Evening journal., 1896-05-04
TROUBLE IN THE CHOIR.
The New Board of Health Do
Not Sing in Perfect Accord.
THB MAYOR DID NOT FIGURE RIGHT

Situation.
There is a regular Boston tea party in
tae Board OF Health harbor and the cargo
carried by the good old ship Is liable to be
qusrantined until the matter is settled
On Thursday evening the sppoIntees Of
Mayor .Jefferls received their diplomas as
members Of the new board and then the
new officers are elected and appointed
Bat there Is 3 cloud In the horizon, and
the political ralnm1kers are busy trying
to shift it over to New Jersey, Cuba or
some other foreign countrr, and thus
preserve the serenity which has always
characterized this most essential depart
msnt Of the municioRl government, ex-
cept when II net the Board of K iucatl on
and won
The Size OF a Mans Hand.
The cloud is only as large as a mans
hand and the man who holds the hand
seems to be George Ward, who was
announced as the plumber who would be
appointed by Mayor Jefferis when the
time came The other members named as
appolntees were DR. Joseph P Pyle who
was alated es president, Dr. John Q
Fancy and ]. Harvey Spruance, the last
named representing tha business mems
end Of the board The hold over
members are DR.. Willard sprin ger.
port physician, who is appointed
by the governor, and James Wilson
city engineer, who Is member by virtue
OF his Office. The trouble is In the
organization Of the board and In the
naming of the appointive officers, viz
secretary, four executive officers, and
three men at the cremAtory. and the story
Is best told by man who has made the
situation q study-or at least processes to-
He told an EVENING JOURNAL reporter
the following. which he claimed wero
facts, and which the reader can season
cum grano sails at his pleasure.
Condition Not n Theory.
when the condition and not the
theory, |. a, the naming OF the new
Board of health, presented itself TO
Mayor Jefferis, he had an Idea tn ct there
were but Ave members In the Board OF
Health, two physicians, a port physician,
q plumber and a business mRn, and that
three we're a majority. He left the city
engineer entirely out OF the problsm In
naming these four men, for he had moth
ing to do with tho port physician, that
official having been named by Governor
Cochran and nsver having been super
csdsd, he selected three, Dra. Pyle and
FaheY and ex Representative SpruRncs.
There was no particular strife for
Office among the plumbers. 80 It WAS de
oldsd to select Mr. Ward, who was the
only Democratic plumber in the city who
had been active In politics He didn't
want It, and the Office was literally thrust
on him and then he sccepeted The three
others we're pledged to Joseph R Jsfferls
a.. ~ A 4 q a..
mayer and John T. Dickey, who practically
made the slate, wanted the naming of
the secretary and four executive officers,
but this was refused Then they settled
on the secretary. and this was conceded
them and all WAS serene.
The Plans Gang Oft AgIes.
Mr.. Ward was not consulted. FIRST be
cause It wssnot thought he WAS needed.
and secondly, because be WAS considered
rather independent and not likely to
enter r combine
"Au obstacle first presented itself in
DR. Springer Way back when Drs
Pyle and Springer we're members Of the
State Hospital staff. this tro Bile gan
The two physicians get q salary OF $500
year each, but one of them Is ooroner's
phyoician, with an added salary OF $500 1t
was customary to lump the three salaries
and then split them IN half, giving each
doctor $3.50 a year This DR. Springer
refused to do and war was the conss-
quence Then he WAS dropped from the
staff and DR. Fahsy succeeded him, and
shortly after DR.. Springer made war on
both hls Successor and De Pyle This
feeling has always existed, and s as
fresh now aB ever.
where the Trouble Comes.
Had the Board Of Health been com
posed Of but five there would be ro
trouble. but with City Engineer Wilson,
Republican. DR.. Springer, mad, and Mr.
Ward unconsulted and independent,
there WAS a row Ia the choir. DR.
Jeheris discovered It and put the poll
ticians on to Mr. Wsrd aud when they
began to tell him how he must act aud
what he must do he got slightly
angry aud was not backward In
saying that he knew his business
and proposed to use his own good dis
erection and declined to 20 into caucus
with the new members. Then he was
threatened. Although the selection
was made some time ago and announced
by Mayor Jefferis him self, the appoint
ments we're not made until May z ard
until then changes can be made Harry
A. Miller was asked to accept and de
cllned aud lt is said other Democratic
plumbers were asked to be the substitute
for Mr.. Ward and they declined Then
Mr. Ward got really angry and de6sd
the mayor TO change his announced Sp
pointment-and thereit stands.
DR.. Springer Makes n Slate.
"Prior to Mayor Jsfferis's Announce
ment, Dr. Springer had INDUCED In slate
making aud had elected the following:
Drs. Peter W. Tomlinson aud Howard
Ogle, William J Splsin. plumber, ard
j. M. Ghfhn as the business nan The
slate favored DR.. Springer as president,
and M. d Crossan as secretary. This
was allowed to come very near to a
blossom before Mr. Dlckey nippei IT,
As consequences there was
still greater frieidity grew up between the
waning clans. As II now stands there are
three members. Drs. Pyle and Fahey and
]. Harvey Spruance for Joseph r JET
ferris fer secretary, and two who are for
no one In particular providing he is not
the candidate OF the three, and one, City
Engineer Wilson, who Is In favor OF al
IL fha rraoanf ofp 49,. - ~.~..f..