Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-23

force faithfully, and at the proper time, to
enforce and execute the sanitary rules and
regulations, and the orders of said board
of health
Full power is given both to the council
and board of health, on pages thirty-six
and forty, ''to do all acts and make all reg
ulations which may be necessary or expe-
dent for the preservation of health and
the suppression of disease, to compel the
owners or occupants of any grocery, eel
lar, soap factory, tannery, stable, barn,
privy, sewer or other unwholesome, nau-
seous house. or place, to cleanse, remove
or abate the same" and Cd page IT'S, ''to
take all steps and use all measures neces-
sary to promote the cleanliness and salu-
brity of the city," and on
page 119 to "enact such bylaws,
rules and regulations as may be deemed
advisable for the protection of life and
public health"
These assistant inspectors to be clothed
with power to notify persons to abate their
nuisances and to prosecute in case of fail
ure, and to be authorized to employ men
to remove such nuisances at the expense
of the owner of the premises as provided
by the health ordinances.
Second-To supplement and aid in car
rying out this system, the charter provides
for the licensing of scavengers on page
176. who, when requested, shall
cleanse or empty any vault, sink, drain or
privy and remove any and all nuisance"
and ''shall receive fifteen cents for each
cubic foot of the contents, ETC." This is
very crude and impartial provision, and
our scavenger system gives US loose ''go-
as-you-please" set of scavengers whom no.
body knows where to find or who they
are or to whom they are responsible.
This scavenger system should be remodeled
and made to conform to the duties adopted
in the larger cities, requiring them to take
charge of certain districts, have central of
flee where they can receive orders, and be
made responsible under bonds to keep
their particular districts in perfect order,
visiting premises several times
week and removing all ac-
cumulations of garbage. The
board of health has full power to prescribe
the duties of scavengers, and should meet
once week as provided on page 17S of
the charter, from May to October, and
oftener, when an emergency requires it, as
provided on page -.
A dumping ground should be designated
as the charter provides, which should be a
strong platform OF wharf boat, extending
into the river far enough to enable the
current to carry off the offensive matter.
And the present dumping ground should
be disinfected.
Third-Section of the ordinance Gre
ating the board of health, page 179, pro-
vides that the health officer shall in March
and September make to the council a de-
tailed statement of his operations during
the last preceding six MONTHS" and ''shaIl
from time to time recommend to the COM
mon council such measures as he may
deem useful to promote the public health
and prevent the spread of contagious and
infectious diseases"
The health officer is necessarily the head
of this whole system and must put it into
execution. His report is due this month
and will doubtless be valuable paper,
Astounding in live suggestions as to the
dangers of sewer gas from imperfect
plumbing and defective modern improve
ments," the dangers of malaria and badly
ventilated rooms, the Importance of do
mestic cleanliness and the value of disin-
fectants, specifying the kind to be used and
the best methods of using, and many other
suggestions equally valuable-the whole
being fitting rounding off and SYMMETRY
ing of the general system here outlined.
Both Mr.. McClung's paper and Mr..
Fogg's resolution were referred to COM
mlttee of three, consisting of Willius,
Hodgson and Leasure, with the idea that
the committee should report next Thurs
day evening.
SENDING FOR INFORMATION.
The following, offered by Mr.. Willius,
was adopted:
ResoIred, That the common coun Gil of
this city be requested to direct the city
clerk to take the necessary steps, by cor
respondence with the proper authorities of
other well regulated cities of this country
and Europe, to obtain as large collection
as possible of city ordinances. police reg
ulations and official reports upon the sub
ject of sewerage, water supply and other
subjects pertaining to promote the public
health of the people.
Wisconsin and Minnesota State Fairs.