New-York tribune., 1901-02-19
WOMEN SANITARY INSPECTORS.
PETITIONS FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT IN
THE ORANGES WILL BE SENT To THE
BOARDS OF HEALTH BY THE CLUBS

subject Of special interest introduced re-
Gently 10 the clubs OF Orange. y. THAT of sani
tary inspection by women under the appointment
and control Of the municipal Boards Of Health.
This includes house 20 house visiting among the
tenements and other dwellings Of the poor. with
authoritative supervision. and the submitting of
regular reports 10 the Board. At the meeting of
the woman's Club Of Orange. under the charge ~
the department Of economics addresses were made
upon this subject by Miss Johanna Von Wagner.
sanitasy inspector of Yonkers. y. Y and Miss
Mary Marshall Butler. president ~ the Womans
Institute OF that city
Miss Butler gave a comprehensive sketch Of the
history OF this movement in Great Britain and
America, from the appointment of the first woman
inspector Glasgow, twenty-eight years ago, down
10 the experiments in that direction in this coun-
try at the present day. she said that II she were
10 take text from the Bible she would select
from the story OF the Prophet Elijah before Jeri-
cho. when the people complained OF the fOulness Of
the water. and he went forth unto the spring %
the waters and the salt I'm there"
Just So" she said. we must go 10 the
OF pollution. We must go 70 the homes We must
put in the salt-the knowledge that must purify
the streams OF life" Poverty she asserted. IN
itself a source OF disease. and ignorance Of the
laws OF health was the worst evil with which the
workers had contend
The English and Scotch cities. notably Man
chester. Leeds and others. well Glasgow. are
evidently far in advance Of us regards the
ployment OF women health visitors and the
various movements there have been completely
successful
In this country Chicago is the only one of the
larger cities I'm which the inspection of tenernens
factories and workshops is regularly carried by
women. In NeW-York CITY the small number 81
/ women employed were displaced by the Tammany
administration. Good work Of this kind however
is done in many OF the smaller cities particularly
In fonkers. Miss Butler spoke OF the great adVan-
/ tage that women have in winning the
1 confidence Of the mothers in the tenements. and
also enumerated the qualities necessary 10 an EN-
I cient inspector-among them tact. sympathy. pa
1 1ence, physical strength and enthusiasm for the
work.
Mrs. John r. Paddock OF Orange spoke from
! personal knowledge Of conditions existing in that
city, among factory hands in particular and while
4 these conditions are not conspicuously bad. the
need of a woman inspector is. In the words OF a
prominent physician. too obvious for discussion" d"
z She urged the maintenance Of model tenements.
profitable 10 all concerned.
+ The tactful and sympathetic approach of the
fortunate the less fortunate classes was
emphasized in address by Mrs. Stewart Harts-
. horn who said she would not use the expression
''better classes. and that she ala believe that
the poor responsible for their poverty except
1 IN small percentage of cases.
] Miss Won Wagner and Miss Butler gave substan-
TALLY the addresses before tho Political Study
I Club of orange. and that Occasion their re
! perintendent OF Schools Dr. William SWingle who
spoke OF school sanitation The result Of the study
Of this subject WILL Il is said be the submission OF
number of petitions the Boards Of Health % the
Oranges for the appointment Of women in
] spectOrs.