The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-04

Breaking and entering dwellipgs..... IL
| Breaking and entering stores. ........ &C
burgiary .s....................
FORGERY. ....................
| HnHpiing'.. .......s. s...................
| Highway robbery ry................. 80.
| Houses OF ill-fame. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. IL
In pcssG ssion OF burglars tools...... 2
Liquor nuIsantes.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. So
Larceny, grand. .s.............. AZ
Larceny, Observation-Disclosures. 307
| Larceny from the person. n............
Amount of property stolen... S35. .O26. Ia
| Amount recovered. s25. 2S5. n
Fugitives from justice from oth.r
| states captured and returned .. AZ
The experie ace OF year has fully dam
opstrated the fact that the farther this
department is removed from political
| influence IN the making of appointments,
| removals. and promotions, as well as In
! It's general management. the higher w III
be its efficiency and the greater benefit
| will II render to the community. The
same experience has proved that this
| department can be managed efficiently
and satisfactorily without tire sppoint-
ment OF police commission and the
consequent imposition of an additional
burden OF salaries on the taxpayer.
FIRE DEPA RTMENT.
Ibis department continues to msinta In
the high standard of excellence for which
1t has been distinguished and to which, in
great part, the citizens of Providence are
indebted for the small insurance rates
they sre compelled to pay In comparison
with those OF other cities. Under the
present board of ire commissioners the
city has we'll organized, we'll equipped
and efficient force, the members of which
have teen prompt, active and fearless in
the performance Of the tasks assigned
them, and their efforts ARE deserving Of
tie warmest commentator. The need of
additional water facilities for fire aervice
the center OF the city was made man
ifest during the year, and In accordance
with the recon meldation OF the lire
commissioners, pipes for a separate sys-
tenn of high pressure water service for fire
purposes are now being laid as rapidly as
the special castings can he procured,
and Ii Is expected that the new system
Will be ready for use in the epr;ng. Our
city wilt then have facilities for extin-
gushing fires, unsurpassed by those OF
any other city In the country.
i would call your attention at this time
to the necessity OF placing all the wires
OF the fire alarm service under ground as
speedily as possible. Interference by
other wires with those OF this department
IS lieble at any time to prevent the send
ing In Of an alarm of fire erd thereby
cause disastrous results to the commun-
ity. i consider this proper time to urge
necessary steps to compel the electric
lighting and the other companies using
wires IN our streets to place ell wires un-
derground. The presence of highly
charged overhead electric wires In our
streets is constant danger to the lives
ana property of our citizens. as the fire.
quent accidents, some resulting in death
during the psst year, testify. Minor con-
alterations such as the removal Of un-
slightly poles from the streets and the pre-
vention of damage to shade trees might
also be urged.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
The death rate for the year has been
about the same as for the last few years.
or the contagious diseases TYPHOID fever
mas caused less deaths than for several
years. indicating that for the last n
months Pawtuxet-water has not.been SER
iously polluted. Scarlet fever has caused |
81 deaths, which is a smaller mum Der than
any year since 1891. There has been
more diphthcris, however, than at any |
time since 1878. II is diuicult to determine |
exactly ow..great this increase has been.
There have been over eight hundred |
cases, which is very much more than any |
year since the report of cases was re- |
luired. But this very great increase is
not entirely real, for new methods of |
1isgnosis have brought to light large
1umbe OF cases of this disease which in 1
ormer years were not recognized. The |
lum ber OF deaths was 1876, which 10 also
sreater than In any year since 1878. II Is
generally beIieced that the death rate
would have teen much higher IL IL had
lot been for improved methods of treat
nent. During the past year or two,
'iphtheria has exhibited q more malig-
lant and contagious form than usual.
)ther Now England cities have suffered
more and earlier than Providence and the
vsve that affected them apparently
cached Providence this year. 1t Is the
pinion of the superintendent OF health
hat the proper way to manage both
iphtheria and scarlet fever is TO COM
letely isolate each Infected family or
nse. lie has not, however, felt like
rging such measure at the present time
3 IL would be much more difficult to sue
essfully mniptain nnd very extensive
mere there Is an unusual mum ber Of cases.
he OF health reports thst
,uch difficulty IL experienced from un-
seognized or concealed cases where no
hvsican has been called, and also from
no lack OF cooperation on the part of
rrtain physicians. In May, the contag-
'us disease hospital built BY tho city on 4
ne grounds OF the Rhode Island Hos
tal was opened. Since that time "a
lses Of scarlet fever and % cases OF
Iphtheria have been treated there.
Considerable money has bson expended
\ school houses during the year in the
nprovement of their sanitary equipment
id they have never been in so satisfac-
ry condition as ut present. But there
q still quite number of the cldor
ouses I'm which the sanitary arrange
epts are deficient and such alterations
iorld he MADE In them as will bring
cm more on rar with the newer
nildings. Ii sometimes happens that
nrecognized cases OF contagious discase
tend school for a while and II has been
commended that the most etfcc,uni wny
Prevent this IL to provide for the dsilv
g rical insueclion ot each school. This
ould he Of benefit Ia many other ways,
reeialiy In detecting other forms OF
sfase among the children.
The queslion Of public hsths has re-
ived vonsidorshln attention during the
- ycar. and an address, on the subject
IN Illustrations was give| before the
cmb,rs 81 the City Countil a commit
? TO consider anc report on the subject :
= beon sop, intsd aDd it Is hoped tnat /,
"a idcuce wilt see the recessitv. from
nit'ry point OF view.o establishing one
moro public bstns similar To he ore
l. /