The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-02
MAYORS MESSAGE
TO CITY COUNCIL

little IN common with the other de-
partments. This was especially called
to my attention when the school COM
mittee awarded the contract of supply
ing the school houses with wood Go a
private individual, while the poor de-
partment had many CORDS OF wood al
ready on hand which II could not dis
pose of. BY this arrangement, in or
der to save ten cents per cord (the diff
ference between the bid OF the poor de-
partmnt and the individual amount
ing in all TO the sum OF "A very few
Lollars), the city finds itself with
large stock OF wood on hand which IL
cannot sell, and therefor must suffer
the loss OF many hundreds OF dollars.
IL also suffers from the fact that IL Is
deprived of the means of labor to be
given 10 persons who ask assistance OF
the city. This seems To me poor bust
ness policy. The various departments
should think more OF the city as a
whole and less OF their individual In
terests. One hand should be made 10
wash the other whenever possible. and
i commend 10 the various departments
a. careful consideration of this sub
ject.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
our city Is to be congratulated upon
the fact that the past year. has been an
uneventful one so far as the health de-
partment is concerned. There have
been no marked outbreaks OF any con-
tagious disease. The death rate for
the past eleven months OF the year was
17S6 per thousand. which is smaller
than Tor many years. There have been
fewer cases of scarlet fever and diph-
liberia than for several years. and there
has been less than the average amount
OF typhoid fever.
The hospital for contagious diseases,
built by the city on the grounds of
hs. h.1 IeIa nd n ts.l inn 20.
do excellent service, and is used more
and more each year by those who have
not the means for proper isolation ut
home. Although the cases tnat go there
do not present the most favorable con-
ditions for recovery, the percentage OF
deaths is less than i'm the city at large.
The superintendent informs me that
comfortable ambulance is sorely need
ed to convey the sick to the contagious
ward, that IL could be procured at
reasonable cost, secondhand hack.
properly converted, being one of the
best arrangements. j would advise an
appropriation for that purpose
The abatement of nuisances is. in the
eyes of the public, one of the most inn
portant functions OF the board OF
health Whenever the public suffers
from vile Odors or gases. or from Nth
or decomposition Of any kind, the
health department is at once appealed
assistance. Prompt and efficient in
spection is necessary TO ferret out nuis-
ances and to see that orders for their
abatement are obeyed. 1t is only by
continual vigilance that the unhealth-
ful localities can be prevented from
becoming a menace 10 growing city.
We cannot be too careful of the pub
lie health.
Intimately related to the health de-
partment are those of the inspector of
plumbing. inspector of provisions and
Inspector Of milk.
INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING.
The necessity OF inspecting the
plumbing and drainage system In our
buildings, both public and private, with
a view TO improving the health condi-
tions of the City. was first recognized
in 1898, when an Act was passed author
izing the City OF Providence to es-
tahHsh such a department, but
even the strongest advocates of
the measure. at that time, were hardly
prepared to find that nearly 80 per cent.
OF the plumbing being done in the City
was defective. Such, however, was the
fact And this was because workmen
were careless, and there was nobody to
apply proper and suitable tests TO their
work Under the present system OF in
spection, the amount of defective work
has been gradually reduced TO ii per
until defective work is hardly known.
The cost of this department. annually
is S., 500 90. and there are 200 plumbers
and ~ drain layers. whose work dur
ing the present year has involved near
ly 5000 inspections. Many cities have.
during the past two years,adopted laws
providing for house to house inspec-
ton OF plumbing. I believe this 10 be a
step i'm the right direction. The reports
show that i'm houses of the better
classes dangerous defects are some
times discovered which would other
wise remain an unknown menace to the
occupants.
INSPECTION OF PROVISIONS.
The Inspector of Provisions informs
me that changes in the laws relating
to his department should be made at
once The law relating 10 bob veal, So
, called, should be such that imprison-
ment and fine might be imposed FOR
keeping or for selling. He also thinks
that a law should he enacted. prohibit
ing the sale OF poultry that has not
been drawn when killed
Ills report on work done during the
last eleven months tustifies the cost
OF this department. ] think that pure
food law. similar to that OF some Of the
other states. would be a highly impor-
tant measure to ask of our General AS
sembly.
INSPECTOR OF MILK.
No-offce in any wise related TO the
public health is more important than
that of Inspector OF MIX, and this is
shown by the following statement:Dur-
ing the year there have been registered
as dealers i'm milk. in this city, from
wagons. $50 persons; in stores. 1905;
making a total of 1885 dealers. The con-
sumption OF milk In this city is about
so 000 quarts a day. for. which the peo-
pie pay annually about 81. 10000. When
we realize that a large proportion of
the consumption of this milk Is by in
fants whose health. indeed whose lives.
may depend upon It's purity, the i'm
portance Of proper laws In relation
thereto. and the most stringent en-
forcement of those laws becomes par
ticularly apparent.
The department has. for the last two
years been brought To n high degree Of
efficiency. Many important arrests have
been made and convictions procured. In
the last three months seven arrests
have been made. and all of the defend
ants found guilty In the lower court.
One Of them settled his case and the
WNNA.