New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
A BENIGNANT AUTOCRACY.
POWERS OF THE BOARD
OF HEALTH IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST,"
o~,o an Jaw THAT GIVE II

|
| Health which is used from time to time III 'i'e
interests of the public, when purely sahi'a'S
cuestons do not seem to be involved Is Gun
ferred by two sections of the consolidated ac'
which have been made a part or the "ie".e'
| New York Charter. One OF those secuohs' u"u'A
which the Board Of Health has been ac'iis ~.
years gave to the Board authority ~ mon
| laws. regarding the health and comfort Vi ~
| people Of the city and expressly deciareu ina
| suob authority was not limited to matters OK
health The other section gave to the boaru
authority to abate public nuisances dangerous
10 human life or detrimental to heaith' "u.'
sweeping provisions of law give to the hea,.'
Board almost unlimited power to protect puo''0
health and life in the city, and 1t mas Dec" o"
Of the traditions of the Health Department '"".
the power should be used careiuiiy'
| favor and with no motive or oppression'
| There has been no more striking eN"P'
the use Of such power in recent years thah inc
! action of the Health Board which coihpe''eu INV
Netronolitan Street Railway Company to stop
the danger at Dead Mans Curve by the use u
| an ir,nroved grip Public camor and indict-
! ont nv the Grand Jury had failed to move thc
| railroad COMPANY but when the Health boai"
| rossad n resolution forbidding the company lroh'
! mining cabe-cars around curves at odhsei
ous rate of speed there was Immediate ac''oA
! An amusing incident connected with the iii''0
duction of the grip which allows the caoe-''''
! to be run slowly at the curves WIS " YIN
ton held between of the railway ol'icia'' "'A
q prominent sanitary official just after liie pU
| Ito boo, mo aware of the improvement. Inc ran
road man said the company really "as no'
afraid Of the Health Board, and the use OF INC
,mnroyed grip had been intended Tor n'anS
months. .
I'VE should have used the ne" grip "i'"
an order from your Board ne SAID
Then I can't understand why you hep' VII
killing people so long and wanted so much 10 get
4 slice of Union Square said the sanitary oii-
| cial. -
Only n few days ago there was adueo ~ 'ne
Sanitary Code a section which forbids any ran
ooa oomnonv from using cars in the city which
are not under absolute control on curves, ana
! also forbds a gripman or motorman from SEND
ms, y car around a curve at a rate of speed WHICH
is dangerous to life or detrimental to health.
NOT ALWAYS MADE PUBLIC.
Sometimes the Health Board uses its power IN
the interests of public comfort without having
it's action made known to the public Complaint
was made several weeks ago that one OF the
largest corporations in the city was allowing
nuisance which was annoying to many residents
was difficult to show that the nuisance was
danger to health. Sanitary experts which we're
sent to make an investigation presented reports
which made the nature Of the nuisance clear,
and they were placed on file. Then an official of
| the corporation politely requested TO have
the nuisance abated being informed at the same
time that the Health Board would grant hear
ing before proceeding to issue an imperative
order In a few days the nuisance was abated
entirely and the hearing was not needed.
What may happen when corporation re-
fuses to obey order to abate a nuisance was
! shown a few years ago in the case of a gas
company which continued TO allow drps from
its gas retorts to flow into the East River after
il had received positive warning to desist. The
action Of the Health Board taken after
calm deliberations and after several hearings, in
which the gas company had been allowed to
make all sorts of explanations and raise all pos
sble objections. Thousands Of poor people liv-
ing in tenement houses near the river had suf-
fered from the effects of a sickeninS odor that
came from the water at times. Sanitary in
spectors had made Investigations and had dis
covered that the water at such times Wa GOV.
cred with a thin film of scum, and the chemist
had made sure that the scum was caused by the
gas drps which were allowed to flow into the
river when the retorts were cleaned.
Lawyers in the pay of the gas company de-
clared that there was no way of preventing the
flow of the drps into the river and that the sup
ply Of gas would have to be cut off if the opera
tons of the company were stopped, but the
Health Board issued the order to stop the nui-
sance. The company failed to obey at first. San
itary policemen were sent to arrest the officers
of the company, and the sanitary officials were
about ready to declare the gas works public
| nd cIn han no