Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-07
Refused To Tell
Of NuSanCes
Unabated.
NEED NEW CODE


determined to get to the bottom of
affairs was shown plainly at the meet
ing of the board last night, when the
report of Inspector Ramsay for the
month was read. He reported sew
enteen nuisances, twelve of which, he
said, had been abated. Commissioner
Comegys asked if the inspector would
mind telling the board what nuisan-
ces had not been abated, and why
they had not been taken care of.
Inspector Ramsay said that he had
not list of the names with him and
and furthermore that he did not think
it was right to make public the names
of complaints received. People who
had complained against some one else
would lose confidence and many COM
plants would not be received.
Wanted Delays Explained.
President Main wanted to know
why it was tnat when a complaint
was made and the customary notice
given that the matter was not at
tended to at once. The inspector re-
piled that the former Board of Health
had tried the same thing, but that
they were working under difficult
cases. For instance, where property
had been bought in, under pro-
tested tax sale, and the title was not
clear The inspector said that it was
also a hard matter to serve the prop
er people with notice. Also that 1t
was almost impossible to serve non
resident of the city, who owned prop
erty here but had no agent or repre-
sentative in the city.
President Main wanted to know if
the Board of Health could not go
ahead and attend to such a matter
themselves and then look to the own
ers of the property for the refunding
of the money. He further said that
he board should do it in cases where
the nuisances were so bad that they
needed immediate attention. The
president thought it a good idea TO
get the work done first and then try
for the money.
Suggested Publishing Notices.
Commissioner Comegys said he
thought it queer that notice could
not be served in some way or other,
that in other boards it could be done
by the publishing of a notice to the
effect in the newspapers and he did
not see why the Board of Health
could not do likewise.
Inspector Ramsay did not think
that such course could be taken and
he said that the board would soon be
able to use' up its appropriation if
they tried to do this sort of a thing.
He thought that it would be a good
idea if the matter be referred to the
city attorney for his opinion and ask
ed that a motion to that effect should
be made. Commissioner Comegys
made the motion, but as no one sec
onded it, the matter was not carried.
Acting Mayor Pfciffer Speaks.
Acting Mayor Pfeiffer was present
and President Main, called on him
for his idea of the situation. The
acting mayor said that he thought it
would be q good idea to have the
present health code revised, as he
thought that the code was an old one,
and under a new code the board
would be able to do a great deal bet
ter work.
This seemed to arouse Inspector
Ramsay, who asked permission to
speak He said that every once in a
while complaint was heard about
the code. He considered it an ex-
cellent on and that the Board of
Health had been able to do good
work. The inspector objected to the
statement that under the present
code good work could not be done.
He called attention to the death rate
in this city for the past year, which
is much lower than in. other cities.
He said that the death rate for a pop
ulation of 1900 at which this city
had been rated was very low, and that
if the present population rate had
been TAKEN it would still be lower.
He called attention to the difference
in this city and other places, where
the death rate was great deal lar
ger.
Complained of Rubbish Heap.
A letter was received from II. G.
Childsey, of 21 Smith street, in which
e.mad@ a complaint against the way
a pie of rubbish was left standing in
the alley near his house. This is said
to be the first letter of this sort that
a Board of Health had received in a
long time. All such complaints here
tofore have gone to the inspector. The
matter was referred to Inspector
Ramsay.
George Boyd, secretary of the Mas
ter Plumbers Association, of this
city and vicinity, notified the Health
Board that they understood that the
board was going to revise the plumb
ing code and that if the master
plumbers could do anything to help
them they would be only too glad to
do SO. 1ney are yelling to send a