Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-01
HEAL TIL BODY
LOSES SEVEN
COUNCIL WIELDs AK DESPITE DIR.
POWERS WARNING
SANITARY AND MILK INSPECTORS
HIT HARDEST
Lodging House and Quarantine Force
Goes Down with the Rest.
viii Mayor Sign the
Measure?

Seven heads in the health department
were ordered chopped off yesterday by the
city council
Whether Mayor Harper will sign the
ordinance is still problematical He will
probably hold 1t nine days at least to
watch the turn of affairs He declined
last night to say what he would do.
The salary ordinance passed yesterday
calls for the reduction of the milk in
spectors by two, sanitary inspectors by
three, the dropping of the quarantine
and lodging house inspectors, and that
the veterinarian shall look after the city's
sick and disabled horses free of charge
in addition to his other duties.
Health Officer l.. M Powers who re-
turned from a weeks trip to San Fran
cisco only an hour before the council
opened it's session at4 o'clock, made an
impassioned speech opposing reduction of
his force
DR.. Powers Vehemently Opposes
with the winter season here our
work greatly increases" said DR.. Powers.
'You propose to deprive the depart
ment of a quarantine inspector. In the
past have tried to do this work myself
but it is a physical impossibility for me
to do it now with all my other duties,
kuCklly LneTe Is utLlt 6lCkIlCSS ncI0 hoWs
"Odr milk inspection department COW
ers practically all of Southern Califor-
MIA and much of Central California. for
we get most of our milk outside Of Los
Angeles. How can we cover the territory
with two less men? We cannot.
Hotels and lodging houses are the dis
tributing centers for disease, as 1t comes
in epidemic form, as seems to be the
case all over the world this year. You
take away the lodging house inspector
who has just started to create new stand
ards of cleanliness in these places where
thousands live.
S"ResponsIbIllty on You"
''The responsibility will not be on me
II six months hence you look backward
to find out how this and that wave Of
sickness started"
Chairman Wallace Of the finance COM
mittee took the speech as a personal at
tack and spoke warmly.
with us it is only a question where
we shall draw the line said he, I'VE
must cut our expenditures.
1.-THE council as earnestly as DR.. Pow
ers desires a clean, sanitary, healthful
city.
Let the three secretaries which the
board of health boasts of and insists on
induce the state to undertake more of
this milk inspection. Next the milk in
spectors will be going to Oregon and
Arizona to look at the milk supply. We
need not worry
"Make Inspectors Work"-WaIIace
What do you expect IL you cut off
the inspectors?"
"The inspectors which we have left
should work harder, and I think 1t is
healthy for them to do so.'
"But If an epidemic should strike this
citv?'' asked President PeaSe.
''Then every dollar we have can be ex-
pended" said Chairman Wallace.
'It will then be too late retorted DR..
Powers.
Councilman Healy then made an ap-
peal for the milk inspectors. He wanted
the two restored.
1.-The restaurants and tho milk supply
should be watched. 1t is for the people s
benefit" said the Eighth ward states
man. "It is for the children"
WaIIace's Parting Shot
Councilman Wallace insisted that the
department was not being neglected; that
its monthly payroll was $1,000 more than
1t stood last year.
After several votes were taken Healy
was the only mo" on the salary ordi-
nance and he changed his vote to yes"
making 1t unanimous.
Councilman Blanchard, who is on the
finance committee remarked that If 1t
were found that more help must be added
a way would be found.
Councilman Wren was absent from yes
terday's meeting.