Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-25
ON ANXIOUS SEAT,
Are Present Inspectors of AMI
mails and Provisions.
Mayor Has Determined on Personnel of
the soard-A Change of Methods if
Not of Men.

The news, published in these coluns,
Thursday morning TO the effect that
Mayor Dodge would undoubtedly send
down to the board of aldermen, at its
meeting Monday evening, TIC names of
his appointments of inspectors of pro-
| visions and animals, was read with no
small amount of interest Many persons
await appointments with more concern
than any others within the gift of the
city's chief executive.
To the present inspectors the an
nouncement came not only as a matter
of news, but also as a source of relief.
The board has been stirred this year as
never before; and, in consequence, the
| present incumbents are now on the anx-
ious seat. They are wondering If the
brick is going to stay up, so to speak.
or, when it drops, upon whose head it
will fall. They will be glad when the
appointments are In. and the suspense
is over, whatever may be the mayor s
decision.
The mayor has determined upon the
personnel of the board, only after a
thorough and careful investigation. 1t
was that he might become conversant
with the whole question that he had
Clerk Coffey of the board of health pre-
pare for him a synopsis IF the inspec-
| were created to the present year. The
facts and figures he has weighed pret-
ty carefully; the inspectors have been
| before him personally in his office and
| have also appeared before the finance
committee. Mayor Dodge was not es-
pecially favorably impressed with the
methods in vogue in the inspectors Of
flee, and there will be radical changes
in another year.
| Clerk Coffey, in having the synopsis
compiled, was obliged to get good deal
of his information from the reports Of
the state board of cattle commissioners,
rather than from anything the, inspec-
tors submitted directly to the city au-
thorities. The inspectors have never
made any reports to the board of health,
except in cases where they have seized
bob" veal or diseased meats at mar
kets. and these instances. the mayor
| finds, have been rare.
| A rather curious condition of affairs
exists in relation 10 the inspectors. The
statutes provide that they shall be ap-
| pointed by the mayor and board of al
dermen as ''inspecors Of provisions and
of animals intended for slaughter or
kept for the product Of milk" Their du-
ties are ito make regular and thorough
inspections of all neat cattle, sheep and
swine, found within the limits of their
city, and to be present at all licensed
slaughter houses on the day or days
designated for the killing Of animals,
and there carefully examine, at the time
of slaughter, the carcasses OF all neat
cattle, sheep and swine, slaughtered
thereat"
But these inspections of cattle are
made under the direction of the state
board Of cattle commissioners, and it is
to them that the inspectors make an an
nual report. This report is intended to
show the number cf neat cattle, sheep
and swine that have been examined dur
ing the year, the number considered sus-
picious and the number condemned
Whenever also they discover a diseased
animal they report to the state COM
missioners. The information the board
Of health, in the Office adjoining
receives does not in these cases come
from the inspectors, but from the cat
tie commissioners at Boston.
The inspectors up to the present year
had never filed any sort of report with
the mayor or board of aldermen, nor
have these officials ever beer officially
informed of what the inspectors might
be doing. This year Inspector Ellsworth
stole a march on his conferes on the
board and prepared a report which
went before the city government, show
ing the number of catt'e he had inspect
ed, and giving some other information
The remaining two inspectors, following
his example, have prepared reports
which are now in the mayors hands
When the mayor makes his appoint
ments, he is likely, also to suggest
some recommendations regarding the
management Of the inspectors, this year.
Like many others within and without
the city government, Mayor Dodge does
not like the idea of shifted responsible
", and believes that the cattle inspect
no 70 Ia 1oi1t
port at the board of health office, show
ing exactly the work for each day
As was stated in the Spy, Thursday
morning, Mayor Dodge will recommend
that the inspectors be appointed at re-
duced salaries. AT least that is what
a gentleman in position to know told
the Spy man last evening 1t was in
advertently stated that the salaries of
the inspectorswere placed at $500 a. year;
but, instead, two of the inspectors get
$1,000 year apiece, while the third who
has acted as chairn1an-although there
have been no meetings for many moons
RECEIVES $1100. In addition. Inspector
Streeter, who has also acted as milk,
oleomargarine and vinegar inspector,
mas received $3.50 additional, making his
total salary $1250. These figures the
mayor viii shave down considerably
The statutes provide, in case a city
fails to make its appointments, that the
appointments shall be made by the cat
! tie commissioners at salaries not exceed
ing $500. Other cities do not pay their
inspectors as much as Worcester while
in many places there are not so many
inspectors. In Barre, for instance, one
inspector looked after 1882 cattle; but of
course the slaughter-house feature of
the work was not so arduous. In view
| of all these facts, as well as others that
| came out at the time the inspectors
went before the finance committee,
| Mayor Dodge believes there could be
| saving in this department of city work,
and, following out the line Of economy,
will so recommend
| 1t has been stated that the mayor
would not appoint three inspectors this
| year, believing the duties OF the office
were not sufficient for so many men It
| is fact that he had the matter under
consideration; but, in view of the neces-
sity of having an inspector at each
! slaughter-house on every slaughtering
| day, a reduction has been deeTped mad
visable, and three will be named
] Whether or not Mayor Dodge intends
reappointing the old board or not or in
| sitting little new life into the depart
ment, has not been disclosed from any
| authentic source There are rumors to
! the effect that there will be a veterina-
rian upon the board this year, but the
mayor has made no promises
Whoever constitute the inspectors for
another year, 1t is certain that the city
government and the public will know
more about the doings of these men
| than thew have in the mast tUalva