The record-union., 1894-05-04
HEALTH OF new YORK.
How Carefully 1t Is Guarded by
the Department.
Almost Unlimited Power of the Board
of Health-How the Inspectors Take
Up Every Case That Is Reported
and Investigate 1t.

and Investigate 1t.
Irregular Correspondence REcoRD-UNIoN.l
NEW YORK, April 25.-There is one de-
partment Of the city government which
reflects nothing but credit upon itself and
Tammany Hall. 1t is the health depart
ment. With enormous powers, easily open
to abuse, and, because of the technical
nature of its work, difficult of restraint
by newspaper criticism, this department
has defed every effort to find corruption,
or even serious errors. Foreign cities
have frankly and frequently acknowl-
edged its thoroughness and success by
application to it for counsel and example,
and many American cities have made 1t
the model for their sanitary departments
During the past six months attempts to
find fault with it have been renewed, but
thus far without any success. These facts
alone would make it worth brief descrip-
ton. But what makes the subject an es-
pecially interesting one at the present
time is, that before you have read this
letter, the New York Health Department
may have fallen into great temptation
anu have gone with the majorlty-to The
Republicans.
About l,690,0 900 pounds of fat. the scraps
from metropolitan butcher-shopS and
slaughter houses, have 10 De disposed OF
here weekly. In the course OF a year, 1t Is
reported by the Board of Health, this re-
fuse is rendered into 55 per cent. oleo-
margerine and 10 per cent tallow. by six
licensed companies, at profit OF over
S, ,0O0, 900, on an investment OF about an
equal sum in plant and cost. a seventh
company, the United Dressed Beef Com
pany, has applied for permit to render
this tat, declaring that IL has plant that
cost 81. .000, 900, and so perfect that 1t can
pay higher rates for the scraps, which IN
terests the butcher-shops, and sell at a
lower price, which interests the public.
But the old companies are offensive with
their frightful odors-not always, but with
the wind in the right direction and ap-
paratuS in a frequently recurring lmper-
feet condition. The board has threatened
several times TO declare the industry a
nuisance and drive it from the city, hesi-
tating always because Of the injury to In
vested capital and settled labor. Now the
question is, shall this nuisance be eX-
tended by allowing another company TO
windward, or shall it preserve monop-
oily? For one of these it will do, unless,
and here is the true solution, from a
strictly sanitary standpoint, it decides to
take the opportunity to abolish the whole
evil, old companies aud new.
Inis may seem dry reading, but it is,
figuratively as we'll as literally, fat
question from politicians standpoint.
Here is great national corporation, with
millions TO back it. fighting for a permit
worth hundreds of thousands a year and
too willing TO pay for privilege that
sanitarily and legally should be granted
tree OF charge Or not at all. On the other
hand, there are six companies, likewise
rich and willing to pay, secretly oppos-
ing the admission OF a powerful rival,
pleading through a citizen and property
owner for denial of the beef company's
application for license.
Last Monday l saw a dramatic scene.
which L admit do not understand, but
which others may. Thomas +. Gilroy,
Jr., the senior being our Mayor, appeared
before the board as counsel for that OBJ
jecting property holder, but had hardly
begun to state his clients grounds of op-
position, when the client declared he did
not oppose the granting of the permit,
did not know Mr.. Gilroy was his coun-
sci and did not recognize his own affida-
Wit as read by President Wilson. The
Mayors son was dazed for a moment,
but caught his breath and spoke, saying
he wanted time, must have time, to find
out why he was thus repudiated by a
client, from whom he had written re-
tainer in his office.
Shortly before the meeting I had
spoken TO Mr.. Gilroy, and told him that
his client had foresworn him in my hear
ing. Its lie," he said; mot yours
but my clients"
Don't you represent really the six
companies?'' | asked.
Mo- he replied. 81 will not tell any
newspaper man whom | represent. 1
could get lots of business before the
municipal boards ii you didn't ham
mer me every time"
That is true. He could get lots of bus
mess before the boards as a lawyer, but
only because it would be expected that
his relationship to the Mayor and Chief
Sachem of Tammany would have inn
moral weight with his Judges. Had he
fine feelings he would develop his pro-
fessional business along other lines. But
his position, If he is honest, is indeed a
hard one. 1t is the visitation upon the
child, etc.
Well, when Gilroy was repudiated the
board grew scarlet in the face, for they
knew the scandal of it. They had called
q Especial meeting to hear the people OBJ
ject. When the people thus went back
on their opposition, the question became
purely sanitary again, at least outwardly
But there remains the fact that the
Mayors son had been called to represent
some opposition, and whence that comes
Is lu0 KEY W lu9 SlludtlOQ. IL was some
one who Gid not want to be known
openly, so we hammers inferred it was
the six companies. We are waiting now
TO see whether the board will escape or
become as fat in the hands Of somebody.
think and, though it would be a har-
vest tor me if it didn't, hope that the
board will do the right thing 1t would
be pity to see so well-established a
fame Tor honesty and good, scientific
work, fall to pieces and the cleanest spot
in the city's government soiled. The
boards have been trusted successiyely
more and more until now the department
has almost unlimited power. 1t can de-
clare 'any building. erection, excava-
ton, premises. business pursuits, matter
or thing" a nuisance, when ''in the opin-
ion OF the board" it is lin a condition or
in effect dangerous to life or health.v
(Section $50, New York Consolidation
Aet.) This may be called ''ample power"
The department is divided into two
bureaus-the sanitary division and that
of registration and vital statistics. The
first receives, investigates and makes
recommendations on complaints from
citizens or from the board: the second
performs the functions suggested in its
title. Over all sits the board, composed