The San Francisco call., 1899-08-01

The Board of Health has gone as far
as 1t dares in its threats to injure the
city to jeopardize the health of its peo-
pie and to force the Supervisors to pro-
vide out of the public treasury for the
motley and disreputable herd of Burns
campaigners.
When the Board of Health took office
the members shameIessly appointed
men utterly unqualified for the posi-
tions to which they had been chosen.
Gamblers, rOustabouts, tenderloin loaf
ers and political parasites were placed
IN positions where they could render
no public service and. would feed upon
public bounty
People of the city were Justly indig-
nant, but the Board of Health impu
IDENTIFY replied that the public had no
choice and the city must pay for the
gang of blackguards chosen to admin
lister affairs of life and death The
board threatened that If it did not re-
CeiVe carte blanche in the way Of funds
every health department in the
city would be crippled to such a degree
that the Supervisors would be forced to
appropriate all the money that was
necessary for the outrageous raid. 1t
was even insinuated that if necessary
the political highWaymen, who stood
behind the shoulders Of the Board OF
Health at the doors of the city treas
ury, would declare an epidemic ana
force open the treasury for even
greater thefts. It was shown that the
people Of the city would become par
alyzed with fright and San Francisco
would be dealt a blow from which 1t
would not recover in years. Frantic
endeaVOrS were made TO prove that the
bubonic plague had entered this port,
and that other frightful maladies were
likely TO follow in its wake. The Board
Of Health was determined to accom-
plish its raid.
AS predicted in The Call on Sunday,
Il has now gone as far as ii dares in its
shameful schemes. In order to- force
the Board Of Supervisors TO open the
treasury, the Board of Health has
closed all the receiving hospitals-that
which is located in the City Hall, the
one on the water front and the third
IN Golden Gate Park. The bureau of
vaccination has been abolished, the de-
partment Of food inspection has been
wiped out, the archaeological annex,
which made itself ridiculous in its eff
forts TO find the buboniC plague where
ii did not exist, has reached an inglOr-
ious end. Assistants in other depart
ments have been removed and every
possible effort has been made TO de-
mOralize the administration of health
affairs in this city.
The board has been utterly unscrup-
ulOus in its daring efforts to accom-
plish the loot of the treasury, as it
was shameless and impudent in its ap-
pointment Of political ruffians 10 pub
lie Office. The entire scheme has no
other motive than this.
Perhaps the most outrageous action
of the Board of Health in this direction
is in closing the Receiving Hospital at
the City Hall. The members of the
Board of Health believe that they have
the city by the throat and they intend
to choke 1t into submission. Utterly
without cause they have closed its main
receiving hospital upon the absurd
ground that it is in an unsanitary con-
ditiOn. a prearranged report in refer
ence to the condition of the hospital
was submitted by the Plumbing In
spector. The board had no shadow of
excuse for closing the hospital except
upon the lame ground that it was un-
Sanitary. AS far as emergency cases
are concerned, the hospital is in a bet
ser condition than it has been in years,
but the Board of Health is determined
to frighten the people Of the city to
the last degree.
This was illustrated in an almost
horrifying manner after midnight this
morning. The board had decided that
the hospital should close at midnight
notwithstanding the fact that the
3Oard OF supervisors ndQ during the
afternoon transferred S475 TO the health
fund to be used in making the improve
ments and repairs which Health officer
LawlOr had declared to be imperative.
These repairs will cost no more than
this sum. and they can be made with
out haste within two days. The Board
OF Health said, however, that the hos
pital must close, and at midnight the
doors were locked.
One Of the attendants, DR.. Morrison,
however, remained on duty Shortly
after midnight Officer MCGEE brought
a patient in all haste to the hospital
This patient was Martin Riley a sol
der in the casual detachment at the