St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-24
DEPARTMENT. OF HEALTH.
Committee Recognizes the Bene-
its of Iis Efficiency.

This department is under the man
agement of a board composed OF
health commissioner. the chief Of po-
lice. and the city attorney.
The official head of the commission is
the commissioner of health, on whom
the charter. sec. 20S. PIP. 16S, Municipal
Code. 1898. places the management and
control of the department.
The commissioner holds Office for the
term of four years, and is appointed
by the mayer. and must be competent
physician of regular practice.
He is authorized to appoint an as
Sistant. health officers. 2 meat and
live stock inspectors, and watch
men. one for day and one for night
dump-of what. the charter is silent.
The salary Of the commissioner is
s.. 400 per year, and of his assistant
1920 per year. The compensation of
other employees is to be fixed by the
commissioner; but the same shall not
exceed 500 per year for watcnmen, For
$500 per year for other employees. Not
exceeding six assistants in the depart
ment can be employed between Nov.
l and April 10, N any year, without as
sent of the council, by two-thirds vote.
The total expense of the department
is limited to Sl2,GGO per year.
Neither the commissioner nor his
chief assistant is required to devote his
entire time to his official duties.
The work of the health board is
meant TO be preventive in character;
TO insure cleanliness, and prevent the
spread of disease. To these ends, eH-
tenSive powers are vested i'll the COM
missioner.
The commissioner is also the official
registrar of all births and deaths oc-
curing in the city, and the custodian
of an adequate stock of vaccine virus,
for the proper and timely Vaccina ton
of the inhabitants. He is commanded
to see that all applicants for admission
to the public schools have been prop
erlY Vaccinated, and to require tie
holding Of certificates of Nacchation,
as condition precedent 10 admission.
Under ordinance regulations, he is re-
quired to examine and approve the
monthly bills of the garbage removal
contractor. and to enforce deductions
for omissions to remove garbage winch
should have been taken away.
The pay roll Of this department for
October. 1895, was handed +he commit
tee, as fair sample for the year: o,oo
Commissioner ......... .......-..,..- SOD
Assistant commissioner ........... luO
Inspector contagious diseases. .
Inspector of live stock. 90
Inspector of meats. S............... -. 50
TWO health officers, $50 each........ 120
Bookkeeper and stenographer. 80
Total :.......... .................. $3.50
This would be at the rate Of 81, $50 rer
year. 1t is not understood that the
incumbents of the first four places on
the above pay ron are eApeCISu " VI
do spend any stated portions of their
time upon their official duties in this
department. The two health officers
are understood to be mere inspectors.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Your committee recognizes the public
benefits of all efficient health depart
mcut, and does not dispute the ell
ciency of the board as now organized;
The committee does think as good
work could be done, if the health de-
partment should be reconstructed, so
as to make the city and county ply
sician eX-oftiicio health officer.
The chief of police should also be
given more prominence upon the board
than he now has. He should really be
its head, so far as concerns the clean
liness of the town. In all matters
pertaining to diseases and their proph-
ylactics, the city and county physician
could manage, with slight increase, or
none at ALL Of expense in his depart
ment. Should special eXigencies make
it desirable, a, system Of meat and ami
NAL inspection might be established.
One or two men at that work, in a
place of this size, could accomplish lit
tie. even If competent and Industrious.
When real occasion for animal and
meat inspection arises a force should
be employed ample for the prompt
and thorough doing Of the work.
Thus reorgaEiZed, the expense of the
per year less than now, without need
for material impairment of its real
efficiency.
Until such consolidation can be eff
fected the force in the department
should be reduced to the following:
Commissioner .......... ...... ....S2, 400
One health officer ....,..... ........ 720
one meat inspector .,.............. 726
One bookkeepe .....,.............. SOC
Total .......... ........-.........$4 81 ,44O