St. Paul daily globe., 1890-05-27
BETTER SANITATION.
Health Inspector Kilyington
Reads a Paper Before a
Citizens Meeting.
Tells of the AdultepatiOn Of
Food and So-Called Meat
Inspection.
Fanny Davenport's Libel Case
Now in the Hands Of
the Jury.
Second Doodle" Case Comes
Up for Trial---The Reform
Club Missing.

1t was a representative audience that
gathered in the council chamber last eve
ming to listen to paper read by Dr.. SIS.
Kilvington, the commissioner Of health
on municipal sanitation. There were
members OF the trades and labor as
sembly, representative single tax men,
ladies and gentlemen from the national
lists club, clergymen. aldermen, ply
sicians and citizens representing all
classes Of the people. After j. P. Nc
Gaughey had called the meeting to
order, Dr.. Kilvington was introduced.
After the paper had been read the
paper was discussed and questions
asked by DR.. Finnegan, Rev. William
Wilkinson, G. J. Buel. H. B. Martin,
Rev. S.W. Sample, o. I. Erickson, Her
man Ash. r. L. Stillman, A. H. Hall,
Tom Lucas, Dr. Martha g. Ripley,
Prof. j. E. Bradley, r. d. Russell,
Labor Commissioner Lamb and others.
In answer to questions as to how garb-
age could be disposed of DR.. KilvingtOn
replied that for $4,000 he could turn all
the garbage, etc.. to the soil as fertiliZ-
ers. As remedy for the present evils
in the law, he suggested that the cOun-
ell should appoint committee of two
members Of that body especially fitted
for the work, the trades and labor as
Sembly to appoint two, and this commit
tee, with the commissioner of health,
to select two citizens to act with them.
This committee to look over the laws,
and to suggest such changes as are nee
essary to make Minneapolis one of the
grandeSt cities Ill the Union from sam
itary standpoint. This suggestion was
adopted as the sense of the meeting.
Dr.. Kilvington's paper was a striking
one, which should awaken the interest
of all classes of citizens in the matter
of sanitation.
He said: ''In response to the request of
several citizens-a request which. as a public
official. bound to give information to the
public regarding the interests committed to
his care, have felt called upon to respond
l have consented to discuss briefly this even
ing the present status of sanitary affairs IN
the city OF Minneapolis
The modern tendency to the rapid growth
Of great cities has created a necessity for
something approaching to q metropolitan
system in the management OF health affairs.
and this necessity is taking form and receiv-
ing discussion under the distinctive term
municipal Sanitation.
The steps which have been taken toward
Ll6 auODJlOn OF SYSTEMS OF ulullClpdl SdllId-
ton in the cities OF Europe and America dit
fer widely in correspondence with the pre-
YGiiing forms OF local or general government
and with the varying characteristics of the
people. In England, for instance, the local
government board, consisting of represen ia
tive householders, is the depository of the
public interests in matters of health. 1t is
largely independent of public sentiment or
popular favor; it is non-poltical in its ori-
gfn it is permanent in its powers. The
t1,nT, I,1,
full application of sanitary principles to ev-
eryday life in many an overcroWded COM
munity, and in the regeneration of Il city
like that of Glasgow, by means of a NUM-
cipal system as perfect as sanitary science
has vet evolved. In the United States, on
the other hand. we have so far proceeded
upon an altogether different plan. With
that exaggerated hatred of restrictive laws
which is characteristic of our new civiliza-
ton, our smaller cities, neglectful OF the pub
lie welfare in direct proportion to their
rapid genesis, are permitted TO grow up in
nOcent of sanitary control, until here and
there a community awakens to find itself
suddenly assuming metropolitan proper
tlOnS without the possession Of those safe
guards to the public health which the mass
ing of the population finally eompels the
state to provide.
Tin such plight the city of Minneapolis
finds herself to-day. Out of d yet worse con-
dition she has gradually come. She is pro-
measurably well equipped and is doing eff
fective work: but the work OF the department
is still disastrouSly hampered, and the public
health is still seriously injured by the exist
ence of InchOate and conflicting laws and Or
dinances relating to health affairs, by a con-
sequent division of authority between the
department and other unrelated branches of
the city government, by financial rather than
statutory limitations of its powers. and by a
dissertation of those public interests which
chOUld rrOnnrlU no nnifia0 nn6ar sanitary
control.
1T is a well recognized fact that there are
certain public interests which are lit subjects
of police supervision because, and solely be-
cause, they involve the sanitary welfare of
the people And yet we find upon the stat
ute books of the state, and among the ordf-
nances of the city, general and special laws,
charter provisions and municipal enactments
which conflict with themselves and with each
other in the regulation of these interests and
scatter to the four winds of heaven the san
itary police powers which should be vested
in tnat department of the city government
which is especially concerned with the pres
ervation of the public health
The speaker here went into minute
ly detailed dissertation on the number
of officers among whom are divided the
powers to examine food, to inspect cat
plumbing. to pass upon the ventilation
and lighting of buildings, to clean
streets. to flush sewers, to abate nuis-
anceS, to dispose of refuse, to quarantine
disease, to kill infected animals and to
fill low places. He argued that all
these properly come under the head of
municipal sanitation, and continued:
THE inevitable results of this misplace
ment Of authority over sanitary details are
all about US Three or four years ago an in
vesugation revealed the fact that the public
school buildings of the city were totally des-
titute of efficient ventilation. and that, in
many cases, their other health conveniences
were manitestly unhealthy. The same evils
prevail in many a factory, store and office
building throughout the city, in which large
numbers of people are housed for several
hours in each working day. The reel of red
tape stands between the demand for, and the
performance of. the filling up of those plague
spots low lots covered with stagnant water
The collection of birth and death statistics
is intrusted to an official who knows not hing
| about and who has no interest in the matter,
beyond the fee which he receives. 1t would
be impossible to cite instances of more fla
| grantly misplaced official functions than
these or to find better illustrations of the dis
astrous disintegration of authority which is
| involved in our present hydra headed san
| itary system.
"The unifcation of the health affairs of
| the city is the keynote to a successful admin
| istration of those interests for the public
| welfare. The importance of such a system
cannot be measured. A health department
organized as unit, officered upon merit and
| financially sustained as it should be, can be
made an effective element in the prosperity
of the city of Minneapolis. To that end, the
present sanitary service is unalterably COM
mitted, and to that end it petitions the pub
IS.o-