Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-13
THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG.
The Council Committee on Health Sat
With Closed Doors, Last Night.
Representatives of the Press In
vited to Retire from the Meeting.
Members Refuse to Say What
Was Done-A Well-Ref1ned Sus-
picion That There is. Something
Rotten in the State of Denmark.

There is something wrong with the
city Health Department.
The reader will probably say there is
nonews inthat statement ;and thereader
will be right if he refers to the manner
in which the smallpox situation has been
managed during the past six months,
but that is not what the Register has
in mind.
Aside from incompetency in dealing
with the smallpox, there is something
else wrong, and it was of such nature
and of so much Importance, that the
Committee invited therepresentativesof
the newspapers to retire from the Com
mittee room, last night, and then shut
ting the door and closing the transom,
the Committee de.iberated for three
quarters of an hour over matter which
looks very bad upon its face, and which
is doubtless as bad as it looks. The
members refused to tell what was be-
fore them, after the secret session was
over-Or rather they spoke of several
immaterial and irrevalent things, but
withheld the main business which
couldn't be given to the public, although
the public would be very much concern
ed if ii had access to the facts. After
ehe session, a hint was dropped that the
matter would possibly come up in Coun-
ell this evening. If it don't, perhaps it
will get to the public in a different way.
The session of the Committee practi
cally opened up on the City Hall steps,
last evening, when there was a
semi-secret conference between
the Republican members of the
body and the Assistant Health
Officer. The latter submitted
L document of some sort to several mem
oers of the body, and it was discussed
in a quiet sort of way with good
deal of interest.
After this, the Committee assembled
i'm its room, and a big roll of bills was
-al5en up. Bills for pay of guards,
nounting to $713, were read and rec
ohnended for payment, and then mis-
cellaneous bills amounting to about 500
were lad aside because they had not
been certified as correct by the Health
Officer. A bill for drugs, amounting to
$270.45. one for groceries. of SS003, and
another for groceries of S23002 were laid
\iside for the same reason, a coup.o OF
milk bills were allowed, and after the
whole of the liabilities had been passed
upon, il was ascertained that the bills
recommended for payment amounted to
S74915, while those neld over footed up
S6S271 The amount of the drug bill
was somewhat surprising to the Com
mitteemen and half-a-dozen of tn cases
we're sifted out, TO see Of the persons
20 whom the medicines had been fur
nished could not settle the bills them
selves. A special committee of three
was appointed to take this matter in
charge, and it is likely that some of the
money will be saved to the city.
The matter of new pest house came
up informally, and a communication
was read from Smith & Dickinson to the
effect that they were authorized by
Mrs. G.. w. Thompson to sell the ten
rOomed house across the road from the
pest house, with from two to five acres
of land, as might suit the city upon
easy nSul g. Alo NpLliAi uh-NibioA
was dated August 9Th. Several mem
bers of the Committee questioned the
situation as represented by the letter,
and Mr. Haller said Mrs. Thompson had
stated yesterday that she could not sell
unless at "a big figure, and that the city
must buy all the land. He further said
she could set no price until she had
consulted with her brother in New York
City.
There was a good deal Of talk over
the matter. and the communication from
Messrs. Smith e Dickinson was finally
referred TO a subcommittee, consisting
Of Messrs. Taylor, Haller and the
Health Officer.
There was no report from the sub
committee previously appointed to con-
wider one thing and another, and no ref
erence was made to the fact that there
had been three new smallpox cases
since last Friday. one of them being
first reported from Coal street yesterday
The Health Officer was not present, be-
ing detained at home by a very sick
child.
After the matters above referred to
had been considered, the Committee no
tilted the reporters to withdraw, and
the secret session was commenced, last
ing until ten o'clock.