Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-12-03
ABOUT A DRAW.
THR INVESTIGATION OF THE HEALTH
OFFICER, LAST NIGHT,
Statements Pro and Con-Ths Committee Recon-
msuds that the Health Oaics Be at
tee City Hall.

aud heard the evidence brought by The
plaintiffs. All the members of the com
mittee were present, and Chairman Sseley
presided. Health Officer Garrison and
City Solicitor White were present.
After the charges. which have been print
ed in the REGISTER in full, had been reaC
Health Officer Garrison presented q counter
statement, which was read by the clerk.
Regarding the first specification, the de
PENDANT cited the COMMITTEES TO the fac
that there was no provision Of law rfquir
ing him to be in his Office or elsewhere 81
any particular time. 1t bad been his prsc
tice to accommodate all persons as much al
possible. He called attention to the fact
that his Office was in his residence, and
therefore he had excluded the complain.
ants as possibly detrimental TO the com
fort and health Of his household. Regard
ing the second charge, the Health Officer
said it was untrue. Daring the buey
season he had issued permits or holidays
and Sundays, that they might be able to
commence work at u o'clock Monday
morning.
On the third charge, he said he did not
believe there was night-soil man who
did not complain about the lack of facIli.
ties at the crematory, and on such occa-
siOns have frequently told them that if
they wanted q rev fdrnsce they wOnld
have to help me to secure it,"
As to the fourth point, the Doctor cited
a letter from County Health Officer My
ers, in which the latter revoked all per
mits to haul niRhl-tOil to the country
The City Health Officer had to take action
accordingly, Proceeding, he said:
81 gave up an hour Of my time to the
night-soii haulers every day. When you
remember that theirs are not the only
wants to be supplied, you must sgrte with
me that il is enough. Ii is fully as much
as is given to any one class of citizens
Formerly l allowed them to break in on
my time whenever they pleased, bat they
became so iDsolent in their demands that
had to restrict them TO a certain hour.
Zone interesting feature about the pres
emit complaints is, that Of the whole num-
Der OF those whose names are signed to the
instrument, only three have been doing
any work lately. Joe Lineweaver has no
! license. VIM. BsnkaFd has purchased q
farm near R0ney's Point, and proposes 10
90 into the gardening business there. The
last permit granted to Jas. Conrad was Nc.
1853, on May 21st The last granted TO
Geo. Abrams was No. 662, on August 26,b.
The last granted to Dan Richie was No.
500, on September 18Th.
1.-THE real object of the cJmplainants
does not appear. But when We remember
that they worked cOntentedly all summer,
and only complain when the winter has
set in, a season in which little or 70 work
can be done, we must conclude that there
is q niger in the OOd.pile' somewhere.
Here is the niger They want to get
rid of the permit system. They want to
get rid Of tine crematOry. They are not
Satisfied with the great profits they are
making, bat want TO back TO the good old
days when they could charge the people
what they pleased They want IN 20
back to the time when they could throw
all sorts Of filth into the river openly.
want to remind you that it Was during the
latter part of my former administration as
Health Officer Of this city that the cfems-
tory ordinance was passed, carrying with
it reduction of twenty five per cent. in
the fees allowed to be charged by these
men. At that time they were getting IS
per ton, for removing the substances they
deal in, while in other cities the fees paid
for such servicee is only 81, g. so and at
most So per ton. This is q mat
ter in which the tex payer is in
terested. These men are paid at least So |
-, klav, ktar 4
to the people. When | came
into Office last spring found Geo Abrams
and James COnrod were mixed up in a
transaction in which a citizsn had been
oyercharged for work done by one of the m,
while the permit had been obtained by |
the other. l required them TO make rtsti-
tutions and Kept strict watch upon them |
thereafter. A little calculation will show
Just how big thing this is to the tex
payer. During my term Of Office (since |
re.eleciiOr) there has been removed two
thousand tons of such substance. at 81 so !
per ton, or at total cost OF $1,000 Had |
l allowed these men to continue to charge
the former rate-$l per barrel-tbe total
would have been $1,000"
William Woodward was the first wit
ness brought into the room. He was first |
examined as to the charge that the Health |
Officer was very often not in his Office, and |
when he YVES he would rot admit them, !
but compelled them to wait outside. The
witness said the specification was true,
and that somstimes be bad been compelled
to wait shout the door while the Doctor
went to dinner, etc. Ga the second charge
he said il sometimes happened he was
asked TO do work, and had to 20 to his
stable, put up his bOrse, 90 to the Office,
would there find the Health Officer was
out, and thus a day would be lost when
be was anxious 10 work aud had plenty Of
work. He had lost time in that way
frequently. On the third point, the
witness said there was a pressure
exerted by the DUator in the direction of
getting a new c:ematory. 1t looked as
though.the Health Officer desired to keep
the stuff in town" The witness objected !
strenuously to the morning hour for issu-
log permits, saying man who worked eli
night could not well ask for a permit at s |
o'clock in the morning, without either
losing sleep or days work.
ADAniel Richie, Ike Smith, Geo Abrams
and other witnesses were EXAMINED, but
nothing essentially new was developed. |
There was general complaint about having
to stand in the rain. cold and snow, out |
side the Doctors Office, about tbs early
morning hour for the Issuing of permits, |
and also as to the uncertainty Of finding
the Doctor in his Office when they wanted /
permits. Work had been lost by reason Of /
their inability 10 fud him. 1t was the /
judgment of witnesses that permits ought |
to be Issued in the evening. It seems /
there was an afternoon hour up to about /
three weeks age, when the time was limit
ed to the morning hour. Some witnesses
said they had gone to the office twenty to |
twenty five times, without getting a per.
NIT.
After the examination Of the witnesses
was completed, DR. Garrison was invited |
to make statement, and spoke at con.
siderable length, reiterating what had been
said in his written staten ent, and dwelling
upon the large increase which bad been
made in his duties since he had taken
hold Of the oflce, without any increase in
the salary. He did not see how he could