New-York tribune., 1907-04-05
STREETS AND HEALTH.
Gibson You'd abolish City Magis-
trates and Borough System.

As n solution of the street cleaning problem In
this city. Captain r NJ. Gibson. ex-Deputy Com
missioner OF Street Cleaning. at the Academy OF
Medicine last night gave a long list Of reforms
he thought necessary. They were the abolition Of
the Board Of City Magistrates. discontnuance or
licensed pUshcart venders. the wtping out or the
bOroughs and the establishment of a Civil Ser
vice system DR. John A. Wyeth. president OF the
academy. presided at the meeting which had been
arranged by the section OF public health to dis
ouss ways and means Of obtaining the most cont
prehensve and effective cleaning Of the city streets
Captain Gibson. who was the second speaker on
the programme said he was led by the remarks OF
Dr. ". Gilman Thompson, who preceded him. 70
enter into some defence Of the Street Cleaning De-
partment as such. Dr. Thompson. who Is professor
of physiology in the Cornell University Medical
School. after mentioning lengthy catalogue OK
the ailments that the in the street and IN the
house Is subject from the seven great classes OF
dirt which litter highways and byWays, paid
his respects To the present arrangement in New
York by which, he said the streets may not Be
cleaned simply because there are ten or dozen
departments which can evade the responsibility.
Without intending any reflection on any CITY
department said Captain Gibson, IL the streets
were 10 be properly cleaned they should first be
properly paved Captain Gibson also said the
people themselves were largely 20 blame for the
filthy condition of the streets 1t was IN alluslon
to the general result which attended the hallnS
70 court of offenders against the sanitary ordl-
nances that Captain Gibson criticised the Board OF
Magistrates He also failed TO see where the city
gets any real gain OF the $4,000 collected annu-
ally for licenses from pushCart pedeTs II II costs
the street Cleaning Department Sl090 q year 20
remove the refuse which Il distributed over IlS
East Side section ty the carts
= positive measures, Captain GIBSON ueClstieu
that the people should insist that the department.
have he OF water with which 10 1iuSh
The streets. and the department should be given
absolute authority to enforce the sanitary resua-
tions.. N,
Rudolph Herring. sanitary expert. who taIsed
on Practical Ideals OF Street CleaulnSs asIeeU
with Captain Gibson in the necessity or nus nushing
the streets He favored placing the building, re-
pairing and cleaning OF the streets under one re-
Dr s A. Knopf advised the establishment OF
school for the training ~ street cleaners Berlin
had done this with most successful results Dr-
Knopf raped the Interborough Company Tor the
condition OF the elevated platforms
G. A Soper. who Is a sanitary expert auest9hef1f a ~
whether IL would he cheaper 10 flush the streets
the refuse were to be swept into the sewers ana
ont into the harbor where II formed into huSe de-
uosits which IN would cost large sums 70 remove
Al tile conclusion Of the discussion the section
adooted unanimously n resolution requesting tha
Academy OF Medicine 10 make a careful and COM
prehensive study Of the street cleaning problem
and 10 suggest 10 the Mayor the appointment OF
a commission TO examine into the whole question
report.