The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-28
NOT A FAIR SHOWING.
cyyoND rs ONE or THE MOST
HEALTHFUL CITIES,
,..,..d Of Being one of tho Most I'm
h..lthfui. NJ appears From 'h" Pub
,,b,a Death Eatc-The Committee.

.-.. Council Committee on Health neld
.,,ine Yesterday evening. and again
- ,yestlon Of the health Of the city OF
,,,.,,oopd was discussed. and alleged high
death rate.
r. 81 II. Levy Z. II. Bissell and Thomas
Nfrlend. Of the Committee on Health
Ia sanitation Of the Chamber OF Com
..erce. were in attendance.
,,e following members OF the Council
..,,rItlee were present: Messrs. Reeve
.Aa,rman). George r. Davis, Grimes,
,.,-. and Moore. PrCsidcat Dickerson. Of
1oar1 OF Aldermen. President Glover
che common Council. Or. w. T. OPP
-tim,r. president OF the Board Of
,t...h occupied the chairs. After read
l+. tbo minutes and the transaction Of
10 regular business. Chairman Reeve
...4 that he recognized the presence OF
... routlemen from the ChamDr Of Com
..s-se and deemed IL proper they should
e-sf be heard from on this question of SO
much Importance.
,,- Afflend chairman Of the commit
49,. from the Chamber, was first 10 speak
., che subject. lie read a report adopted
d., tbe Chamber Of Commerce. recon-
,.,rf.nr that the services Of two experts
b. secured for the purpose OF looking into
and making a full examination OF the
sanitary condition Of the city. lie added
,tt he was not in a position 10 state that
,t. present death rate OF Richmond was
he.rc improperly reported. lie only knew
that governed by the reports given It
MAS high. and was working great injury
90 the city.
pr. Levy referred 70 the recommenda-
lion from the President Of the
Board Of Health a years ago.
touching on sanitary improvements
f1r he city, which were not car
ried out by the government Of the city at
that time nor since.
No other member OF the committee de-
string 10 speak on the subject, Chairman
Reeve called Mr.. Grimes 20 the chair
and took the floor for the purpose OF
reading a paper prepared by him upon
the subject then in discussion. In this
he gave n list Of cities and their death
rates for the past year and the average
OF llfo as shown I'm some Of these cities
reached over ninety years His line OF
argument was that the state OF things
for which a remedy was being sought
ana not exist but is made 70 appear by
the health reports furnished the govern
frant.whlch. he was assured were perfectly
absurd on the face TO any one who Will
examine them in the hgnt Of well, es-
fablished facts which accord with ex-
perience-that the average length Of life
does not I'm any community greatly ex-
coed the estimate obtained by statistics,
about thirty-four years
Continuing his remarks upon this sub
ject the chairman said: II nave used my
best efforts in the limited time at my
disposal 10 get az the bottom facts bear
inc on this question. and l submit it Ia
the press TO examine my figures, and
81 correct 20 turn their batteries on those
who from carelessness or other cause
have placed us in such a false light
before the world. j appeal 10 the mayor
as our chief magistrate. and 10 you
gentlemen. OF the city government. II
my statements be correct 10 suggest a
means by Which we may be delivered
from a condition Of things 50 palpably
unjust and which has wrought us such
incalc liable injury--a condition of things
against which We cannot hope to con-
tend or make a creditable figure in our
death reports, unless we can bring about
"a return Of the good old times # Methu-
Eelah. when II was nothing eXtraordi-
nary for man 10 live 400 or 500 years.
Mr. Reeve submitted among other state
ments the following which gives the
death rate and the average Of life OF
eight cities, taken from the Government