living tenement various quarters Of the city
MALT ~ hair afl1 IN
Of view In pursuance OF the plan put IN operation By
the Board, ledger account had been Opened
with each Of these tenementhouses from which
its exact condition ut all times could be
ascerained. Mr. Davenpori's index Of voters had been
fOund useful index to the hty edgers winch al
this matter when completed, would be contained The
eject Of this would be TO make everything that is done
tell Tue now tsnemeRt-house law he said was suea
that no tenenent-house could be bu strictly accord
ance with IFS letter, consequently every builder desed
dcvIate from the law, ana that gave the Board
Health the right say yes 40 to every plan sub.
mfed-a fortunate feature OF the bill be thought
In order to keep check on builders system Of pho.
toraphiug the plans submitted and III, recording them
had bren rcsOrtcd 70. The law had been found amply
su 20 keep refractory Builders IN check; IL
abed rhe Boad 70 compel those WHO violated is rules
quiremcnts Of The Board. In tho beginning running
fght with the architects mad been kept ua
toTv for the Board, who now experienced lntIe
trouble with tbem Several striking instance were men,
toned as for instance that oi mouse 10 be DuDt at
Broadway and Ffty-secondt. The Board Insisted that
ten per centum Of tic entire lot should he
left an open space. 10 aunt ar aud light
10 The house The architects plan dsregarded THIS re
Guiremcn and batIe ensued, az the end OF whch the
az mites discovered tAat by Obcng the mandate Of the
law he could really make better building and save
several thousands OF dollars So with many other sIa
ar cases. Few paus are now rejected Tor the reason
that whom iC cted TIE owner inmediateiJ modines ~
and tho Board fprSes t. Hence he eaud snr thatin
no single case had ihe op"laip. Ol the "a" Itay pre-
vented tla erection 0l me building.
The Board he continued, fortunate IN having
Unuer the ne" in~ iAcd pollcr l"'oe OF terry ugi
formed meu who bad been found Ia carry Uur weight
IN the tenementhOuse districts. Wnhn the past thec
months an average Of LOO complaints OF abuses ~ suea
houses had been uadc these and the abuse had
corrected @hcn tne prze was offered for the best
tenement house plan nearly 200 were esnte,i, ns
best OF which not satisfactory, and the award oi
the prize had been severely censuet The result hal
been, however 70 provoke discussion ana excite atteu
ton the subject, out Oi which bad really
good plans. and vast Improvement In the general
character OF plans Several we're submit ed ~ samples,
notably arccent drawn by Architect Ware who re-
General 6onversa atlon ensued the committee oxsmin
ing the plans OF recent lmproy' ments with much In
The advantage Of Mr. Wares plan appearedfn large
yards and IN te fact tat each rcom in the build
ing provided with window, or at the least large
Eefriu 20 the subject OF smallpox Professor Cand-
Ter said tgat epidemic of that disease m 1874 had
resulted In the establishment o. vaccination corps the
officers OF which had vaccnaed $4,000 persons Ia Tie
years that have passed sID'e-prucpaly In tenement
houses. It's establishment had prlcrcaily bansEei ae
ase from the cy ana saved lt many millions OF dol
SlG0OO,O00, II was estimated, by tie diversion ot
Thc subject OF infant morality WIS touched upon by
Professor Chandler Tic work OF the visiting
PHYSICIANS curing tho Summer months among
the tenoIntnthoEse population, whicn direct
OF TIDE recent regulation, had been extremely
ten, iical, though the nun her of hVcs saved bJ t
could not be estimated Iaf OF the lood work of tie
sanitary authorities he pointed ont. due 10 thc ell
ucailun of the people up to the ad al recognition ~
the tart thar be sick. Ia 3G6. O,.or the
Board OF Heath established 5000 more Children
under five years OF age died tuau last year. aud is
q
reform. IL would not be unfair estimate that 1000
lives saved yearly result o. the wave OF sant
tary reform nor would il De TOO high estimate 60 TX
10000 of serious illness prevented by tie
reasons on the prime pie that rty eight persons
experience serious illness each one who dies. lhe
Professor complained that the Board for four years had
been unable, by reason OF lack OF fnds, to publish rs
annual report and IN ths respect Is even behind China
though NewYorks health organz mon - the large,t IN
the world, ana Is considered ne model ol ~ "rh,ie;
one 10 be found in the iact that the Board
belongs 10 no party and hn' no b1c@i; Aoace has 10
obtain thing accord pg tn It's ucfUal lccrssi.
u. Wills james thauh, Il The FfOl ssor on belnt oi
The Society OF Sanitary faua Tor 90, ful ellcdaon
Tie aims and workings of The Department lie as-
sured the Board at IN ue pursuit OF he one OBJECT oi
nl improving the Conlluon OF ire poorer cilss,s me
Board would find he society its ready reu and bcker
every economical cXpcudi ure every iudcious move
meut ahu IN pIo'urhE tht piS,Hsr o. g"ni 5"' iuu
aid zoe reform movement had already received from the
Board could not be Oycrestmaied. The NOr-, eXi'aY-
gance he htid 10 be the sacidce OI Natnnn.e huuth
lives for tae sake OF few collars. In the st II
associates that any obstruction he operations OF tho
Health department would result IN its return.
steady resolution OF the prcscnf Board all effort
to make places in the Department for anybody, despite
the great exered by politicians and outsiders.
He feared that the issue bill at present proposed
10 modify the Board IN sense by making two Police
CummiSs members OF 1t. ana adding the Street.
Cleaning Bureau the Department would be 10 mix
up with politics. IL woud turn loose 1000 sY.pers
and 500 cartmen with their friends the Board. and
life would become burden As for cleaning the streets.
he held il to be executive work which man who
was honest and able handle a large number OF men
could do For this he protested against the pre-
posea measure and hoped for the support OF the society
IN resi- sting IT,
RECEPTION To JOHN ". FORNET