Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-03
TIE BOARD OF HEALTH Has FULL
POWER

There will be meeting of the Board Of
Health this evening to consider measures for
abatement of soms of the crying public nui-
- css now existing in the city. Some of
these have this week been personally in.
spscted by most of the members of the Board
of Health, accompanied by members of the
Board of City Trustees, and if there WEE
any question before as to the necessity Of
action, thorough, efficient and Immediate,
such trip unqusstionably was all that was
necessary to convince in the affirmative. The
general desire of the people Of the city now is
to know whether or not anything is to be
done, or whether the earnest appealing de-
mands Of our citizens generally Is to again be
passed over, and nothing done this summer
to remove the loud, standing invitation 70
cholera, or other epidemics. which are at the
present time on the great lines of commerce
" n which we are directly connected.
There seems TO be an impression IN the
community, if it is net shared even By the
Board Of Health, that said Board is an i'm
potent folk, and can 90 no more than to
modestly suggest to the Board of Trustees
what measures, in their humble opinions,
would be beneficial for the public health, and
that it then remains entirely in the discre-
tioa of the members Of the Board of Trus-
! tees whether tue measures proposed shall be
carried out, or that the Board of Health
shall be allowed to do anything or not, thus
! rendering the latter mere hgurehead upon
this important subjsct.
There is psrhsps an excuse for the pTeva.
lence of such an impression, for Section 2 OF
the statute Of 1868 provided that any orders
or regulations adopted by the Board Of
Health ahoTfi6 r. la efflpt - mill gnnrCVa1
by resolution or order of the Board OF IFus-
tees" Also by Section of the same Act it
was provided that the Trustees of said city
shall by ordinance provide, in such manner
as to them shall seem best, for enforcing such
orders and regulations as the Board Of
Health shall from time to time adopt"
This clearly LETT all the power OF action IN
the hands OF the City Irustees, but these
powers were entirely changed by the Act OF
March %, 1870, the law now in force upon
the sub ject, and the second section OF which
is as follows
Section q The Board OF Health Of the City Of
Sacramento, now recognized by the Board of 2rus
tees shall have general supervision OF all matters
appetainiug to the sanitary 5ndtion Of said city,
and full powers are hereby given to said Board OF
Health all questions OF foul or deect re drain
age and OF the disniecting and cleaning of streets,
alleys, cellars, cesspOOls, nuisances of any des-
criPton, and OF low places within the city limits cal
culated to receive and retain unhealthy deposits
Section 4 of the same Act, which takes tie
place Of Section of the Act of 1868, above
quoted, defines the relation OF the Board Of
Iruztses to the work Of the Board Of Health,
together with is powers in connection there
Win, and which is as follows:
Section 4. The Board Of Trustees of the City Of
Sacramento shall, by ordinance or otherwise, pro-
vide for enforcing such orders and regulations thu
Board Of Health may from time to time adopt and
in times Of epidemics, when deemed necessary by
the Board Of Health, Health Officer shall be en-
ployed to enforce the laws in relation to the sanitary
condition Of SAID city.
The last section of the Act repeats all Acts
or parts of Acts inconsistent with it, which
renders this the present law upon ths subject
It will be seen therefore by the above that
the present Beard of Health has the entire
and untrammeled control of the mattsr of
sbatiBg any and every nuisance now existing
in thu city, without even 60 much as consult.
ing the Board of Trustees. the law does
not, in fact even contemplate that they shall
do Sd, but on the contrary, places the entire
responsibility for removal of all nuisances,
eEc., upon the shoulders Of the Board of
Health, and leaves 40 discretion whatever in
the hands of the Board OF Trustees, but says
it shall, by ordinance or otherwise, provide
for enforcing ouch orders and regulations as
the Board of Health may from time to time
adopt"
The question, therefore, whether or not the
gigantic nuisance5 in Chinatown and else
where now existing and so loudly complained
o., and menacing the general health Of the
city shall be speedily 2bated, rests solely with
the Board of Health, which is to meet this
evening to specially consider the subjec.