Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-27
DIR. MCGOWAN DECLARES HImsRLF.

DIR. MacGowan went into the council
chamber, yesterday afternoon, to hand
in his report in person for fear it would
not get there after the manner of Eli.
In the course of the report occurs the
following: Some time since the board
of health requested an extra number OF
inspectors for its service for two months,
alleging that they were necessary to get
our city in sanitary order. 1t has been
stated by certain parties that my main
reason in pushing the matter has been
to provide fat places at $50 per month
for incompetent ward strikers and heel
ers as reward for political services.
The length to which blind partisanship
will go, to cripple the efficiency of the
service of public official belonging to
another party, is as we'll illustrated
here as it mas been by the disparage-
ment with which a certain portion Of
the Republican party has treated the
tireless efforts of the gallant and heroic
health officer Of the port of New York,
DIR. Jenkins, in his battle with the
cholera. And this for no other reasons
than that he is Democratic official, a
member of Tammany and a man OF sufi-
cient nerve to discharge his official du-
ties without fear or favor.
DIR. MacGowan claims that he has,
three times, notified the common coun-
Gil that the closets in the city hall are
in very bad condition, owing to the lack
of water supply for flushing them; F; and
that the city fathers had not until yes
terday taken any notice OF his requests.
He says if the city hall had been private
property, he would have locked it up
and cited the owner to appear in court
fer keeping up menace to the public
health. Why did he not do SO anyhow ?
And what right have the common coun-
Gil to maintain nuisance, any more
than private citizen?
The case resolves itself down into a
proposition in which the health of the
entire city is affected. DIR. MacGowan
evidently wants to have Los Angeles
kept clean and made a thoroughly
healthy city, from monetary considera-
tions, for. as he Gays in another part OF
his message to the council, If an impress
sion should once become current in the
eastern States that we are not exercising
due sanitary precautions here, the mum
Der of health-seekers during the winter
months will perceptibly decrease; and
while our city is not in the light of one
that only has climate TO sell, like the
towns of Florida and Georgia, still all
the money spent here py eastern pleas
ure-seekers is just SO much gained.
The health officers suggestions are
well timed and judicious. 1t is better
to keep the city clean now, and avoid
infection of disease, at the present writ
| ing, than to incuf the burden OF an ex-
pensive hospital system hereafter.
There has been nothing adduced, go far,
to show that DIR. MacGowan has not
exercised the greatest vigilance in all
matters sanitary; and any person who,
for reasons personal or political, seeks
to impair his efficiency as an officer can
only be regarded as self-registered
enemy to the health and well being Of
the city.
The only excuse the council can offer
for not carrying out his measures to
protect the health of the city is that
they do not believe he is competent to
determine what measures should be
taken. If this is their opinion, then it
= IL ,,.1, kho,r l,,tx, 30 -, 1 H.
position health officer they deem COM
petent. As long as we have man at
the head OF the sanitary department Of
our city, he should either be backed up
by the authorities or the latter should
select one they will back up. This is nc
time for trifing with so serious a
matter.