The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-30
THE BOARD OF HEALTH SCANDAL

\ public scandal the Board of Health at its meet
ing on Tuesday made itself known as a part of
the Burns machine and turned its offices over to his
henchmen Alter this it is probable the scandals will
follow thick and fast for what else can be expected
OF board whose secretary is VIGOROUSLY disreputable
and whose other appointees fit associates of that
creature of the tenderloin?
The former Board OF Health was notably earnest in
its work and rendered the city important service The
fight undertaken against the sale OF impure food and
carried with such zeal and success by Food In
spector Dockery in the highest degree beneficial
1t went far toward preventing the sale of impure milk
and other articles OF food that spread germs Of dis
ease among the households OF the community. and
thus saved many family from sickness among its
members and probably from death itself
The new board, as if with deliberate intention to
give notice that it will not carry the work of the
former boardas ii to notify dishonest millmen and
grocerymen that they may with IMMUNITY resume the
sale of impure and diseased foods-removes Inspector
Dockery from the office which he has filed with so
much credit and bestows it upon man utterly nm
skilled in the work which the office Troublesome
who has other claim upon it than that of having
as an Assemblyman voted for Dan Burns for the
United States Senate
1t is not to Burns only, however that the board has
sacrificed the welfare of the community and the IN
claimed their share of the spois and the members Of
the board being themselves physicians in the paw OF
the road, have been prompt comply with the claim
he result is series OF appointments which the NH
lie regard with nothing less than anazenent and
indignation
AS was pointed out in The Call Yesterday two
members OF the board, DR.. Coffey and Dr. Pavne are
physicians OF the railroad company DR. Barbat is the
physician OF Dan Burns, and Dr. Keeney is essentially
political doctor They have put railroad doctors on
guard at every point under control OF the board The
city physician and the assistant city physician are both
IN the service OF the railroad people To the posons
OF assistant police surgeons there have been amounted
men who are either in the service OF the Southern Pa
cine or the Market Street Railway Company. or are
closely related to physicians that are
These men therefore in positions where thew can
guard the interests of the railroad company whenever
any victim OF railroad negligence or violation of law
is carried to the Receiving Hospital 1t safe to say
they will perform whatever work the railroad or Dan
Burns requires OF them, for it is for that they have
been appointed. -.
From Board OF Health so directed and so off
cered nothing be expected OF benefit to the Nib
lie The board appears to have organized itself as
machine to do politics OF the lowest kind for the low
est purposes and for the lowest persons 1t would be
folly for the Supervisors to appropriate any consider
able OF money for board so constituted and 60
open in its contempt for the public welfare The
health OF the city, moral as well as physical will
suffer rather than be helped by every dollar placed at
the disposal of such a board