Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-15
Pr.bIie Health Bill.

suspended and House bill 40j was taken up
out of its order, and read third time.
Mr.. RILEY opposed the passage of the bill
on the ground that we already have law
for protecting the public health, and cStab.
fishing Board of health. This bill pro-
poses to expend 5000 in this behalf. He
wanted to know how much this bill would
cost counties in addition for local boards
of health. How much, he asked, is this
bill TO cost the counties. II will cost the
State treasury not exceeding 5000, but lie
would like the advocates OF the bill to tell
us how much il will cost the counties.
The local boards were authorized to go into
and inspect the private premises OF citizens
of the State. and require them to clean
their premises or have them cleaned, and
whatever these local boards certify is nee
essarv to be expended in this way, has to
be paid out of the county treasury.
Mr.. Ferguson said his friend from Jack
son dies hard. These objections now
raised never occurred to him before in the
progress of the bill. He explained the rca.
sons why the old law had been amended.
1t was unskillfully drawn. The old bill
contained the same provisions to which
Mr. Riley objected in the new bill. The
new bill only supplied defects in the old
law. He claimed that somebody must pay
the expenses of enforcing sanitary regula-
tions, and who should pay them but the
people of those localities where they were
made necessary? He was astonished at the
gentleman from Jackson in opposing this
bill upon such tiimSy preteXts.
Mr.. Riley said that the Board of Health
had been able to grapple with the smallpox
and ward it off under the old bill, without
the 5000 clause.
Mr.. Steere said the Secretary OF the Board
was graphing with the smallpox now at
his own personal expense, or with faith
that the Legislature woulI reimburse him
for this necessary expense. He said that
the diseases which were bred by filth were
cutting down the population in many To-
calities, and there was no protection against
it. The physicians had no more interestin
the bill than any other class of people.
The whole State was crying for the passage
of this bill. The Secretary was carrying out
the objects of the old law at his personal
expense. He hoped it would be the pleas
ure of the House to pass this bill.
Speaker Wilson opposed the passage OF
the bill. 1t was opening the flood gates OF
the treasury for an unlimited expense.
The county courts were compelled to pay
such amounts as were certified by the local
boards. Where wsuld il end? The courts
had no discretion. There was only max
The maximum in every case would be
reached 1t is opening a loop hole for
county expenditures, and there was no
telling where il would end. There was
no necessity fer passing bill where the ex,
pense could not be estimated. He was op
posed to passing any measure putting it in
the power of local board to eIpend an
unlimited amount.
Mr.. Ferguson regretted the necessity oi
having to discuss this bill second time
He denied that the county court was com
PEELED to pay any expense that was unnec
essary. 1t does not prevent the county
courts from investigating whether the ex
penses were necessary. We have gone on
thus far without providing for the expense:
of carrying out the provisions OF the health
bill, and the doctors had put their hands II
their pockets to carry them out. He wanted
to know whether the State was willing tC
rest on the bounty of these physicians.
Speaker Wilson insisted that there wa
no limit in the law to the expense TO which
the board might go in the counties. ID,
read and commented upon that section oi
| the law. and claimed that his interpreta
| ten of it was the proper one.
Mr.. Steere sid he wanted TO know wheF
| the family was thai -Yanted 70 live IN tn