The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-08
PREPARED FOR CHOLERA
Grand Jury Reports the
CountY's Sanitary Con-
dit1on Good on the
Whole.
CITY PRECAUTIONS EXCELLENT,
The Only Danger is Our Water-Ra.
vine Sewer a Menace to
Health.
CITY PRECAUTIONS EXCELLENT,

After brief session this morning the
| Grand Jury filed into court and made its
final prSsentments for the term. Eleven
indictments were handed the Court.
which makes total of 119 indictment
found by the lGrand Inquest. The fol-
lowing presentments were handed the
| Court
| The Grand Inquest, with view to ascertain.
| ing the sanitary condition of the county, apN
| the ability of the various municipalities to m
| and successfully cope with contagion had inst4-
| tuted most thorough investigation, by citing
! and having appear before us such officers on
| whom deyolved the duty of investigating the
/ breeding places of disease and providing proper
| safeguards for the general health.
Our first purpose was particular one, o.
| casioned by desire that this County should be
1 in that condition sanitariy to successfully meet
the contemplated coming of the cholera scourge,
| that we can speak inteuigently of the ability OF
| our various cities, towns and townships to meet
| and provide against the spread of contagious
| diseases generally.
| Jersey City appears to be admirably Offered
| in this branch A sanitary squad gives such
matters its sole attention. A code OF instruc-
| tionS has been prepared and printed In several
1 languages, and distributed throughout the
| thickly inhabited sections, and when the streets
shall have been thoroughly cleaned, all that
would seem to be required would be the con.
| tlnued enforcement of present regulations and
| the exercise OF ordinary watchfuluess.
We say seven TO be required as referring
| only to the cleanliness of the city, and the enc
forcement of such measures as tend to prevent
| the spread of disease, but would earnestly
recommend that action be taken towards pro.
vding this municipality with abundant sup
| ply of pure and wholesome water, medical
| science having long ago proven that con-
| tanlinated water supply breeds CONTAGIOUS We
do not believe that Passaic water is as bad as it
| is pictured by the alarmists, but we do agrea
| that the best supply of water obtainable should
be provided just as soon as an equitable. reason
| able and comprehensive proposition shall have
| been submitted TO the city authorities.
| Hoboken, if the sewer system be excepted is
in good condition. Its health officers are watch
| ful and have already adopted precaution, the
| necessity for which appeal to their judgment.
| We would earnestly recommend the thorough
| cleansing (and flushing where practicable) OF
/ the sewers, before the summer season shall
| have begun. Stringent measures should also
! be Immediately taken by the city authorities
| looking to the extension of all main sewers to
| tidewater We would also suggest as pre-
/ cautionary measure, that the landing or slowing
of foreign rags be strictly prohibited during hot
/ weather.
| The health officers of this city complain Bit
| terly of the break in the Ravine sewer with
| consequent discharge, in city limits, of fetid
sewage matter, which cannot fail to be an IN
| centve to, and productive of, disease. We en-
| deavored to attach the responsibility,
but the question proved to be of SO
Sitting would require more time than
| was at our disposal. 1t should
besmade a separate and distinct cause of in
| quiry by a subsequent Grand Jury, and so
| probed that an intelligent conclusion could be
| arrived at, and an effective remedy suggested.
The Bayonne authorities have already made
ante p ltory preparations About 81, 500 was II
| Gently expended to put the city in good sani-
| tarv condlrion. and If an emergency arises more
| fI di are obtainable The city is IN a falr con
thorities sufficiently alive and stic TO ire
| spme tonhleuce. we would however, recon-
mend the enforcement of such regulations as
/ oay1 NAL l1re n
report such contagious diseases as come to their
| notice.
The sanitary condition of Harrison is better
than the average. A special officer detailed for
| this work is always on duty, and when occasion
seem to require it t,extra inspectors are provided.
| AS a matter OF additional precaution, the
various ces3spools etc., Of the town, were re-
Gently subjected to through cleaning. The
| fund available for sanitary purposes is in the.
! can be enlarged ii necessity demands it.
| Our investigation of the condition Of Kear-
ny Township, has been eminently satisfactory.
| The intelligence, practical and thorough ads
| its officers on whom devolves the duty or
| guarding health, cannot be too highly come
mended. Kearny is in prime sanitary con-
dition with funds enough al its disposal for the
| purpose to meet any emergencies.
| The Town of Union reports itself in splendid
condition, but we find that no special effort has
| been made TO provide against the spread of con-
| tagious diseases. The health regulations are
rather too primitive for town OF It's population,
1
| with the care and responsibility of the health of
| the inhabitants his private duties are such that
| he should not be made to assume full responsi-
| bility. He may be, and probably Is, earnest IN
| the discharge Of his public duty, but we would
recommend that a sanitary Inspector be ap-
pointed whose sole duty will be to investigate
! and report to the proper official body such mat
| ters as require attention, and that he be also
| vested with sufficient authority to abate
| nuisances.
Weehawken, through its health represents
tive expresses itself able to cope successfully
with any ordinary epidemic Inspections are
made regularly, and the town would seem TO be
however, that railroad company refuses or
neglects, to make sewer connections to consld.
cradle portion of its improved real estate. Con-
tipued neglect, IL persisted in, beyond the power
| of the local authorities, should be brought to
THE INTELLIGENT TOWN DOCTOR.
West Hoboken would seem to be ready TO
greet with outstretched arms any contagious
| disease that desires lodgment The field is
ripe and l,..g rich n will obonts b. tho hfr tbs
| community speedily awake to realizing
| sense of their requirements We would quote
| direct from the testimony adduced. A men,
| her of the Health Board of this town states:-
| 'The sanitary condition of our town is fairly
| good. We have an inspector who is a doc
| tor and we leave all matters to him. =" This
| sounds very nice until YOU hear the doctor.
and this is his story; Il do rot know where tho
! garbage of the town is deposited. do not know
| where the night soil is deposited | do not know
whether fuhd exists on which can draw, if
necessary. really do not know what my pow
ers are. The Board does not notice me at
all reported case of smallpox and requested
! til special meeting be called, but the Board
| wi I'D not meet. The case existed for three or
| four days before was notified of it." Were il
| NOT for the fast that the lives of the people OF
| this community are being continually endanger-
| ed, the foregoing would seem quite humorous.
| An immediate and complete reorganization Of
the Health Board of this town should be
! effected and hestancyor delays should be met by
| the indictment of shose responsible for tardy
| acfon.
The township of North Bergen IS with the ex-
ceptiun of the so called ''Piggeries' - being fairly
| we'll inspected and projected. There was in
stltuted under our auspices special inspection
| OF the plggeries, the result of which was SUB
| mitted to the local authorities, who have rro-
| missed to examine into and abate such nuisances
| as were found We believe that to be the wiser
! course, as had indictments been found in some
| cases which seem to warrant it, conviction
| would probably have failed account of it be-
| ing the winter season, when the full measure Of
| the nuisance would not have appeared TO a jury.
| GEORGE T. BOUTON,
| Foreman
l CnuINE