The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-02
KEEP THE CITY CLEAN.
What 1t Will Cost the Taxpayers to
Do So.
EXPERT OPINIONS ON THAT LINE,
Some Brief Interviews with Several Ex'
Health Odicers, ms Well IS With
the Present Incumbent.

The fact that the mayor recommended
in his annual message the appropriation OF
only sl0,537 for the maintenance OF the
health department has caused The Post to
seek the opinion of some of the leading
physicians of the city as to whether or
not this sum was sufficient.
The preponderance of evidence seems TO
be In favor of the proposition that that
sum is not sufficiently large for the proper
protection Of the city's health.
II should be remembered, however. that
that was the amount expended by this
department last year, and 1t is also a
fact that there has been considerable COM
plant during that time about the sanitary
condition of the city.
Dr. Rutherford. who was health officer
of the city for period OF ten years,
ending in 1889. was asked about the mat
ter.
1.-The amount suggested for the main
tenance of the health department Is not
half large enough" said he. "Ihere
ought to be three health inspectors ana
ono head health Inspector under the d.
rection and control of the city health oih~
Ger. What is done now In the way oi
improving tho sanitary condition OF the
city bears about the same proportion Ia
what ought TO be done as does n tuo to
n whale. There are places In this c'ty
that have not been touched IN eight years.
1t took about $4,000 to run the henith
department when / was health oiicer. ana
the city was much smaller then IMAM
now. The city ought to run us own
garbage carts and there ought not to De
less than twelve Of them. They would
more than pay for Themselves every year.
In the old cities of Augusta Charleston
and others, after trying various plans OF
removing garbage, they have found that
II Is best for the city to own It's own
carts. There are thousand things these
carts can be put to doing to improve the
sanitary condition OF the city, hesid1s
haulin.. garbage. The unnecessary poii-
tical howl that It would furnish All avenue
for corruption rests only In the heart oil
tire dishonest man. The health otioer
should be a versatile and accomplished
physician. a man who thoroughly under
stands chemistry and can at sight know
what IL detrimental to the health or tue
community. and he ought to have nerve
10 remove II without fear or favor.
1.-The bayou question IL one that demands
tho attention of this department l ara
on record as being opposed TO the Dram
ing OF sewers into the bayou ana opposed
1t when Cleveland, House. Waldo ana
other men were IN the city council. i
made a fight against II as detrimental 20
health. Tho running of public sewers into
the bayou, gave license 10 private indi-
viduals 10 run private sewers Into that
stream. The bayou Is ceskpool, gov
erned by tide water. erete matter con-
stantly flowing therein. change In
temperature precipitaring the more dan
gerous portions. make constant accumu-
iaiion at the bottom and sides. from which
ms phitie gases constantly effervesce. and
il takes no solon 10 say that the constant
accumulation, dissipation and distribution
Will certainly result IA dotriment 20 the
public health. We Gre sleeping upon
volcano whose erumbling Is constantly
heard. whenever five weeks cf weather
consecutiyely allow the tide 70 govern the