Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-09-19
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICERS.

The Appointments Made by Governor |
Morris are LeRal-Were Made to Fiji |
Vacancies and are Strictly In Accord. |
ance With the Provisions OF the Re.
cent Act of the General Assembly.
The question has arisen in several quar-
ters as to whether or not the appointment
of county health officers recently made by
Governor Morris on nomination by the
state board of health were legal.
The Office was created by the last legis-
lature and, like number of other acts
from that body, was not con-
struoted to cover every detail in Its intend
ed province. The first section of the law
as passed by the last general assembly Is az
follows: The Judges of the superior court,
at their meeting in the year 1894, shall ap-
point for each county health officer. The
person so appointed shall be an attorney
at-law, residing In the county for which he
shall be appointed. The eight county
health officers first appointed shall be so
designated that the term of office of four
of them shall expire two years from the
date of their appointment, and the term OF
Office of the other four shall expire four
years from the date Of their appointment.
Thereafter, on appointment by the judges
of the superior court. each county health
officer shall hold his Office for four years
from and after the date of his appointment
and until his successor is appointed and
qualified, unless sooner removed, and any
vacancy, whether from removal or other
cause. shall be filled for the remainder of
the urexpired term by the governor on
nomination by the state board of health.
As near as can be ascertained the claim
that the appointments are illegal is based
on the fret clause of the above section
which states that the county health Of
ficers shall be appointed by the superior
court judges at their annual meeting In
1894. When the new law was passed the
town board of health were abolished and
in consequence since the first of August
the several towns of the state have been
left without officers whose duties were to
investigate health and sanitary conditions
The claim is made that the governor had
no legal right to make any appoiotment
and that in point of fact no appointments
could be legally made except by the judges
of the superior court and not by them IN
til their annual meeting in 1894.
On the other hand it is claimed by the
members of the state board of health that
the appointments are perfectly legal and
in accordance with the provisions of the
act They claim substantially that the
general assembly did not intend to leave
the various towns and counties in the
state without health officer and that up
to the time the appointments were made,
vacancies existed owing to the fact that
the town boards of health went out of ex-
istence. The last clause of the first sec
ton of the law gives the governor power
to appoint county health officers where
vacancies occur, whether from removal or
other cause and as the vacancies exist in
the various towns of the state, the COVER
nor had the legal right to make the ap.
pointmeEts and had used 1t by appointing
the men recommended by the state board
of health. The men appointed will con-
tinue in Office ontil the annual meeting of
the Judges of the superior court next
year, whom they will appoint county health
officers.
Section Z of the new law states that the
town health officers first appointed shall in
| each county bs numerically divided in such
| impartial manner as the county health Off
| cer may elect, into four classes az nearly
| equal as may be, and the first class shall
| hold Office from the date of their appoint
Monday in October, 1898; the second class
from the date of their appointment and
until two years from the first Monday il
1 October, 1898; the third class from the datt
of their appointment and until three year,
from the first Monday in October, 1898
and the fourth class from the date of theil
appointment and until four years from til,
first Monday in Oetobsr, 1898. Thereafter
| ca 3h town health officer shall hold hi
Office for four years from and after tn,
first Monday in October, and until his cue
cessor is appointed and sworn, unless
sooner removed.
From this section alone it Ia evident tina
the appointments must be legal. The SEQ
ton says explicitly that the appointment
shall hold from the first Monday in Octo
Der, 1898. The town health officers ar.
appointed by the county health officer ant
it is plain even to the dullest comprehen
zion that If the appointments Of the latte
cannot legally be made until the annua
meeting of the superior court In 1894, ther
can be no town health officers until the
are appointed by the county health off
GERS, and in consequence the latter canno
possibly hold Office as required by las
from the first Monday in October, 1898.
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
Death of John Dunbar, Nigh
Waterman On the Consolidated
Road.
John Dunbar, fifty years old, of 20 AIDE
line street, committed suicide yesterds,
morning. He had been employed as nigh
Waterman at the Spring street crossing O.
the Consolidated railroad, and had been OF
duty Sunday night as usual.
/ He nwnaG the bnnaa at C0 AdafinA efra6