St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-24
TO AVOID CHOLERA.
Suggestions OF an Ordinance to
Compel Cleaning Up.
To the EditOr of tho Gloha

Suggestions OF an Ordinance to
Compel Cleaning Up.
To the Editor of the Globe.
That the cholera scourge will be upon
us in a few months is almost a moral
certainty. That we of this city shall
survive or fall victims to its deathly
grip will depend upon what action we
take now. That the health department
is insufficient to protect us. without
strong cooperation on the part of the
executive departments, is apparent.
Already scores of complaints are filed at
the health department of failure to
gather the garbage properly. and there
are probably ten times as many more
places where the garbage is neglected
and no complaints made.
What are we going to do about it?
Wait until death is at our doors? This
is, unfortunately, the usual method of
most large places.
L wish to present a plan which l
think. if followed, will be effectual.
don't know whether a similar suggeS-
ton has been presented before. If it
has it will do no harm and simply give
it emphasis. l have never seen the
plan advocated in print.
Let all ordinance be passed compel
ling every police officer to make thor
ough examination of every premises in
his beat, including yards, alleys, vaults,
ETC., and report daily to the health de-
partment its condition, whether good,
bad or whatever it may be. Let imme-
date notice be given to the tenants Ur
owners, If unoccupied, of those prem
iseS where there is nuisance, and if
rho n 10 nt 1pit 70
hours let there be at the disposal of the
city sufficient number of teams to re-
move the rubbish, and double the cost
Of such removal be charged to the party
responsible for the nuisance, to be col
lected in the municipal court the same
as any fineiis collected. No more than ten
hours notice need be given, because it
should be the duty Of every one to keep
his premises clean without such notice.
II such nuisance was part of the gar
bage contractors duty to remove, let the
city remove it just the same and I'M
pose similar fine upon the contractor
double the cost of removing iO. Half a
dozen mounted policemen might be en-
ployed, iii addition to the present force,
to examine localities Ill the outskirts of
the city where there are few or no
officers on duty at present, or where
necessity my require.
The police force can do this without
impairing its present efficiency and
without any extra cost to the city, eX-
cept in the employment of a fe W extra
hands.
This is no time for trifling, and any
neglect OF duty on the part of the police
force or health department must be
summary dealt with. Every citizen
must make it his personal duty the mo-
ment he discovers any filth, no matter
Where. to report the same to the mayor,
who must investigate, and, if it was the
neglect Of an officer in not making his
complaint, let him be instantly dis
charged. All such complaints should
be made public so that the eyes Of the
community will be upon the culprit.
This publicity will keep the officials
Ylgilant.
The medicine here outlined may be
strong, but the disease is a serious one
and needs sharp and severe measures.
''HEAIT-''