The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-23

CITY OF SEATTLE,
MAYORS OFFICE, Sept % 1892.
Dra r. A. Churchill, James shannon and
| Samuel J. Holmes Members Of the Board OF
| Health of Seattle, Wash.-Gentsmen: 1t Is after
| due consideration that 1 feel constrained most
respectfully TO request that you gentlemen will
kindly resign the position which you now hold
IA members OF the board OF health OF Seattle.
| The pleasure and courtesy which had hoped
would characterize the dealings between your
department and the leg slatve and executive
| departments of this city, and which have up
| 70 the present time labored so assiduously TO
| foster and maintain, appear no longer possible.
After coming into Office you will remember
that consultation was held between myself
aud you, gentlemen, wherein you asked me II
desired any changes made In the personnel OF
your subordinates, and indicated to me n desire
and intention to work IN harmony with the do.
sires of the new administration. ! stated to
you that IL was the desire of the council and
myself, and believed of a great many citizens,
that the health officer should be changed, and,
faith In your intentions to work in harmony,
pressed the matter no further: and from con-
versations subsequently had with a member of
your board, had assurance that if it were the
desire of the present city government that
there should be a new health officer, and If VIC
should request the same in writing assuming
full responsibility therefor. our request would
be acceded to. This was during the latter part
OF July, while we were threatened with small
pox. The matter was deferred at that time.
Later on the auditing committee sent you
gentlemen a very courteous letter, requesting
that you would change the health officer of the
intending in the least to annoy, aud conveying
| no reflection upon you gentlemen. 1t was not
made public BY any of the auditing committee
| Notwithstanding that the charter of the city
says that correspondence concerning the bust.
ness OF separate departments should be carried
on between the heads thereof, you gentlemen
| ignored that letter and you did not see fit to
reply to it, but on the contrary you held a meet
| ing, as you have admitted to me, and decided
upon the course pursued by you to air yonr
grievances through the public press by an open
| letter.
Is this tho way that correspondence between
two departments of the city should be carried
| on? In this correspondence you criticized our
| act as one OF infamy. You used this word liter
ally. endeavorsd. after this letter. to effect
ceeded in so far az to meet with two of you gen.
| tlemen. Your president saw fit not to be pres
| ent. In that consultation again stated to you
| gentlemen that it was the desire of this admin
| istration to work in harmony with you, to move
| together to the end that we might tremendously
aud pleasantly fulfill our respective duties for
| legislative, but the executive departments and
| all of the officers connected with the CITY de-
sired that yon change tho health officer;
| that he was personally obnoxious to them for
| the reason that 1t was our opinion he did not
| consult the city's interests as closely and as
| gnardedly as was his duty to do. You asked me
| IL there was any politics In the request. stated
| to you tTu hfuiiy that there was none that all
| l asked of you gentlemen was. not your own
designations but the resignation OF pr spar-
recommend, requ ,sting you however, that you
| Will fill the place with u Republican. You re-
| fused to even so much as consider such re.
| quest
| The present city government has not conf.
| dence in Dr. Sparkling, and this lack of conf
dence will prevent the hearty cooperation that
| ought to exist between your department aud the
executive ana legislative departments, fearing,
| as we do fear. that as a result of his unauthOr-
lied acts We wi | be subjected to other suits for
damages in addition to those now pending
against the city by reason OF his conduct
You have admitted that this condition of az
| fai INN fhn afEn vnfv
and that we are now menaced with some danger
OF an epidemic 1t is my sincerest desire that
this danger may be averted. There is only one
| way under the circumstances to avert the same
| You gentlemen have il in your power to do SO.
1t can be averted. You stated, II we could not
nsss sna readness !" res,Sn yr gHas
fore. if you will kindly resign and give US an
opportunity to appoint your successors you
responsibility so fur Us any danger menac-
will assume full responsibility therefor,
and the three departments will work in har-
| mony together. 1t seems to me that through
| denying to us, a coordinate department OF the
city government, even so much as an official
| answer TO our official communication, but put
ting into print an open letter, with grave and
serious charges. it can be considered in no other
| light than an open, deliberate insult
1t is therefore not pleasant for MS to serve to.
| gethcr Hoping that you will give me speedy
| answer ana an early opportunity to reorgnnize
the departmert in time TO avert all mensciug
J. T. RONALD Mayor.
In reply to the above the board last evening
| sent to the mayor the following:
Sept 20, 1897.
| Hon. J. T. Ronald, Mayor of the City of Seat.
! tle-Dedr Sir: Tour letter of today has been
| duly considered bv us in session this afternoon
| 10 offer you our designations alter the charges
| contained in that letter would be admitting
| their correctness ana justice. This We can NOT
! do. How is il that the mayor aud council who
| know SO well the courtesy due from one de.
| rartment TO another, could ignore utterly nu-
| merous requests ami suggestions OF this board,
| made in the most careful manner and with due
| respect to your high position? The example
| WAS set us of breaking the cordial bond which we
| lad every reason 10 desire and TO cherish
| Indeed the first written communication re-
| questing the resignation OF Dr.. Sparkling was adj
| dressed to US, not by your honor the head of
| the executive department., nor chairman OF
| the auditing committee, as You alege the char
| ter directs should be done, but by the whole
| committee. aud our reply was in exact accord
| with your example. The strain was put upou
| the cordial relations by this committed of
| which your honor is the chairman, and not by
| us, who had every reason 10 desire your GOOD
| will. II the board OF health could have had.
| like that OF New York, an adequate fund from
| when 10 draw n emergencies, the entente cor.
| dale might have been no stronger than ntways
| obtains among gentlemen working for the pub.
| lie good But we had fund: every dime
| must be accorded Us by your power We needed
| your sympathy and cooperation. We had IL
! not.
| In reference 10 the consultation hetveen
| yourself ami this department. 20 which you re-
| ter, in the interest OF retreEchn.ut we acced.J
! 10 the cutting down OF our working force and
| we received IN return the promise ;hs, our
efforts ia the department of sanitation shoult
! be assisted in every possible way by Yourself
and council but We have never given any en-