The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-03-21
THE PUBLIC HEALTH
Borough Council and Board o1
Health Meet.
1T WAS A JOINT SESSION
One Disposition of the voxatious Vacoina-
tion Question-A Committee Appointed
to Determine who Are Too Poor to Pay
for Complying with the Ordnance.

A joint meeting of the Borough Coun-
Gil and Board of Health was held in the
Council Chamber last night, at which
Messrs. Mcclure, Hand, Kerns, Dough-
erty, Kane, Straughn, James, Gable, Nc
Blhenny, Gallagher and Meluskey, mem
bers of Council; Messrs. Spalding, Brough-
all and Miles, Secretary Scanlan and
Health Officer Miles, of the Board of
Health; and Frank Hanna, secretary of
the School Board, were present.
President Mcclure stated the object of
the meeting was to bring the borough and
Board of Health authorities together
for the purpose of discussing matters rel
ative to the public health and especially
with regard to the enforcement OF the
vaccination laws, whereupOn Mr. Spal-
ding said that 1t would be advisable for
the meeting to designate some means by
which the people who are too poor to pay
for the vaccination of children could be
designated. He said Pottsville had ap-
pointed physician to do the work Tor the
| borough, but he did not wish to be under
stood as recommending the same course.
Any means which would attain the pur-
pose of the ordinance would be satisfac
| tory to the Board of Health
Councilman Hand asked if it was
necessary that children who had already
| been vaccinated should comply with
| the ordinance, and DR.. Spalding answered
| that the ordinance requires that all
| children must he vaccinated within seven
| years, but he understood the superinten-
dent of the schools had decided that if
| children have been vaCcinated previously
| and have good scars ON their arms ne will
not insist upon another vaccination.
| There was considerab BILE discussion, dur
| ing which Mr.. Gable said that the com
| nh 1lat n bpiJ
the rights of citizens. MIR. Hand thought
| the rule ought to be enforced against all
children, whether they attend school or
not, and Mr.. Kane said that he did not
think it took rights from anybody, only
prevented those who did not comply with
the regulations from attending the public
schools But the main question hinged
on what method could be adopted to
determine who wasiOr may be able to pay
for the vaccination and who may not
Finally Councilman McElhenny moved
that committee OF one from each ward
be appointed to act as n committee to
inquire into the circumstances of people
| who may apply for free vaccination and
that the committee act in conjunction
with the Board of Health. The motion
was carried.
1t is understood that this committee is
to issue orders for vaccination in cases
where they find the circumstances of
families will not allow the expenditure
for the fee.
The president appointed as IA committee:
James Kane, First ward James McEl-
benny, Second ward; Y. j. James, Third
ward; Patrick Kerns, Fourth ward, and
| Patrick Hand, Fifth ward.
The meeting then proceeded to discuss
sanitary matters and Mr. McElhenny said
his attention had been called to the bad
condition of the gutter in front of the
Eraney property, on West Oak street, and
the trouble was supposed to be due to a
pile of lumber.
Chief Burgess Burns said Mr. Franey
promised to have the lumber cleared
away by the latter part of this week.
Councilman Gallagher then moved that
the Chief Burgess notify the tenants of
all properties in the town to clean their
cutters and that the Supervisor be in
structed to remove the material taken
from the cutters and also clean up the
streets. Carried.
Mr.. Kane added that it is the duty Of
the Chief Burgess to see that cutters are
kept clean and also see that pavements
are kept in repair,
Messrs. James and Gallagher followed
with statements to the effect that the
: Burgess should see that all garbage and
such stuff is dumped outside of the town,
? whereupon Mr., Daniels, Lieutenant OF
the Coal q Iron Police, arose and said
that the Health Officer had notified the
, C.. q |, Company that it was maintaining
nuisances on two of its prOpertes-neaI
the lime kiln and on the base ball
grounds, and the police had been in
structed to look the matter up. They did
so and Mr. Daniels named several people
who have been dumping stuff on the
company's properties, Mr. Daniels said
| if there was any ordinance covering the
case the @. q |. police would arrest every
body who might dump garbage on the
lands of the company
By direction of the president the sec
retary read a section of the health or
dinances which was accepted as covering
the case
A discussion then arose as TO where
garbage, etc, could be dumped. The p.
q r. company will not allow it to be put
in the mine breaches and the Gilbert and
other estates officials may not allow 1t To
be dumped on their lands,
Mr.. Daniels said he would give the
Health Officer all the help he could and
would make arrests for him, but he
would not be the prosecutor in the cases.
| Health Officer Miles said that Land
Agent Miles had given him TO understan d
that the bosses of the company have as
much right to look after the company g
interests in such matters as he had.
Mr.. James said the borough was paying
a Health Officer and it was his duty 10
abate such nuisances. The Board OF
Health had authority and should exercise
it.
Df. Spaldlhg uhoughu une WhoIe matter
was very much complicated and in his
opinion a crematory was the only solution
to the difficulty. A small town in the
western part of the state had built a
satisfactory furnace large enough in
which to burn a horse at a cost of but
$500.
Mr.. Il. f. Miles thought the Council
should take some stand and decide upon
some place for a dumping ground.
Finally an offer by Mr.. Daniel to confer
with the p, & h. company and see il
some site on one of the mountains can be
set aside for public dumping ground
was considered with favor aud the meet
ing hen adjourned