New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-23
TUE ATTACKS ON DIR. EMERY
oov,yN PHYSICIANS STAND BY THE
HEALTH COMMISSIONER.

.,,,u.s OF THE CRITICISMS WHICH HIS AZ
cprssIvE COURSE HAS CALLED oUT-ALLE-
CATIONS OF PETITION FOR HIS
REMOVAL ANALYzED-A HEALTH
DEPARTMENT WORTHY OF
THE CITY AT LAST.
"a member Of Mayor Schieren'e cabinet as the
d NJ departments in Brooklyn taken collectively
~" sometimes called. has been SO bitterly attacked
>, denounced as Health Commissioner q. Taylor
GU The use of the word cabinet" in this re-
.o, bv the way. took its rise in the time OF
,,avor Low the first head Of the city government
10 had the absolute power Of appointing the vari-
=. Comm ssioners, and he made practice OF calling
49, heads Of departments into consultation al stated
.rvals for the purpose Of considering the needs of
49, city These meetings were not unlike Cabinet
.-qs held by The President OF the United States.
-, soon came 10 be called by the same name Mr..
- successors have not followed his example in
his matter. and the name cabinet is not so often
heard nowadays
s.ariiy welcomed by the medical profession OF the
- although some had felt that the logic OF the
,,ua,jon" naturally pointed TO the selection OF Dr.
u RAYMOND for this office, In view OF the ex-
Van, record made by him when at the head OF the
15sal,h Department under Mayor Low. DR.. Emery
:, musician Of high standing and uncommon ex-
,oerous reforms in the department and 10 get rid OF
a number Of subordinates who were either incom-
nsept or unfaithful BY his aggressive course he
,,psad enmities and his critics and opponents
rsre not slow vent their wrath upon him. AT
,.s, one Of the men whom he dismissed took the
matter into the courts. and secured his reinstate-
wen. on the ground that he had been dismissed
without cause. 1t was not long, however. before
cause for his discharge came 10 hand, and whereas
in the first place he had been dropped quietly. it
now became necessary 30 expose his shortcomings IN
the eyes Of the public. Through the organ or the
democratic Ring the enemies of the Commissioner
had an opportunity let their grievances be known
and not few molehns were exaggerated 10 the
dimensions Of mountains
The vigorous measures which DR.. Emery TOOK 10
nrevent the spread OF smallpox were another source
~ faul:Anding-to mild woodland the oppo-
,ens Of vaccination banded themselves together
N denounce what they termed his high-handed and
arbitrary measures. few weeks ago petition
was drawn up calling upon the Mayor TO remove Or.
Emery. IT alleged that he was incompetent and ex-
travagant. that he had employed men without civil
Service examinations. and discharged attaches OF
The Office without cause. and that in numerous re-
specs he was totally unfit perform the duties OF
his Office Copies OF this petition were circulated
cautiously but ii is not known that they have thus
for received any large number of signatures one
was left at a drugstore the Hill, but the drug
gis; has refused say who handed il TO him, .and
A wen-known physician. who did not care to have
his name mentioned in connection with the matter,
was asked TO give his version of the attacks on the
Health Commissioner He does not belong TO the
same political party. and his views therefore are
all the worthy OF attention.
Il have known Dr. Emery long time" he said
land know there is not squarer or straghter
man in Brooklyn The fact OF the matter is that we
have not had any Health Department in Brooklyn
since DR.. Raymond retired. II is the truth that
physicians going away from Brooklyn have blushed
10 acknowledge the name of their city for several
years past, since il has been known all over the
country that the Brooklyn Health Department was
under political control This the case under
both Dr. Otterson and Dr. Griffin. Under DR..
Emery have Health Department that is alive
and vigorous Dr.. Emery is man of aggressive
character-just the man needed for the place under
the circumstances. He has found it necessary 10
clear out a good deal Of dead wood, and OF course
ne has made enemies. But his enemies among
musicians are small men and OF little consequence.
The profession a a whole has the fullest commence
.n him. That shown plainly enough at the
meeting Of the Kings County Medical Society the
other night II had been given in the papers
that resolutions denouncing Dr. Emery were 10 be
proposed Ii C. night when one had almost 10
take a boat TO get there-ast Tuesday evenng-and
yet the place was damned. Not a single word was
said by the opposition against the Commissioner
see it stated on their behalf that the meeting was
packed. Well the place was, enough" added
the doctor with laugh.
Yes have heard about this petition. ne went
on. in fact. l have seen copy Of IL, but have
not seen signature to it, and have yet to hear Of
single man who has signed it.. For my part, /
should very much Ike to get copy Of it; would
have it framed and hang it up in my office under
DR.. Emerys picture. Every one OF the reasons
which are given there reasons for removing Com
missioner Emery is in reality an argument Tor re-
tanning him. They charge. for instance that ne has
ma
ana say that al the work intrusei 10 him ought TO
be done by the engineers OF the CITY Works De
partment. The fact is that this work has never
been done by those engineers, and it seems to me
high time that the city should have sanitary en-
dciai ~ ~ 49,. ~ 10.
cured the services OF bacterioogist and they say
that the Hoagiand Laboratory could be depended led
fore Or. Emery appointed Commissioner the
S0T to- apSont W It happens
that in my own have been able 70 estimate
called 10 attend boy. and pronounced it case OF
took culture and sent il to the Health Depart
boy was so much better that ! was half inclined TO
he Was practically we'll and was the point Of
diseharging him and letting him go TO school me
from the department, and when the report came
proved 10 be genuine diph,nera h bs1 iSr w mr.
whiting neans OF exposing many children 10 the
disease
Another grievance against the Commissioner Is
that he has spent $4,000 In suppressing smallpox
In ny Judgment that is entirely 70 his credit No
three lives and every one must admit that that was
worth while DR.. Emery really handled the smallpox
epidemic in an admirable manner. and the contrast
which the petition makes between this year ana
1916 is really in mis- favor. SO with all the charges
made In this wonderful document. II begins: The
undersigned. citizens and taxpayers have yet
10 hear Of single citizen and taxpayer who taxes
any stock in the matter. The men behind u are a
few soreheadS. who have either been got rid or oy
Or. Emery or who have applied 10 him for places
and failed 10 get them They are without weight or
Influence. / do not believe that Dr. Emery Is In the
least disturbed by this any other that has
been made on him At all events. / know that ne
that me general Feeling is that for the first time In
years Brooklyn has a Health Department worthy OF
the name and adequate 10 the needs OF the city
Inquiry Al OF her drugstOres than the referred