New-York tribune., 1899-01-10
in contemplation which taxpayers will need to
watch with unremtting vigilance.
CLEANSE HAVANA.

The United States has less than Ave months
IN which to do the work laid out for II by Colo
mel Waring. 1t has lis warning made more
impressive by his death The plague spot OF
Havana must be cleansed and clcansed thor
oughly by June / next, or there Is every rea-
son TO fear that yellow fever will be rife in the
~Cuban capital next summer. while the Increased
traffic with the United States and the presence
there of American officers and soldiers VIII
make the communication of the disease to our
cities almost inevitable. Halfway measures
will be worse than none at all. for they VIII
only foster deusive feeling OF security and
encourage carelessness on the part or many
who under present conditions would take pre-
cautions not 10 spread the disease at nome
Moreover, there is danger that some necessary
improvements, such rs sewering, would through
the digging up OF infected earth rather increase
than diminish disease unless the complement
tary work Of paving was at the same time car
ried to completion If the work Is to be done
at all Il must he done on a large scale and MT
once, and In view OF the new menace which
comes from this century-old nuisance to our
people as we'll as Of the obligation which we
have assumed In the Island. there should be no
question about our Governments undertaking
the work in accordance with the plans Of Colo
mel Waring.
The outside estimate made Tor the thorough
sanitation of Havana is S10.OOO,OOO. That IS
none too large n sum to invest In stamping out
yellow fever in its breeding place. II the dis
ease should be permitted to live there, and un-
der present favorable conditions for transmits
sion should start an epidemic in one OF our
large cities the cost TO industries and COM
merce would be easily ten times S10'WoVh.
II Colonel Warng were living 1t would be
worth while to appropriate the S100O0oOO for
the sanitation OF Havana, to be expended abso-
lutey under his direction, with full authority
to take all necessary measures for carrying out
his plans. Some one else must now be found
to take up the task and. because OF It's mag
ntude as we'll as the brief time at command
he must have penary powers. The usual
methods OF Government work at harbor I'M
provement are not in order here. Neither are
fussing and cheeseparng and delay. Exactly
what ought to be done ,s known. and outline
specifications Of how to dc 1t are at hand. All
that Is needed is willingness TO spend the
money, a determination to carry out the plan
and a capable administrator with adequate
freedom to execute his commission. But there
is no time TO lose If good street-cleaning de-
partment Is TO be organized. complete sewer
system constructed. all the streets repaved with
asphalt. new slaughterhouses built gar
notwithstanding plant provided, the marshes
drained and a power plant installed between
the middle OF January and the beginning OF
June
These Colonel Warng says, are the absolute
" necessary works TO transform Havana Into
healthy city and save us from epidemics OF
yellow fever When we remember that the
death rate OF NewYork City is 16.45; of Boston,
21Os OF Baltimore. 1S.43; Of New-Orleans
2S34-almost the highest In the country-whi'e
the present mortality Of Havana Is at rate
Of 1886, we can easily understand how COM
pete must be the renovation and how impera-
tive ls immediate action. Now that the Gov
crnment IS advised by the highest authority
what to do. it Is to be expected that it will
proceed at once to do It with all possible en-
prQy